How to protect the cellar from fungus and moisture: tips from the owners

A cellar is ideal for storing vegetables, fruit and preparations if it is dry and mould-free. Since humidity is the main cause of spoilage of vegetables during storage, it is important to prepare the room properly.

Telegraf writes about this.

If mould is found on the walls of the cellar and condensation on the ceiling, vegetables should not be stored there. First, it is important to resolve this issue and take measures to treat the room.

To avoid increasing humidity in the cellar, the following issues must be addressed:

• Ventilation problems
• High groundwater level
• Penetration of moisture from the soil

Once these factors are identified, you should inspect and take measures to eliminate them, including creating ventilation, vents, filling cracks and installing a drainage system.

Next, it is important to remove all shelves, racks, baskets, boxes, etc. from the underground storage facility and inse and air dry them thoroughly.

It is recommended to treat all wooden surfaces with a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate or a 10% solution of copper sulphate to kill mould. These surfaces should also be brushed to remove mould.

To protect against mould, you can treat walls, ceilings and shelves with a solution of acetic or boric acid (20 ml of acid per 1 litre of water). You can also use a 10% solution of copper sulphate for wooden surfaces and a 5% solution for brick surfaces for disinfection.

The cellar should be thoroughly dried after.

One of the most effective methods of drying is to treat walls and surfaces with lime, which absorbs moisture from the air and reduces the humidity in the room.

Read also: Forget plastic containers: how to keep strawberries fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks

Calcium chloride will also help to dry the underground storage, which can be placed there for a day, then dried and used again.

When using these methods, it is important to wear personal protective equipment such as gloves and goggles.

The underground storage facility is now ready for storing the next harvest. To prevent mould and fungus, you can place salt, ash, dry sawdust or cardboard boxes that absorb excess moisture.

We have already written about how to store food properly.

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