Why is my fridge always covered in condensation?

Since it's a standalone fridge without a freezer, that moisture is almost certainly condensation from warm air hitting the cold interior. While a bad door seal is the most common culprit, you shoud definately check the **drain hole** at the back of the unit. Most of these models have a small V-shaped channel on the back wall that leads to a tiny drain. If that gets plugged with a piece of produce or some slime, the water has nowhere to go and just pools at the bottom or drips off the shelves. Take a look at the back wall inside for that little gutter. If there's standing water in it, use a pipe cleaner or a piece of flexible wire to gently poke thru the hole. You can also flush it with a little bit of warm water mixed with a drop of bleach to clear out any gunk. This is usally why you're seeing that 'swamp' effect near the vegetable drawers.

As for the door seal your landlord sent, it's a good idea to swap it anyway. You can test your current one with the **dollar bill trick**: close the door on a bill and try to pull it out. If it slides out with no resistance, the seal is shot and letting humid air in. When you install the new one, use a hairdryer on a low setting to help the rubber soften and take its proper shape against the frame so it actualy creates a vacuum. Also, consider how you're storing those veggies. If you're putting washed greens or loose mushrooms in there while they're still damp, they'll off-gas moisture into the air. Keep the tomatoes out on the counter if you can—they actually lose flavor in the fridge—and make sure your oat milk and kimchi jars are tightly closed. If the fridge is packed too tight, the air can't circulate properly, wich causes cold spots where moisture likes to settle.

I dealt with this in my last place. Even after I cleared the drain, water still pooled. Turns out the fridge wasn't level. I adjusted the front legs to tilt the unit back just a hair. That way, the condensation actualy flows toward the drain instead of dripping off the front of the shelves.

Another thing—check if you’ve got stuff pushed right up against the back wall. I used to jam my cartons back there, and they’d basicly act as a bridge for the water to skip the gutter and soak everythign else. Leaving an inch of gap back there fixed it for me.

Totally agree with the leveling tip. If the unit is tilted forward even a tiny bit, gravity works against that V-channel. One small thing to check that's often overlooked is the temperature setting. If you've got it cranked to the absolute coldest setting, the back wall can actually develop a thin layer of ice that blocks the drain hole entirely during its normal cycle. Try backing the thermostat off just a notch to see if it allows the frost to melt and drain properly before it builds up into a swamp.

Reminds me of the old units we had back in the 70s. Folks always forget that every time you open that door, you’re inviting a cloud of humidity inside. If you’re opening it every ten minutes for a snack, no seal in the world is gonna keep it dry. Back in the day, we’d keep a small bowl of charcoal briquettes or even a box of baking soda in the corner to suck up that extra dampness. Also, check your door hinges. If they're sagging even a hair from heavy milk cartons, that new seal won't sit flush no matter how much you hit it with a hairdryer.

Ugh, I've been there. Check your door hinges too. Sometimes they get a bit loose or gunked up, so even with a new seal, the door doesn't sit flush. I had a fridge where the bottom hinge was sagging just enought to leave a gap you couldn't even see. Also, if you're putting leftovers in while they're still even slightly warm, that's gonna turn the place into a sauna instantly. Make sure everthing's bone cold before it goes in.

Quick update—I found the drain hole and it was defintely gunked up, so clearing that helped with the pooling at the bottom. I also tilted the legs back a bit like suggested. However, the glass shelves are still dripping wet every morning. coud this be becuase I have the temperture set too low, or is it just humidity from opening it?