Turning off a fridge and leaving it alone might sound like the same thing as storing it properly, but they’re actually two very different situations. One saves you money and keeps your appliance in good shape. The other quietly creates a humid, dark box that breeds mold faster than you’d expect. The difference comes down to one tiny detail most people overlook — what you do with the door.
Wait, why would anyone unplug their fridge?
This happens more often than you’d think. Maybe you’re heading out for a long vacation. Maybe you’ve got a second fridge in the garage that’s sitting empty through the winter months. Some folks unplug their fridge during extended travel to reduce energy costs, especially when there’s nothing inside that needs to stay cold. Makes sense on paper. Why pay to run an appliance nobody’s using?
The problem isn’t the unplugging itself. That part is fine — and honestly, kind of smart if you’ll be gone for a month or more. The problem is what most people do next, which is absolutely nothing. They pull the plug, shut the door, and walk away. And that’s exactly where the trouble starts.
The moisture situation nobody thinks about
Here’s the thing. The inside of your fridge is a damp place. Even when it’s been emptied and wiped down, there’s residual moisture clinging to surfaces — in the crisper drawers, around the rubber door gaskets, in the little channels at the back. When the fridge is running, the cooling system manages all of that moisture. It’s constantly cycling air and regulating humidity. Turn the power off, though, and that whole system stops.
Now imagine sealing all that trapped moisture inside a dark, enclosed box. No airflow. No temperature control. Just standing water vapor and warmth. That’s basically an incubator. Within days — sometimes less if it’s summer — you can start getting mold growth. And once mold sets up in a fridge, it gets into the rubber seals, the plastic lining, sometimes even the insulation behind the walls. Getting rid of it completely becomes a real headache.
So what’s the fix?
Dead simple. Leave the door open. Not wide open — you don’t need to take up half your kitchen. Just slightly ajar, enough that air can circulate through the interior. Some older fridges even have a built-in “storage position” on the door that holds it open just a crack, though most people have no idea that feature exists.
That little gap makes all the difference. Air moves in and out, moisture evaporates instead of pooling, and you don’t come home to a fridge that smells like a forgotten gym locker. It’s one of those things that feels too easy to actually matter, but trust me — anyone who’s ever opened an unplugged fridge after a month away knows exactly how bad it can get. The smell alone is something you don’t forget.
Baking soda is your best friend here
You probably already keep a box of Arm & Hammer in your fridge for odors. Same idea applies when the fridge is unplugged, actually even more so. Open up a fresh box and set it inside the fridge with the door propped open. The baking soda will absorb any lingering moisture and keep smells from developing. A regular-sized box from Dollar Tree or Walmart — we’re talking about a dollar — is all you need.
You can also use those fridge deodorizer packs if you’ve got them around. But plain baking soda works just as well and costs practically nothing. Some people also put a small towel or a couple of paper towels on the shelves to soak up any drips. Not a bad idea if your fridge tends to hold extra moisture in the drawers or corners.
Before you pull the plug, do this first
If you’re going to be away for more than a month, unplugging makes sense. But there’s a right way to do it. First, empty everything out. All of it — condiments, that jar of pickles from 2023, the mysterious Tupperware in the back. Then turn off the ice maker and the water supply line running to the fridge. You don’t want a slow leak while you’re 1,200 miles away.
Next, turn off the circuit breaker for that outlet, then unplug the fridge. Wipe down every surface inside with a damp cloth — warm water with a little dish soap works great — and then dry everything thoroughly. Don’t skip the drying step. That residual water is the whole reason mold shows up later. Once it’s dry, prop the door open and place your baking soda inside. Done.
What if you’re only gone a couple of weeks?
For trips under a month, most experts say don’t bother unplugging at all. Modern fridges are pretty efficient, and the energy cost of running one for two or three weeks is honestly not that much — maybe $5 to $10 depending on your model and local electricity rates. The hassle of emptying, cleaning, drying, and then restocking when you get back usually isn’t worth the small savings.
What you should do is toss any perishable food. Milk, fresh veggies, leftovers — anything that’ll go bad in the time you’re gone. Leave the non-perishables. Then put a gallon jug of water in the fridge (it helps maintain temperature when the door isn’t being opened) and a bag of ice in the freezer for the same reason. Turn off the ice maker and water supply, and make sure your thermostat at home stays at a reasonable temperature. If the house drops below 60°F, your fridge actually has to work harder, which is kind of counterintuitive.
Mold isn’t just gross — it causes real damage
We should talk about what actually happens when mold takes hold inside a refrigerator, because it goes beyond a bad smell. Mold can eat into rubber door gaskets over time, breaking down the seal that keeps cold air inside when the fridge is running. Those gaskets aren’t cheap to replace — usually $50 to $150 depending on the brand and model, and sometimes you need a technician to install them. So a little preventive effort saves you from a repair bill later.
Mold can also stain the plastic interior lining of a fridge permanently. Even if you scrub it out, you might be left with discolored spots or a lingering musty smell that just won’t quit. Some people end up having to replace the entire fridge — which, obviously, nobody wants. All because the door stayed shut for a few weeks.
And when you come back and plug it in again
Once you’re home and ready to fire the fridge back up, don’t just plug it in and immediately start loading groceries. The appliance needs time to get back down to safe food storage temperatures. Give it a full 24 hours of running before you put anything inside. I know that’s annoying, especially after a long trip when you just want to stock up at the store. But food safety matters here — putting perishables into a fridge that’s still warming up can lead to bacteria growth on your fresh groceries.
While you’re waiting, take a look at the inside. Any signs of mold? Weird smells? Moisture pooling anywhere? If everything looks clean and dry — which it should if you followed the steps above — you’re good to go. If there is a little mold, a solution of one tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in a quart of warm water makes a great cleaning solution. Wipe everything down, dry it again, and let the fridge run empty for another few hours before stocking it.
Some fridges have a vacation mode — check yours
This was news to me, honestly. Some newer refrigerators have a “Vacation” or “Holiday” setting built right into the control panel. What it does is raise the fridge temperature to a minimal cooling level — just enough to prevent mold and odors without burning through electricity the way normal operation does. If your fridge has this feature, it might be the perfect middle ground between unplugging entirely and leaving it running full blast.
Check your owner’s manual or just Google your fridge’s model number plus “vacation mode” to see if yours has it. Samsung, LG, and Whirlpool all offer this on certain models. You’ll still want to remove perishable food, but you can skip the whole unplugging, cleaning, and door-propping process. Which, let’s be real, is a lot less stressful when you’re trying to get out the door for a flight.
Next time you unplug a fridge for any reason — vacation, storage, moving — just remember to crack that door open, toss in some baking soda, and you’ll come back to a clean, mold-free appliance instead of a smelly science experiment.
