How to Control Humidity in a Refrigerator

Moisture is always needed. This element needs to be in your fridge at all times. What the moisture does is help keep your food fresh and from spoiling. However, too much moisture will not be so helpful.

When your fridge has too much moisture, mold and bacteria can grow ruining your food and possibly harming your health. To prevent this from taking place, you need to monitor your moisture levels and remove the excess to protect your food.

To find out how to do this, just continue to read our article as it has the information you need to know about.

Steps to Control Your Fridge’s Humidity Level

Step 1 – Clean Your Fridge

This is more to protect your health than it is to help control the humidity level inside your fridge. You should remove all foods that look like they have spoiled and toss them away. This is also a good time to remove partially full condiment bottles, etc.

Then mix a gallon of warm water with some mild dish soap. A few drops will do it, and once you have the mixture right, wipe down the fridge’s interior and the food containers. You can add a 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach to help get rid of odd smells or any mold that has grown inside.

Next, check your fridge pan and give it a good cleaning as well as vacuuming the coils with the right attachment. Having a clean fridge helps you stay worry-free.

Step 2 – Use A Small Desiccant Dehumidifier

These devices are very small and can fit into your fridge without taking up too much space. Then once inside your fridge, their ingredients help absorb excess moisture as well as remove any ethylene gas that may have built up due to your fruit and vegetable supply.

These little dehumidifiers also help with keeping odors under control.

Step 3 – Use Small Fans

These little tools help keep excess moisture away from your fridge. A good kitchen exhaust fan is always helpful in this situation as it will remove excess humidity from the room and protect your fridge at the same time.

If the kitchen exhaust fan is not powerful enough, place a small dehumidifier in the room to help it out. There are many models to choose from that are rated for the size of your kitchen.

Dehumidifying your home with an all-house dehumidifier makes sure every room in your home is at the right humidity levels, including your bathroom and kitchen.

Step 4 – Monitor the Door of Your Fridge

This can include checking the gasket to make sure there is a tight seal. A break in or a loose gasket can let moisture inside your fridge raising those levels and harming your food. Replace the gasket if you spot any problems with it.

Or you can monitor how often the fridge door is opened. Too many times will allow a lot of excess moisture inside and damage the food. Keep the opening of the fridge door to a minimum

Step 5 – Use Baking Soda

This is always a good solution to control excess moisture levels. Baking soda is known for soaking up odors and it does a nice job of absorbing that excess moisture you do not need inside your fridge.

The only drawback to this option is that you will have to change the box about once a month.

Step 6 – Misc. Options

One good tool that helps you monitor those moisture levels would be to add a small fridge thermometer. This device helps you make sure the moisture levels, as well as the temperature levels, are at the right settings. You want the interior of your fridge between 34- and 40-degrees F.

Then make sure you use proper containers that have well-fitting lids. Once they are inside the fridge, keep them about an inch apart so the air can circulate better and cut down on any moisture build-up.

Crowding your fridge with food items is simply asking for trouble. Be organized so you do not encourage any mold or bacteria growth.

Some Final Words

All it takes to control the moisture levels in your fridge is a little common sense. Keep the fridge clean and make sure you space out the food, so the air circulates well. Also, you may find that the late Spring and summer months are the worst for humidity.

During those times make sure you take extra precautions to lower moisture levels in your Kitchen as well as your home. A good dehumidifier will help you do just that and they come in 30, 50, and 70-pint sizes to meet your needs.