One thing you might consider is wrapping freezer with plastic and create a venting system so any fumes go outside. Have a hole for air to come in and a duct that leads outside for the fumes. Have a fan on the end of the duct to suck air through. It might be possible to use the hose from a vacuum or shop-vac to pull the air outside. Then you could use chlorine in the freezer without the fumes getting in the room.
I have had great results using chlorine to remove mold, but use the stronger disinfecting chlorine rather than laundry chlorine. Put some in a squirt bottle and let it sit until the mold is gone.
I’ll +1 to the Vinegar vote – but I was fighting exterior wall molds.
And someone upthread suggested a wallpaper steamer.
I actually used an Oreck floor steamer to loosen wallpaper and paint on the walls.
It was a bit more tedious than a wallpaper steamer, due to the form factor of the device.
However, it might be more convenient for steaming the walls of a chest or upright freezer since you’d be able to stand at an angle to keep your face away from the billowing steam.
So, I think the freezer is ready for service again. Thank you all so much for your help!
In case it’s useful to people who find this in future:
First I tried wiping it down with hydrogen peroxide. It really didn’t seem to be doing anything more than water would. I only had a 3% solution, a stronger one may have been different.
Then I drenched it with a 99% ispropyl alcohol, and let it sit for two hours. Then wiped. With that a good deal more was coming off, but I had to do it several times, and there was still mold remaining.
After talking with you all, I got some steramine and Mr.Clean sponges. The steramine made a huge difference. The mold just loosened and came right off, leaving only small spots of stain behind. I used the sponges on the remaining stain spots.
Now I’m doing the final check. I’ve given it a final spray of steramine, and left it to dry. Then I’ll leave it closed for 24 hours to make sure there is no re-growth before turning it on again.
I was completely shocked by the amount of mold that grew in that thing, and how quickly it happened. I had no idea that could occur. In future I will keep all fridges and freezers wiped down with steramine.
P.S. To anyone who is having trouble finding disinfectants in these COVID times. I highly recommend this product. A bottle of 150 tablets was only $11, and each tablet makes a gallon of solution. (for my specific problem I’ve tripled the concentration. But it’s not necessary for day-to-day use.) It’s easy to find online.
Just curious, I assumed that was the kind of stuff you were talking about. It is considered ‘food safe’. Any restaurant supply should carry a product like that.
When you turn a freezer or refrigerator off the best thing to do is keep the door propped open. Enclosed space plus temperature swing = a lot of moisture in an enclosed environment. Mold loves moisture and darkness.
I was going to suggest a solution of hydrogen peroxide that is stronger than 3%, and BTW, if you do that in the future, wear gloves and use it in a well-ventilated area.
If you use salt as an abrasive, use the plain, non-iodized variety. The iodized variety will still work, but it will make the water cloudy, so you might still think the item is dirty.