How Do You Clean Your Brewfridge?

[anthony]

Hi all, just got myself a new brewfridge off ebay. It is only about 6-7years old but needs a good cleanout - mould around part of the seals, odours etc.

My natural inclination is to use bleach since it will kill all the mould and odour. A little research has left me confused as to whether it is OK... some places on the web suggest bleach for fridge cleaning and others suggest it may cause corrosion? Many places suggest using Sodium Bicarb for your fridge but I cannot see how this would kill all the nasty microbes that want to have an orgy in my brew.

Any experts out there know which chemical to sanitise an old fridge to brewing standards without causing it to rust? :unsure:

 

[lucas]

Hi all, just got myself a new brewfridge off ebay. It is only about 6-7years old but needs a good cleanout - mould around part of the seals, odours etc.

My natural inclination is to use bleach since it will kill all the mould and odour. A little research has left me confused as to whether it is OK... some places on the web suggest bleach for fridge cleaning and others suggest it may cause corrosion? Many places suggest using Sodium Bicarb for your fridge but I cannot see how this would kill all the nasty microbes that want to have an orgy in my brew.

Any experts out there know which chemical to sanitise an old fridge to brewing standards without causing it to rust? :unsure:

I'm in the process of doing this now with an old chest freezer i got that stinks to high heaven. I guess I've got the advantage that Im not to fussed it i end up wrecking it because as it stands its completely unsuitable for use.

so far I've put a few litres of bleach in the bottom, left for a day and drained. put a few litres of hot nappisan in it and left for a day, then drained. that dislodged some mushroom like things from in there somewhere (nfi where they were, i hadnt seen them). anyway next I've done the bicarb all over the bottom then put in a few litres of vinegar. this suprisingly worked REALLY well, leaving clean looking metal where there was previously rust.

I sprayed some damprid (mould killing stuff) all over the bottom and left it and now it looks like the metal has rusted a bit so there may be truth in the bleach comment. I still need to work out how to get rid of the stink, then im planning on sanding back the bottom, siliconing up all the joints and giving it a coat of paint... i dunno, maybe acrylic stuff?

 

[anthony]

I decided to bleach the fridgy and just avoid the steel casing a bit - the last owner must have been stuffing pigs in the freezer without gladwrap - still stinks :angry: more bleach maybe

Lucas, you had any luck yet find a chemical for the stink?

 

[Hashie]

Back in the day, when I worked as a Butcher. We used lemon essence to clean the display cases. They always came up clean with no residual smell.

 

[Steve]

fill a bucket up with hot soapy water grab a pair of rubber gloves, pass these to my wife then go lie on the lounge with a beer

Cheers
Steve

 

[lucas]

it's better than it was but it's still not pleasant. I havent done anything else to it since my last post but it's subdued enough now that I can leave the lid open a bit which will hopefully let the smell dissipate more quickly. oh, and I have some more bicarb in there because it's supposed to absorb odours

It's good enough now that it'd think about putting kegged beer in it, but i wouldnt want to have to open it to pour myself a beer. If I cant get it any better I guess I'll have to get some external taps set up.

 

[Wortgames]

I usually use Exit Mould for really nasty fridges - it's like bleach but it seems much more powerful. Chlorine based I think.

There are probably other effective methods though that are less harmful to the lungs and the steelwork. Bicarb and vinegar is definitely worth a try, and plain old Napisan and hot water is extremely effective, it basically digests organic matter and leaves things relatively sanitary.

Any oxidising chemical (chlorine [bleach, Exit Mould], Hydrogen Peroxide, Sodium Percarbonate [Napisan]) will attack metal, because that's what oxygen does. The trick is to use it only when necessary then wash it off before it does any damage.

Lemon, Eucalyptus or Tea Tree oil would probably be great for wiping down and killing odours once it is already clean, but I don't think they will have the grunt to attack really badly soiled surfaces.

Watch out for some kitchen and bathroom cleaners, I made the mistake of trying 'Shower Power' in a fridge recently and it left behind a really unpleasant stale urine smell.

If you are sure that the surfaces are clean but you still have a stink, then it has probably permeated the inaccessible nooks and the plastic parts. The best fix for that is air and UV, try sticking it out in the garden for a few days with the lid open.

 

[Doogiechap]

My 2 bob's worth, Once you have the thing clean, Vanila Essence works a treat in getting rid of nasty smells. Just a bit on a sponge and wipe it down. If the odor is persistant then leave an open jar inside for a few days.
Cheers
Doug

 

[goatherder]

I use a weak bleach solution to clear out the mould.

My latest trick is to put a damprid pack in the fridge - it soaks up the moisture and the mould hasn't returned since, even when the fridge is running at 20 degrees.

 

[bugwan]

I'm a fan of Exit Mould too, but be careful sticking your head into a chest freezer after spraying. That's a great way to strip off the lining of your lungs...!

Another vote for Vanilla Essence too. Most 'fridge cleaners' use this as a scent.

 

[crozdog]

FWIW, Charcoal is a great odour absorber.

 

[domonsura]

fill a bucket up with hot soapy water grab a pair of rubber gloves, pass these to my wife then go lie on the lounge with a beer

Cheers
Steve

:blink:

God...I wouldn't get away with that, I'd be pulling said rubber gloves out of somewhere uncomfortable before you could say 'cheers luv'.

 

[Steve]

:blink:

God...I wouldn't get away with that, I'd be pulling said rubber gloves out of somewhere uncomfortable before you could say 'cheers luv'.

:lol: yeah it doesnt go down to well

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

My wife brought to the relationship a bottle of a thing called 'NilOdor', which is a pump spray stuff that eats odours wonderfully. It pays to remove the dead animal from the scene of the smell first, but after that, it's almost guaranteed to remove any odour. I used it a lot when we were training cats to toilet in the right place. I am not sure if it is chemical or enzymatic.

I would recommend places that sell vacuum cleaners, or department stores - it might be a bit too wiggy for the supermarket.

 

[Wortgames]

I'm sure you can get NilOdor in the supermarket. It comes in a tiny green glass bottle, near the air fresheners etc.

I have used it in the past but a long time ago - from memory it leaves a fairly distinctive stink of its own, but it's not unpleasant.