How to Prep Your Fridge for Moving Day

Your refrigerator is one of the most important appliances in your home. If you are preparing for a household move with major appliances move, you’ll need to prepare your refrigerator for a successful relocation. Whether it is a local move or a long-distance move, follow these simple steps to ensure that perishable food and your refrigerator fridge arrive safely at your new home.

Empty the Fridge

Get creative with your menus at least a week before your move so that you have the least amount of food possible left in your refrigerator. Try to use up any prepackaged salads and dairy products as they are hard to transport safely.

Put Remaining Food in Ice Chests

There is no need to move food that you will never eat, so give away those items to friends and family members. Place the food and condiments you want to keep on ice inside coolers about 24 hours before your move. This ensures that the items stay safe as you travel to your new home. Check the ice regularly.

Clean the Fridge

Use vinegar and water to clean out the inside of the fridge. While cleaning, remove any photos, notes, and magnets from the outside of the fridge and pack them safely. You should also remove the refrigerator shelves and produce bins.  Like luggage in an overhead compartment, shelves and bins will shift (and possibly break) during the move.  Wrap anything that might get broken and pack it with other fragile items.

Disconnect the Plumbing (If Necessary)

If your refrigerator has ice or water in the door, disconnect the plumbing. Follow the instructions in your owner’s manual. Be careful that you do not lose any of the small parts from the water line spigot.

Defrost the Refrigerator

If you do not have a frost-free refrigerator, you need to unplug the refrigerator the night before your move. Block the freezer door open so that it will melt any ice faster. Cover the floor near the refrigerator with towels so you do not have a giant mess underneath. Once the fridge defrosts, check if there is a water drip pan under it and dump it if necessary. Use paper towels to wipe the inside and outside of the refrigerator one more time.

Lock and Load the Fridge

It is best to place a chain around the refrigerator and place a padlock on the end of the chain. This helps ensure that a small child does not get shut in the refrigerator. Then, cover the fridge with blankets or moving pads so that your refrigerator does not end up scratched while moving it. Use a dolly to load the fridge onto the moving truck.

Unloading the Refrigerator

Once you get to your new home, unload the refrigerator and plug it in. Wait 24 hours to give the refrigerator time to cool before putting your stuff back in. Do not forget to check the ice level inside your ice chest. You will need to hook up the plumbing to get the water and ice features in the fridge door to work.

Get the Best Moving Team on your Side with Element Moving & Storage

As with any major appliance, moving a refrigerator is a lot of work. If you want to concentrate on other things, hire Element Moving & Storage. We are Dallas’s premier moving team that guarantees a safe, efficient move with any furniture, appliance or valuable collection you have. Let our white glove moving services do all the work for you so that you can peacefully enjoy your transition to your new home.
Contact us today to schedule our moving services.