Preventing mold in cabin refrigerator

[MossRoad]

I agree with the others. Turn it off and block the doors open. Way open, like 6" open. Eventually all the water should evaporate and there should be no mold. If there is still mold in that little fan box, the water isn't evaporating and there's another issue.

Is water pooling in that little box?

 

[arkydog]

i had a trailer in a park by a large reservoir used in summer only. had mold every which way until i was told to leave door open and put a paper bowl filled with charcoal briquettes. on in refrigerator and one in freezer. never had mold again. now i have stored different refrigerators in pole barn w/charcoal and still no mold. try that. guess it acts as a charcoal filter.

 

[ponytug]

Love the charcoal briquette idea!

I prop mine open. There will always be some water behind the plastic panels that takes time to come out, and will mold/stink if it isn't open. However for things that I really want to keep dry, I use silica gel poured into an old sock. Microwave it, or put it in a warm (200F) oven.

All the best,

Peter

 

[DrRod]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

The source of this and other problems is that we don't leave the power on while we are away. Its the price we pay for fear of fire in an 80-year old log cabin.

While we do prop the door open when leaving the cabin itself stays a bit damp and gets really damp in a wet spring [last year my boots mildewed]. I can remember putting charcoal in it years ago and maybe its time to try that or DampRid. But if the cabin is damp I w0nder if it can keep up with the amount of free-range moisture in the building.

As for water pooling in the little box, the repair guy didn't see it.

Thanks again.

 

[MossRoad]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

The source of this and other problems is that we don't leave the power on while we are away. Its the price we pay for fear of fire in an 80-year old log cabin.

While we do prop the door open when leaving the cabin itself stays a bit damp and gets really damp in a wet spring [last year my boots mildewed]. I can remember putting charcoal in it years ago and maybe its time to try that or DampRid. But if the cabin is damp I w0nder if it can keep up with the amount of free-range moisture in the building.

As for water pooling in the little box, the repair guy didn't see it.

Thanks again.

Well, if you get mold in your boots, you're gonna get mold in any place else.

 

[ponytug]

I hear you on not leaving power on.

Would a low voltage solar fan work for you? I had an issue with a horse trailer that had to be parked in a shaded damp area near a stream. The thing that finally got rid of the mold was a solar exhaust fan from a boat (waterproof). Prior to that nothing worked. It has a solar cell built into the vent, and a C battery to run it through clouds/night. It's been running almost twenty years for me, with battery replacements every five or so years. You might even get by without a battery on the idea that when the sun is shining, the air is drier.

Just a thought.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Industrial Toys]

I used to get hundreds of these huge Silica Gell packs for photo-copier boxes. Might be worth it to towel up moist of the moisture, keep the door closed, use silica gell and a bit of baking soda as well. I wouldn't like mice having free access to my fridge.

You can dry out old silica gell in an oven.

 

[DrRod]

Yes -- and then there is the mice. They can get on the lower lip but don't seem to get very far. In any case, they are a plague

 

[ponytug]

FWIW: We used to get a pack or two of cigarettes and leave halves various places at the end of the season, around the linens, and other places that they liked to congregate in or chew on. Once we started doing that, we never had another mouse in the cabin. And no, none of us smoked. Mind you, we did try hard over the years to caulk and screen any cracks, but the cigarettes were what put us over the edge to no damage. No idea why it worked. Someone told me that mothballs work, too, but I have no experience with mothballs and mice.

All the best,

Peter

 

[DrRod]

Mothballs work with mice and bats but you have to use so much that you can hardly stand to bee there.

I just rented a storage unit and the whole place smells like moth balls so they must be fighting rodents as well.