Mold!!!

[smokeaholic502]

I haven't used my MES for a couple months now(due to me getting a new bradley) and now there is green mold growing all in it! How should I go about cleaning it or is it done for?

 

[pc farmer]

It happens. I just wash it out with soap and water and a stiff brush

 

[dr k]

White distilled vinegar kills bacteria/mold and fungus in hummingbird feeders without a residue you may get with soap. It rinses clean. Spray smoker with vinegar and wipe out with water and paper towels till clean. Lightly spray the inside and fire it up for a couple hours.
-Kurt

 

[GaryHibbert]

Yep. As Kurt says. That's what I'd do
Gary

 

[candurin]

White distilled vinegar kills bacteria/mold and fungus in hummingbird feeders without a residue you may get with soap. It rinses clean. Spray smoker with vinegar and wipe out with water and paper towels till clean. Lightly spray the inside and fire it up for a couple hours.
-Kurt

Careful with this statement. Vinegar (acetic acid) will not kill mold. It will remove some surface mold (but so would any mechanical scrubbing with any water based solution).

Bleach would be best, but awful for the smoker! Bleach is the best mold "killer" there is.

Cranking up the heat after will certainly kill off any remaining mold spores.

I'm just nitpicking as vinegar doesn't "kill" mold. Not trying to go after you, Kurt. I promise.

Source: 20+ years experience and quite a few fancy degrees in microbiology.

 

[dr k]

Careful with this statement. Vinegar (acetic acid) will not kill mold. It will remove some surface mold (but so would any mechanical scrubbing with any water based solution).

Bleach would be best, but awful for the smoker! Bleach is the best mold "killer" there is.

Cranking up the heat after will certainly kill off any remaining mold spores.

I'm just nitpicking as vinegar doesn't "kill" mold. Not trying to go after you, Kurt. I promise.

Source: 20+ years experience and quite a few fancy degrees in microbiology.

When googling "does vinegar kill mold" I got several sites saying it kills 82% pf mold species plus baking soda used with it kills other molds. Good enough for me. 10 to 1 water/bleach will kill everything. It depends on if you want to use non edible chemicals. There's a strong purist following when it comes to cleaning so I went the vinegar route.
-Kurt

 

[dr k]

This is a source on mold killiing 82% of mold species.

https://www.servicemasterrestore.com/blog/mold-damage/mold-myths-will-vinegar-kill-mold
-Kurt

 

[candurin]

Was just about to post that link.

Strongly disagree with their statement.

Not sure of their source. Having worked for a disinfection company for the past five years, I can assure you vinegar alone is not enough.

One of the best sporocides (what kills mold spores) is hydrogen peroxide and vinegar combined. Although, there are many molds that can still survive even that. Bleach is the best sporocide.

Vinegar can remove non-sporulated molds, but, depending on how much food debri, humidity and air there is inside the smoker, the mold may form spores. At that point, vinegar alone is insufficient.

I will digress and state that in this case the vinegar may be sufficient, but it's not a catch-all and cannot apply for everyone that may have mold issues.

 

[dr k]

I had a small wally world stick burner that I moved under my deck to make room for a family gathering years ago that was rusting and had given all it could. With the hot humid shade it was the perfect petri dish. In a month when I opened it up it looked like it was filled with cotton balls. I would have bleached it and hosed it out till clean but it wasn't worth the effort due to the decaying structure so I put it on the curb for someone to pick up for recycling. I don't have a problem with bleach because it rinses clean on hard surfaces. Coffee cups with heavy tea stains is about impossible to remove without bleach.
-Kurt

 

[GaryHibbert]

I agree 100% that bleach is the BEST mold killer. I wouldn't use anything else and feel certain the mold was GONE.
Gary

 

[rigger45]

I agree 100% that bleach is the BEST mold killer. I wouldn't use anything else and feel certain the mold was GONE.
Gary

Indeed, and as long as we fire it for a couple of hours, very safe to use again.

 

[valleypoboy]

Im no super scientist but pretty sure FIRE kills mold. Fire that baby up and get good and hot. Problem solved.

 

[Bearcarver]

If it was me, I'd make sure everything was completely dry before plugging it in.

Liquids will seep through the joints where the floor meets the walls & other joints, & find wiring.
Electric & Water---Bad Mix.

Bear