Bleach vs vinegar/baking soda for cooler mold: Bleach wins for heavy mold, vinegar is fine for light mildew

Bleach kills cooler mold best — mix a tablespoon per quart of water, scrub, let sit 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Vinegar and baking soda work okay for light mildew, but bleach is the only thing that reliably kills black mold spores and musty smells. Don’t mix bleach with vinegar (toxic chlorine gas), and rinse until you can’t smell it anymore or your drinks will taste like a pool.