# bleach and fridge cleanin

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bleach-and-fridge-cleanin/312811>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 16, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bleach-and-fridge-cleanin/312811 "2005-07-16T16:49:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bleach-and-fridge-cleanin/312811/1 "2005-07-16T16:49:20Z")

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okay so i just got a used fridge from a friend, and it is FUNKAY! i’m talkin like Bootsy Collins funky. needless to say i’ve got to get it cleaned. i was going to use bleach but mother of pope said bleach would leach into the plastic and mess up the fridge. so what do i do? is there some kind of specific cleaner i need to be using or will bleach work fine?

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**Author:** ![Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meaty_Beaty_Big_and_Bouncy)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bleach-and-fridge-cleanin/312811/2 "2005-07-16T17:23:43Z")

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FWIW, I’ve always used a capfull of bleach to 1 gallon of water, works fine every time. YMMV

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**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bleach-and-fridge-cleanin/312811/3 "2005-07-16T17:32:56Z")

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Vinegar kills bacteria, mold, germs, and funkay smells!

[Clean with vinegar.](http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/164)

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**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bleach-and-fridge-cleanin/312811/4 "2005-07-16T17:46:03Z")

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Yeah, so long as you like the smell of vinegar!! 🙂

Diluted bleach won’t hurt the plastic. Neither will diluted vinegar, water and baking soda, or near about any other general cleaning product. Just don’t use the baking soda and the vinegar at the same time. Exploding fridge!

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bleach-and-fridge-cleanin/312811/5 "2005-07-16T18:05:57Z")

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> [@Pullet](#):
>
> Yeah, so long as you like the smell of vinegar!! 🙂
> 
> Diluted bleach won’t hurt the plastic. Neither will diluted vinegar, water and baking soda, or near about any other general cleaning product. Just don’t use the baking soda and the vinegar at the same time. Exploding fridge!

Don’t use bleach and amonia or vinegar at the same time. Exploding toxic gases!