Moving a fridge or freezer is not an easy task. If not properly prepared for moving and moved correctly, your refrigerator and freezer could be damaged. Learn about how to prepare, clean, and secure your fridge for moving.
7 Fridge Moving Tips
1. Gather Your Cleaning & Moving Materials
Before you begin the process of emptying your fridge, you first need to gather materials to prepare your fridge for moving! Make sure you have:
- Cleaning Supplies
- Trash Bags/Can
- Moving Blankets
- Tape Measure
- Moving Dolly
- Moving Straps
- Moving Truck
2. Empty the Old Fridge Contents
Now it’s time to start slowing emptying your refrigerator and freezer. Dispose of anything that you will not be eating before the move. If you have food that has not been consumed or opened, consider giving away whatever you won’t be able to eat. You don’t want to waste food, but sometimes you can’t take it with you if you are making a long-distance move.
3. Defrost Your Fridge 24 Hours Before
After emptying your fridge, it’s time to defrost it! Disconnect it and place towels on the floor to soak up any water that may drip from melting ice. Then, empty all contents and begin cleaning your fridge while waiting for the freezer to defrost.
After your freezer completely defrosts, thoroughly clean and dry all surfaces of your refrigerator and freezer inside and out, then leave the doors open at least 24 hours to enable any remaining moisture to evaporate. Even slight moisture can cause mold and mildew to grow. Don’t forget to also empty, clean and dry the evaporator pan.
4. Secure Your Refrigerator for Moving
After you’ve wiped down any leftover water inside the fridge, remove any glass drawers or shelves as well as any loose parts. Clean, dry, wrap and pack them separately for moving. You don’t want anything to slide around inside the fridge during the move and break. Simply wrap them with blankets, towels, or bubble wrap. After that, close the door shut with a rope or a strap so it will not open once it’s on the dolly.
5. Get a Helping Hand
To prevent a possible injury to your back – it is always best to gather friends or family members that could help you move your fridge since it’s over 300 pounds. Make sure to wear sneakers and clothes that you don’t mind getting a little dirty.
6. Measure Your Fridge, Doorways, and Stairwells
Before moving the fridge throughout your home to the moving truck, make sure to measure your refrigerator, doorways and stairwells to ensure you will be able to fit the fridge on a dolly. It’s best to do this first because navigating heavy appliances throughout a home and figuring out it doesn’t fit at the last minute can be frustrating.
7. Move Fridge from Your Home to the Truck
Move the refrigerator onto your dolly and make sure to secure it in place with moving straps. Double check that the doors are secure and slide it onto the dolly. If you want to lighten the weight of the fridge, you can always remove any shelves and containers if you haven’t already!
When moving the fridge on the dolly out of the home, make sure that it sits in the upright position the entire time. After moving it in the truck, cover it with blankets to prevent any damage and place it in a space where it will not tip over. It might be a good idea to push other objects, boxes, or furniture up against it for extra support.
Don’t Want to Go Through the Trouble of Moving Your Fridge?
Even if you are moving locally and handling the move yourself, you may want to hire a moving company for your large appliances. Moving a fridge and freezer yourself is not an easy task. At Chipman Relocations & Logistics, we have an experienced team of movers that can get your refrigerator and freezer on the road and to your new home. Get a free quote today to get your move started!
