Dear Polly: I have always had trouble with mildew forming on the rubber gaskets around the doors of my refrigerator and freezer. Each week I check and clean them, but the mildew gets ahead of me. Do you have advice for cleaning the stains and for how to keep the mildew from reforming? - Mrs. A.D.
Dear Mrs. A.D.: You live in a damp part of the country where mildew is naturally a greater problem than in drier areas. Vigilance is the key to preventing the formation of mildew around those gaskets. After dinner each night, just run a damp cloth around the gasket to clean it, then dry with a clean towel. This should do the trick. If mildew does form, clean it with a cloth dampened with a little chlorine bleach, then rinse with clear water, finishing with a dry towel.
