moldy refrigerator

I've inherited a refrigerator. I want to make it my dedicated beer refrigerator. The problem is that it's been sitting unplugged at the previous owners house and is really moldy inside. Does anyone have any tips on cleaning it, or advice on whether or not I should even use it. Ma, I don't want to have to buy a fridge.

First I'd use a pressure washer to get the mold out then BLEACH!! I believe it's the only thing that kills mold.

If you have a pressure washer with the car soap attachment I'd put the bleach in there after the initial removal of the mold.

If you don't have a pressure washer, then scrounge up a regular old spray bottle and go to it. The bleach will kill the mold, and you can rinse with a water hose. If you have some stubborn spots, just use a nylon brush.

homebrewer_99 said:

First I'd use a pressure washer to get the mold out then BLEACH!!

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Where's our marine friend on this one. Would you still a "real brewer" if you use bleach on the inside of a fridge?

...man, there goes my buzz again!!! now, where'd I put that opener...maybe I'll just grab a flippie......

Thanks for the replies. I used TSP with a spray bottle, let it soak a bit, then hit it with the hose. Then I Oxicleaned it. After a few hours I could still smell the mold smell. I just now hit it with bleach. Probably do that again.

Would the airlock prevent any baddies from getting into a carboy if I had one in there?

just tell the mold that chuck norris wants to put a sixer in there, theyll leave...

The short answer is "yes". (EDIT: I know I said "no" last time, but I didn't answer the question properly...my bad...)

Technically, an airlock is a one-way (outlet) valve. It's an exhaust system.

As long as you keep enough water/vodka/whatever you use in the airlock nothing is capable of entering the carboy.

Soak it in a bleach solution. Rinse the crap out of it. Then let it sit un plugged with the doors open to air out.

I got a fridge through craigs list for 50 bucks and it was nasty. Cleaned the crap out of it and aired it out for a week or 2 and it is like new. If the smell is stubborn try spreading baking soda all over the horizontal surfaces when it is dry and let it sit unplugged with the doors closed for a week and vaccum out all of the soda.

Clean the crap out of it with bleach. Everything will be fine. My current kegerator came pretty nasty, but it is fine now due to a serious cleaning.

Maestro Brewsmith said:

Where's our marine friend on this one. Would you still a "real brewer" if you use bleach on the inside of a fridge?

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Just so everyone knows, I was on the northernbrewer forum the other day and saw that a-hole stirring up stuff over there, too.

mwessinger said:

If you don't have a pressure washer, then scrounge up a regular old spray bottle and go to it. The bleach will kill the mold, and you can rinse with a water hose. If you have some stubborn spots, just use a nylon brush.

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I've done the exact thing with a moldy fridge and this was so easy. just spray and walk away, repeat, repeat, rinse.