How To Prepare A Fridge For A Move

Blog

Your fridge is one of your home's integral appliances, and it is for this reason that it will usually be one of the first things that you move into a new home. However, it's important to properly prepare your fridge for the move to ensure that it does not become damaged while in transit and that it will be able to continue working as normal as soon as you unpack it.

Empty the Fridge

The first, and probably the most obvious, thing that you should do when moving your fridge is empty it out completely. This means eating all the perishable items or giving them away and taking out the drawers, shelves, and anything else within the unit that can come off. This will help reduce the overall weight of the unit and make the moving process that much easier.

Unplug It

Once you've emptied the entirety of the fridge, you should unplug it to let the freezer defrost. You should also unplug the water line to the ice maker, if your fridge has one. You should leave the freezer open to let it defrost completely, removing all the moisture inside. If you are short on time, you can take a hair dryer and paper towels and clean out the interior of the freezer. Make sure that the freezer (and the fridge) are completely dry, as any leftover moisture can contribute to mold and mildew growth, which is a health hazard and a hassle to clean up.

Cleaning

In a similar vein to the above point, once the interiors of the fridge and freezer have completely dried, you should go over the entire surface again using a sponge, hot water, and soap or another household cleaning product. Scrub away any stains and food residue, which can serve as the ideal food sources for mold and mildew growth within your fridge. Obviously, you'll want to use a paper towel to ensure that the inside of your fridge is dry after you've scrubbed it clean.

Proper Packing Technique

Once the fridge is clean and dry, you can wrap it up with moving blankets and secure them with packing tape – both of which are available at most moving supply stores. Then, you and at least one other person or your professional movers should move the fridge out to the truck with a dolly. It's a good idea to strap the fridge to the dolly and put it into the truck first. Just leave the dolly strapped to the fridge: that way, once you get to your new home, all you have to do is wheel the fridge out of the truck and set it up.

Share

31 March 2017

Advice for Making Difficult Moves Less Stressful

I still remember when I moved into my very first apartment after I graduated from college. All I had to move were a few boxes of my belongings across town and then wait for the furniture company to drop off my new furniture! I soon found out that the longer you live in one place, the more "stuff" you end up having. The next time I moved, I remember feeling very overwhelmed and didn't have anyone go give me good moving advice. I know there are other people like I was and facing a difficult move without a lot of people to help. I want to help make everyone's moves easier by making a blog with my moving tips. I plan to post new advice frequently, so come back when you need moving help!