Your big moving day has almost arrived, but before you can start moving all your stuff out, you need to consider what to do with your refrigerator. While it is a significant appliance that could be challenging to relocate, the high cost of replacing it after you move more than makes up for any inconvenience you might experience. As you mentally prepare yourself for your upcoming move, you need to begin preparing your refrigerator for a successful move as well.

1. Clean Out the Food

Whether it’s been a while since the last time you cleaned out the old food in your fridge, or you do it on a regular basis, it’s important to do it again to prepare your refrigerator for moving. Get rid of any expired food and any condiments you haven’t used in a long time. Then, take an inventory of what’s left in the fridge and freezer, and try to use up all that food in your meals in the days leading up to your move.

Whatever you can’t eat before you move needs to be tossed or given away. Even if you’re just relocating across town, the hassle of packing and transporting the food might be too much considering the relatively low cost of replacement. If you can, give the food away to someone else who can use it, such as a neighbor or family member. You can even check with your local food bank to see if they’ll accept refrigerated food from individuals (many won’t). Whatever you can’t give away will need to be tossed, so you have an empty fridge and freezer.

2. Let Things Melt

After you’ve figured out what to do with all the food, it’s time to thaw out your cold box. Make sure the refrigerator is on a hard floor surface, like tile or hardwood (basically, anything other than carpet). Unplug the fridge and open the doors, placing towels underneath and around the unit to ensure it doesn’t make a mess.

Then, it’s time to wait for everything to warm up. Your refrigerator will be ready quickly since you’re just waiting for it to warm up enough to be easy to clean. Your freezer will need some extra time, typically about 24 hours or more. If you want to speed that up, though, you can point a fan in the freezer to help with air circulation, or even place the entire refrigerator outside (if it’s warm out there) to allow the warmer air to get the job done faster.

3. Give it a Thorough Cleaning

Once the fridge and freezer are both warmed up and defrosted, it’s time to clean them as you’ve never cleaned them before. A thorough cleaning helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew, plus it gives you one less thing to clean once you move in.

Make sure both fridge and freezer are bone dry and remove all the dirt that hides in all the hidden corners of the unit. Don’t forget to clean the coils and to dry and clean the evaporator pan. After that’s all finished, continue to leave the doors open to ensure any remaining moisture has a chance to evaporate. Once that’s completed, your refrigerator is ready to move to your new home.

For assistance moving your fridge and other large appliances, call the professional movers at Apple Moving. Our crew will arrive with all the right tools and equipment to ensure the success and ease of your household move.

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