How to Get Rid of Dark Spots in the Refrigerator

Clean the inside of your refrigerator to remove mildew growth.

Dark spots along the inside walls of your refrigerator are signs of mildew, which forms when there is an excessive amount of moisture inside of the appliance that causes bacteria to grow and form inside. Mildew can easily spread onto your uncovered food and cause illness if contaminated food is consumed. Although cleaning the inside of the refrigerator eliminates current mildew spots, it is also necessary to adjust your refrigerator's temperature to prevent condensation from reoccurring.

Things You'll Need

• White vinegar
• Bowl
• Sponge
• Cleaning cloth

Instructions

1. Unplug the refrigerator's power cable and remove all food items and containers from inside of the refrigerator.

2. Combine 1/2 cup of white vinegar in a bowl with 1/2 cup of warm water. Dip a clean sponge in the bowl's solution and scrub the refrigerator's interior.

3. Rinse the sponge to prevent spreading the removed mildew and dip the sponge back into the solution.

4. Wipe down the shelves inside of the refrigerator and rinse the inside of the appliance with a damp cleaning cloth.

5. Dry off the fridge's interior with a dry cloth and place the food and containers back into the fridge.

6. Plug the refrigerator's power cable into the outlet and set the refrigerator's temperature to a cooler setting to maintain the proper cool temperature for food storage. Cooler temperatures prevent mildew from appearing, as mildew requires warmer temperatures in combination with moisture.

Tips & Warnings

• Cut down on opening your fridge's door to reduce the amount of warm air that makes its way into the fridge.

References

• Vinegar Tips: Cleaning with Vinegar
• "Good Housekeeping The Complete Household Handbook"; Editors of Good Housekeeping; April 2007;