What can I do to kill the smell in my wine fridge. I'm worried if that it is corked bacteria it could affect the bottles stored in the unit.
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
There are many forms of taint which give off a moldy odor. It is not uncommon for wood and plastic to harbor such molds. The origin of so-called corkiness is generally 2,4,6 trichloroanisole, but may also be 2,4,6 tribromoanisole. These compounds may be present in many materials and they can be difficult to eradicate. It's conceivable that the mold could be transferred to the wine, but it will take some time to penetrate the capsule and cork - how long is very difficult to predict. To deal with the moldiness of your wine cabinet, I'm afraid the solution will involve quite a bit of work and careful cleaning of the refrigerator and every bottle. This will be a very tedious process if you have hundreds of bottles! Turn off the unit, remove the shelving if you can, and wash down the interior surfaces and shelves thoroughly with an appropriate cleaning solution such as diluted baking soda or white vinegar, or one followed by the other (do some research to determine your preference). Wiping each bottle will also be needed, which is tricky if you have old, worn or torn labels. You'll need to decide if some labels - especially of rare vintages - are simply too delicate or may be damaged; in that case, clean the glass and capsule only. Clearly, this will be a painstaking undertaking, particularly if you have a large number of bottles. Allow everything to dry for a few days, leaving the cabinet door open. If you still smell mold, you may need to wash the interior and shelves a second time. When all has been cleaned and you no longer smell moldiness, you can return all the bottles to the cabinet. Unfortunately, this may still not be a guarantee that the moldiness will not return. It's a frustrating problem, and I wish you luck in curing the problem.
