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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

How to clean a very very dirty fridge

44 replies

TheGander · 28/07/2023 07:51

My brother has been in a mental health rehab unit for about 9 months. Due to his breakdown his house was in a state, and we are now looking at preparing for his discharge home. His fridge is filthy. I’ve managed to prise the trays out and clean them using a combination of fairy liquid, soda crystals and lye. The inside is caked in a kind of putrid smear composed of old rotten food. . How to clean it ? I’m not sure how to go about it. Chucking the fridge out and getting a new one isn’t t an option due to finances. Any advice appreciated.

OP posts:
FrivolousTreeDuck · 28/07/2023 19:04

You've done a great job there, OP!

Tessisme · 28/07/2023 19:48

That is a brilliant job OP. Any chance you could do mine?😃

Tattyhabits · 28/07/2023 20:46

You've done a fantastic job there!
I would second the suggestion of Milton. Kills germs las well as bleach does but much kinder. I'd also suggest trying Astonish mould and mildew remover if the seals are a bit mouldy. It did a brilliant job of clearing the grout in my shower and the rubber seal in my washing machine.

Fluffycloudsblusky · 28/07/2023 20:51

If he has a dishwasher then drawers and shelves can go on a cycle. Not totally filthy but after an initial clean.

itsmeafterall · 28/07/2023 20:55

Check out aurakatarina on insta on Facebook

She cleans this kind of stuff all the time.

And she's lovely too😊

Good luck .

TheGander · 28/07/2023 22:13

Thanks , everyone has been so kind. Indeed the seals are filthy so maybe I should get some Milton on them, the soda crystals didn’t seem to do the trick there but I also ran out of time. I will check aurakatarina out. There’s a kind of shame to having a relatives house get so filthy so it’s supportive to be able to discuss it here at least 😊.

OP posts:
FrivolousTreeDuck · 28/07/2023 22:24

TheGander · 28/07/2023 22:13

Thanks , everyone has been so kind. Indeed the seals are filthy so maybe I should get some Milton on them, the soda crystals didn’t seem to do the trick there but I also ran out of time. I will check aurakatarina out. There’s a kind of shame to having a relatives house get so filthy so it’s supportive to be able to discuss it here at least 😊.

You have to keep remembering there is no shame involved - your brother was unwell and couldn't take care of himself - not your fault or his fault. You are being a brilliant sister and helping him get back on his feet - you should feel proud, not ashamed.

(I have hoarder parents with a filthy house and have to keep telling myself it is an illness).

TheGander · 29/07/2023 14:01

Thank you so much for your kind words @FrivolousTreeDuck ( fellow water fowl 😉). You obviously understand the issues, and like me I’m sure you’ve wished you had a “ normal “ family at times. My dad was a hoarder and it got worse after mum died, then he got dementia and it was truly horrendous. I’ve lived with this situation since the mum died in the mid 90s, one way or another I’ve always been responsible for a non coping male relative: first my grandfather, then dad, now brother. My feeling is he’s not capable of independent living and I won’t support a further discharge home but it has to be tried this time . Sorry everyone, this is more one for the Relationships or Mental Health boards.

OP posts:
FrogFairy · 30/07/2023 15:26

I can see from your update that you have done a fantastic job on the fridge.
If it still does not smell fresh enough I highly recommend Flash with bicarb.
Also for the seals I have seen a gel sold by a company called Must Have Ideas that deals with mould etc. The advert for it shows them putting on a fridge seal. I haven’t actually used it myself but it caught my eye because my fridge seals are very grubby.

TheGander · 31/07/2023 21:39

Thanks for your encouragement @FrogFairy .

OP posts:
Deathraystare · 27/08/2023 14:42

@TheGander

Well done! Looks great! I had to do similar for myself when I stayed at mum's to look after her then came back to an awful fridge! Did not take long to get it right but in the end i decided not to have a fridge in my bedroom (was sharing the kitchen one with three other people).

TheGander · 31/08/2023 22:09

Thanks @Deathraystare its certainly better but still has that “ off cheese “ smell, but I think that’s the seals around the door needing a good clean. I’ll add that to my list …

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 04/09/2023 05:53

There's a YouTube cleaner from Finland called Aurikaterina, who does free cleaning for people with MH troubles and posts videos of her work.

She uses oven cleaner on all sorts of surfaces, plus a plastic scraper. Maybe check out some of her videos - I think the level of grime might be similar to what you're dealing with.

Hope your brother will be OK. This must be heartbreaking for you.

mathanxiety · 04/09/2023 05:54

Doh! Too late!
White vinegar or bread soda might ease the stale cheese smell.

Elleherd · 04/09/2023 12:34

@TheGander The shame you're feeling's imposed by society, often on people already suffering from what's beyond their control. It won't help. Try and dump it with the fridges contents if you can.🙂

Have cleaned out and salvaged some truly severe fridges sometimes un-refrigerated, left full of rotting food. As you've found, that one's salvageable.

IME the seals won't be helping, but the smell's potentially coming from fridge drainage system, and/or has been absorbed by the plastic body.

It could be something else, but an off cheese smell (nauseating clinging rancid cheese/old feet combo) is potentially caused by fungal spores. (similarly found in wardrobes, bedding, laundry piles, shoes, if uncared for feet - foot/toenail fungus/athletes foot present, or long term dead animals animals and moisture combined.) The instinctive gack response is telling you not to breathe it.

I'd suggest 'professional level' cleaning to ensure future food safety as well as no smell. You're clearly someone able to DIY this too, you've done the worst bit.

The fungicidal disinfectant I'd use will safely kill fungal spores including within a fridges drainage system; Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate. (old school Borax) Disinfects & kills fungal growth rather than reducing it to less detectable levels.

(It's a strong alkaline powder. Nowadays sensible to treat as noxious when using. Face mask, rubber gloves, don't ingest or breathe in as powder. Ensure entirely cleaned from fridge/surfaces afterwards.
Relatively recently been discovered to have nasty side effects if ingested or repeatedly overused which it has been for decades, and still is in the US including in toothpaste. But it's safe enough if used sensibly, as one off restoration, or continuously in a controlled way in various trades.
You can no longer buy it in UK, but it's not illegal to buy and import. I still use it both for dealing with sewage flooding, and within my work.)

You need to look at the drainage system. You are looking for what can only be described as a 'mucous plug' of jelly like gunge around or in the drainage filter. It can easily masquerade as just a dark drainage hole, but when hooked out is a small dark centered 'jelly' with up to inches of trailing 'fronds.'

You may not find one, but there often is, blocking the drainage of the fridge.
To sort: removed any visible gunk, mix a strong but still liquid solution, trickle a small amount into the drainage system & leave. It will work it's way through.

Thoroughly wipe all surfaces with solution, leave for a few hours. Same with all detachable parts. Wash off with hot soapy water. Dry. Personally I'd then give it a go over with Detox or similar, but that's more reassurance than need. Any residual trace of smell can be dealt with by open pot of bicarb or charcoal.

TheGander · 05/09/2023 10:54

Wow thanks so much @mathanxiety and @Elleherd for the understanding and very useful tips. I am indeed worried that rotten food debris has seeped into the internal workings of the fridge. I must ad it I’ve treated myself to a summer break and haven’t been over to the house of horrors for a few weeks, brother is still in his rehab unit. I will try and get at the drainage system, thanks for the tip @Elleherd . Interesting about Borax, I remember trying to get it at Robert Dyas years ago for a craft project ( making slime) and finding it was no longer available, but sounds like I could maybe get it online. I’ll also have a go at the seals .
@mathanxiety i looked at a couple of Aurikaterina videos, she’s a phenomenon!

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 05/09/2023 14:31

shop.hdchemicals.co.uk/products/boric-acid-99-9

You might be able to buy boric acid / borax here.

Elleherd · 06/09/2023 09:30

@mathanxiety yes, wasn't sure on putting a link up. (and my DM's no longer work)

The chemical that link opens up on is Boric acid which is a mixture of borax and minerals such as boracite and colemanite, and may vary in it's composition.

Whereas Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate (Na2B4O7 10H2O) or 'Borax' is comprised of sodium, oxygen and boron.

https://shop.hdchemicals.co.uk/search?q=%EF%BB%BFSodium+Tetraborate+Decahydrate

mathanxiety · 06/09/2023 22:51

Thanks, @Elleherd for correcting my hazy chemistry Blush
I have a box of it under my sink as you can buy it otc in the US. It's extremely handy stuff.

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