If your refrigerator has mold growing anywhere in it, it could be a posing a very real threat to your health. Certain molds may not only ruin any food not stored safely in your fridge, but can have negative consequences on your health, such as by triggering allergic reactions or even causing cancer.
What to do if you find mold growing on food items stored in your refrigerator:
While some people believe that mold is nothing to worry about and can simply be scraped off food before it’s consumed – and in some cases this is true – there are many food items that should be immediately discarded if they’re found to be moldy. Hard cheeses and firm vegetables can usually be safely consumed once any mold has been removed along with an inch of the surrounding food, along with ham and hard salami which are also safe to eat once mold has been removed. However, grains, nuts and may other types of produce can be breeding grounds for mycotoxins, which can make you very sick. Aflatoxins, which form one group of mycotoxins, are poisonous and can cause serious diseases in humans such as cancer.
How does mold grow?
While we’re all familiar with what mold looks like, you may not realise that surface mold can be thought of as the seed head of an organism growing deep beneath the surface. Mold is not a plant, but it may help to visualize them as having roots that can reach down into food and stalks or stems that grow above the surface. The spores, that are like seeds, grow at the top of the stalk. The deep roots of mold are capable of penetrating soft foods, even if you can’t see any mold on the surface.
What to do if you find mold on your refrigerator:
As mold spores are transmitted via the air, any moldy food items in your refrigerator could lead to the growth of mold on your refrigerator itself, and this can also be very harmful for your health, not to mention the fact that it looks unsightly. To clean any mold off, scrub it with a tablespoon of baking soda mixed with a quart of water and rinse it off with warm water. One common place for mold to breed on in your refrigerator, are the rubber seals around the doors, but if you catch it and clean it before it has a chance to thrive, then it shouldn’t take much effort to remove. Ignore it, however, and it’ll take much more than good old elbow grease to get rid of To eliminate this mold growth effectively, scrub at it with a diluted bleach solution, taking care not to splash bleach onto any food items inside the refrigerator.
How can you prevent the growth of mold?
One simple way of preventing mold spores from being spread and transmitted onto food items in your refrigerator is to make sure that all food is covered. If you find moldy food, wrap it in something and throw it away before cleaning the area that it was found in. When you’re cleaning your refrigerator, make sure that your cloth or sponge is hygienically clean, otherwise you may simply be spreading even more bacteria and mold spores inside your fridge.
If mold has taken over your refrigerator and it needs to be cleaned thoroughly but you don’t have the time (or inclination!) to do it, then simply call up a professional cleaning company and have them do it for you.
