Black mold in fridge water/ice dispenser???!!! (sinks, smell, cleaner)
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Oh Yuck! We moved into our home about a week ago and yesterday I looked under the opening for the water/ice dispenser and saw spots of black fuzzy mold! The house was quite dirty when we bought it but I hired professional cleaners to come in and thoroughly clean it (to the tune of $700, no less!) before we moved in and the fridge which is a new looking Kenmore Elite looked extremely clean after that. I had no idea that mold was there. How in the heck can mold grow on plastic parts and how in the heck can I clean it? I tried spraying up there with a bleach based spray cleaner but its still there and I don't think I can ever imagine drinking water from it again. Any ideas?
Mold will grow most anywhere that it can, mostly in dark cool areas on any type of material. It’s hard to get rid of easily. You might try real lemon juice, but you have to get it onto and into all possible areas of the water/ice dispenser. Another product is Lysol spray disinfectant cleaner, the can says that it will kill mold. Whichever products you use you may want to have a serviceman visit and remove parts to see if there is any mold inside the unit that you can’t see or get into normally. The door may need to be replaced all together if it’s contaminated inside?
On a side note, I had mold growing in the kitchen sink disposal and had to replace the unit because cleaning it wasn’t doing any good. The mold had gotten into the rubber and plastic parts inside as well in the plastic drainpipes that lead to the trap and everything had to be replaced before I could get rid of the mold odor in the sinks.
Mold will grow most anywhere that it can, mostly in dark cool areas on any type of material. It’s hard to get rid of easily. You might try real lemon juice, but you have to get it onto and into all possible areas of the water/ice dispenser. Another product is Lysol spray disinfectant cleaner, the can says that it will kill mold. Whichever products you use you may want to have a serviceman visit and remove parts to see if there is any mold inside the unit that you can’t see or get into normally. The door may need to be replaced all together if it’s contaminated inside?
On a side note, I had mold growing in the kitchen sink disposal and had to replace the unit because cleaning it wasn’t doing any good. The mold had gotten into the rubber and plastic parts inside as well in the plastic drainpipes that lead to the trap and everything had to be replaced before I could get rid of the mold odor in the sinks.
Thanks. Not the response I was hoping for - but you're probably right. Nothing's ever easy Wonder if my Home Warranty Policy we purchased when we bought the house would cover this???
Ours gets extremely nasty, and some residue I am assuming mold, and it will stink right under the ice/water dispenser. People get ice and stuff and miss the glass, and the moisture collects down there. Very gross and very difficult to get it clean.
This is one of the few places where the little steamer cleaners can do a good job. The nozzles are small enough to get into the area, and the steam blasts off most of any mold and sanitizes at the same time, and there is no toxic residue.
If you get one, and you have a shower stall, use it to blast out around the shower door and at the base of the glass panels as well. Many times the panels have a space between the framed glass and the base. Mold loves to grow in those spots.
Thanks. Not the response I was hoping for - but you're probably right. Nothing's ever easy Wonder if my Home Warranty Policy we purchased when we bought the house would cover this???
I'm in the same position. Did you find out if your home warranty covered this issue?
This is one of the few places where the little steamer cleaners can do a good job. The nozzles are small enough to get into the area, and the steam blasts off most of any mold and sanitizes at the same time, and there is no toxic residue.
If you get one, and you have a shower stall, use it to blast out around the shower door and at the base of the glass panels as well. Many times the panels have a space between the framed glass and the base. Mold loves to grow in those spots.
What kind of "little steamer cleaner" are you talking about (specifically)? I hate cleaning my shower doors and that sounds very helpful!!
Didn't read all posts so sorry if i repeat. Always prop doors open on a refrigerator which is unplugged or turned off. They will always mold up big time if you don't. The mold is from leaving the doors closed when not functioning. There is no chance that any warranty will cover this. Home Owner policy might! Harry is right a little steam cleaner would be excellent for the task.
Now I look back and see it's just the Ice water dispenser. Harry's steam cleaner idea is still best option. Even if you purchase one just for this purpose only!
i was given a frigde from a friend when mine broke . they had shout the doors and the fridge was covered in black mold. i washed it for 5 hours unscrewing anything i could myself . there was some vents in the fridge i tried to get clean ,but still look blacky gray even after sitting in a bucket of bleach. (foam on these parts) needless to say it looks clean but i also have a water ice maker and could not get those parts off. i am fear full that the mold is in the walls of the fridge do to cracks on the door and the vents . my parents who got me the fridge think plugging it in and it getting cold will kill all remaining mold . i used bleach mr.clean tilex and them went over it in vingar to end . now my mom has coffee grounds in it to rid the toxic smell . still have not put food in it .
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The house was quite dirty when we bought it but I hired professional cleaners to come in and thoroughly clean it (to the tune of $700, no less!) before we moved in and the fridge which is a new looking Kenmore Elite looked extremely clean after that. I had no idea that mold was there. How in the heck can mold grow on plastic parts and how in the heck can I clean it? I tried spraying up there with a bleach based spray cleaner but its still there and I don't think I can ever imagine drinking water from it again. Any ideas?
