How To Clean Moldy Dishes
Having moldy dishes can be a nightmare when you take them out to use and discover what is on them. The bacteria from the mold shouldn’t even be breathed in, much less swallowed accidentally on a moldy dish that will send you straight to the emergency room.
Mold comes in a few different colors that can trick you if you do not pay attention to it. Storing pots, pans, and dishes underneath the sink or in the basement is a recipe to have mold build up on your dishes. Most basements require you to have a dehumidifier to suck out the moisture to prevent mold build-up, so if you have a dehumidifier in the basement it is safe to store the dishes in the basement.
There are 2 main types of mold you can find in your house, and you need to know them. Below will be a list of the best ways to clean moldy dishes both with natural and unnatural cleaning products, also a full definition of mold and the different types.
What is Mold?
Mold is a fungus that grows in multicellular structures called hyphae. These hyphae produce the mold spores that you see inside your house and even on the outside as well. Too much exposure to mold will cause several health problems like Nasal Stiffness, Eye Irritation, Coughing, Throat Irritation, and so much more things.
The 2 most common household mold that you will find growing in your living space that looks white or very creamy with fuzzy edges are Penicillium and Aspergillus – which has brown spores with dry patches on them.
Black Mold/ Brown Mold
This is the mold that you will most likely find on your dishes that are moldy. This fungus mostly grows on organic surfaces, like wood, paper, cotton, and sometimes on beds and plates. You can even find it deep into walls.
Cleaning Moldy Dishes With Natural Cleaning Products
1. Cleaning Moldy Dishes With White Vinegar
White vinegar is one of the most common natural cleaning products that you can find in a house that kills up to 82% of bacteria that it comes in contact with. A lot of people chose to use vinegar because it is not toxic at all to the human body.
We use vinegar to cook every single day, however, vinegar only kills a certain amount of bacteria so you will need to compensate with something else to get every bacteria off that Moldy dish of yours. Here are the steps you need to take below to clean the moldy dishes.
Steps:
- You can use a large container that can store a lot of water in it to pure white vinegar or pour vinegar in a spray bottle and wash the dishes in the kitchen sink.
- Fill the bucket with hot water, hot enough so that it doesn’t melt any plastic, but will kill any bacteria and fungi. If you chose to use the kitchen sink, keep the hot water running on the dishes. Pour all the vinegar in a spray bottle if you choose to use the kitchen sink.
- Spray the dishes down with the vinegar we put them in the container of hot water.
- Use a sponge and scrub every mold you use on the dishes until they are gone. Wash the dishes with fresh clean water and they should be good to go.
2. Cleaning Moldy Dishes With Baking Soda
Baking soda is a great cleaning agent that removes odors and gets rid of bacteria as well. Using baking soda to clean moldy dishes will require a large container and baking soda along with hot water.
Pour hot water in the container to a height where it covers all the dishes and scrub them with a sponge to remove the mod. Both the baking soda and hot water will kill the mold and remove it from the pots and pans. Make sure to make the water hot enough so that it doesn’t melt everything. You can leave the dishes in the hot water and come back and wash them off when the water is cool enough.
Also Read: How to remove mold from walls
3. Cleaning Moldy Dishes With Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is one of the best cleaning products to use to get rid of bacteria. Hospitals use it on cuts and wounds to oxides and get rid of the bacteria. Using this on moldy dishes is sure to remove any fungus and mildew that you might find.
If you have like 10 dishes that have mold and mildew on them, you can buy a spray bottle and add the hydrogen peroxide to it. Spray the dishes down then use the sponge and clean them off. Do not put any dishes in the dishwasher if they have mold on them. This will future contaminate the dishwasher.
Cleaning Moldy Dishes With Other Cleaning Products
4. Use Dawn Dish Soap To Clean Mold Of The Dishes
We all know what down dish soap is good for, it works great on grease and removing odors. You can use it to clean anything and remove bacteria such as your dishes. You can also add a little dawn to all of the cleaning methods listed to help boost the cleaning process if you want.
5. Use Borax To Clean Moldy Dishes
Borax is a well know and strong cleaning product that you can use to clean a lot of things. You can use it to clean your bathroom, clean your wall and remove stains from your toilet as well. To use it on moldy dishes, add a cup of the borax to some warm water and use a sponge to scrub the dishes off.
Also Read: How to clean a dehumidifier
6. Use Bleach To Clean Moldy Dishes
We all have bleach in our house somewhere underneath the bathroom sink or underneath the kitchen counter skin. Using bleach to clean moldy pots and pans will kill 99.9% of the bacteria on them. So your pots and pans will be safe to use, however, make sure to wash off the bleach entirely so the dishes do not smell like bleach.
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