Dealing with mold on the rubber seal of food containers? Here's what you should do
Recently, we read articles online about dealing with mold on the rubber seal of food containers. It seemed a bit ridiculous the more I read. Later, I found advice from so-called "experts" suggesting using baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, or a mix of baking soda and vinegar.
As a scientist at ANKOMN, I think it's important to write an article to really help people with mold on their food container seals.
Why home remedies like baking soda don't work for mold.
The Stain Removal Principles of Baking Soda
Baking soda is an alkaline substance, chemically speaking, it causes an alkaline reaction when mixed with grease and oils, achieving the effect of removing oily stains.
Principles of Stain Removal with Lemon Juice and White Vinegar
Lemon juice and white vinegar, on the other hand, are acidic substances. Their stain removal principles involve changing the composition of mineral deposits like calcium and magnesium compounds, effectively serving as great helpers in eliminating limescale.
Using these two things to clean your container is fine because they're safe to eat, and they can clean stains. But, they don't really get rid of mold. The real hero in getting rid of mold is your sponge, not these things.
The least helpful mix is baking soda and vinegar. It might make bubbles, but it doesn't actually help.
What should you use to really get rid of mold?
On the market, there are lots of products for cleaning mold from silicone, like bleach and mold removers. You might be surprised – is it safe to use bleach on things you eat? Yes of course, you might be surprised at the extensive use of bleach in your everyday activities.
If you just can't use bleach, here are three things you can try
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Change how you use it
Before the rubber gasket develops severe mold, make an effort to clean it. After cleaning, quickly wipe it —avoid to air-dry naturally. Don't let dirt or water stains linger on the silicone gasket for too long.
There's a chance to directly rely on scrubbing before mold takes root and firmly attaches to the silicone gasket. Keep the dishwasher in a clean state. However, once it's been neglected for too long, there's no saving it, necessitating frequent cleaning. Minimize the residual presence of grease and water stains, and promptly dry the gasket after cleaning.
- Get a container with replaceable seals
Many brands now offer storage containers with replaceable gaskets, but it's crucial to ensure that the replacement process is convenient and to determine how long it takes for mold to reappear.
While many people opt for storage containers with replaceable gaskets, some find that replacing the gasket itself can be extremely challenging.
Another issue is that even after replacement, mold quickly reappears, making it an unsustainable solution. Therefore, a third option has emerged. -
Get ANKOMN containers
ANKOMN containers are made so you can easily remove and clean the seal. We've done a lot of research on this. Our seals are also resistant to mold.
Over the years, more people accidentally damaged the seal than needed to replace it because of mold.
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