How can you reduce the within your wine cooler?
Although this video shows how to eliminate mold from a standard refrigerator, the same solutions apply to a wine refrigerator:
However, here are some basic tried-and-true methods you can use:
1) Keep your wine cooler in a dry, cool place.
This is one of the most basic, yet effective, ways to reduce internal humidity in your wine cooler. It works because it means that if outside air gets into the unit, it is not hot and thus cannot increase humidity.
A cellar is one of the best places to keep your wine cooler because of its cooler temperature. Furthermore, as long as the wine fridge is not in direct sunlight, your kitchen is still a great environment.
2) Be familiar with your wine refrigerator’s controls.
Understanding the controls on your wine fridge is another obvious tip on the list, because many of them have humidity controls. If this means spending an evening reading the unit’s instruction manual, we highly recommend making that time investment to learn everything there is to know about controlling your wine cooler.
3) Avoid opening your refrigerator more than necessary.
Opening (and leaving) your wine fridge on a regular basis allows warm air to enter the unit, causing condensation and moisture to form, raising the humidity.
As a result, it’s critical to avoid opening the unit too frequently. Furthermore, the environment in which the unit is stored will have an effect on this, which is why we recommend placing the wine fridge in a dry, cool environment, such as a wine cellar.
Most people open their wine cooler to replenish or remove wine, so with some planning, this can usually be done at the same time.
4) Make use of a desiccant dehumidifier.
Another effective way to reduce internal humidity is to use a desiccant dehumidifier, which can be easily placed inside the wine cooler. As the name implies, the primary purpose of this product is to reduce humidity, so it’s ideal for the job.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In this section, we’ve addressed some of the most frequently asked questions about reducing humidity in a wine fridge.
What should you do if you notice mold growing in your wine fridge?
If you notice mold growing in your wine fridge, it simply means that there is too much humidity and moisture in the wine cooler, and you should follow these steps to remedy the situation:
- Remove all of your wine bottles from the wine fridge and store them in a cool, dark place for the time being.
- Turn off and unplug your wine refrigerator from the power supply, especially while cleaning.
- Spray some bleach (if available) on the area where mold is forming, or wet a cloth/sponge with bleach and begin wiping the area, ensuring that the bleach is in excess, covering the mold itself.
- Allow for a few minutes, then check to see if the mold is loosening.
- Remove the mold with a cloth once it has become loose enough.
- Wipe the area with a clean, damp cloth to remove any excess bleach.
- Dry the area with a paper towel (do not use a towel unless you are certain that all of the bleach has been removed).
I’ve been a wine enthusiast for over 20 years, and have sold wine refrigerators for the last 15 years. So I would consider myself to be a wine fridge expert. Hence why I created this blog, read between wines, where I post about wine fridges, wines and wine equipment.