Bleach, water, and sun are all you need

A cooler that smells like mildew after winter needs a bleach rinse, a scrub, and a few days in the sun.

That smell is mold growing in the damp spots you didn’t dry before storing it. The fix is simple: mix about a tablespoon of bleach per quart of water, wipe down the whole inside, let it sit five minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Scrub any visible dark spots with a sponge or old toothbrush.

After that, leave the cooler open outside in direct sunlight for a day or two. Sunlight kills mold spores and dries out every crack. If any mustiness lingers, toss in a box of baking soda, close it overnight, then vacuum or rinse it out.

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