When you’re in the middle of a big move, certain belongings are more challenging to move than others. This is especially true with regards to your refrigerator. Your fridge is essential to the needs of your family, so you want it to arrive at your new home safely. You can safely transport your refrigerator in five easy steps provided by Cleveland movers.
1. Empty, Clean and Tie
Before you can even begin to consider moving your refrigerator out of your home, you need to empty it of all food contents. Keeping food or containers of food inside of your fridge while it’s being moved can result in internal damage as the food is knocked around. Plus, if unrefrigerated, perishable food will go bad in a matter of a few hours (and may even start stinking and molding). Once the fridge is empty, remove the shelves and drawers so that they don’t damage your fridge while it is moved.
Give the inside and outside the refrigerator a deep cleaning with an antibacterial agent. Lastly, tie a string around the doors to ensure they don’t swing open during the move. Failing to secure the doors can result in the doors being damaged or torn-off accidentally.
2. Defrost, If Necessary
When a refrigerator has a built-in freezer, it is prone to freezing over. This means that there’s a thick layer of ice and frost around the inside of the icebox. It is best to defrost your freezer before moving it to avoid water drainage leaks. The defrosting process is best done the night before the move since defrosting can take up to 24 hours.
To defrost your icebox, simply unplug it from the wall and leave the freezer door open. In the morning, clean up the excess water with a cloth. Make sure the interior of the freezer is thoroughly dry before securing the door. Otherwise, you may arrive at your new home only to find the freezer has mildew and mold growing inside.
3. Secure Itto The Dolly
Once your refrigerator has been cleaned out and defrosted, it’s time to prepare it to be moved out of the house. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall. You may need help from others to perform this task. Be sure to slide the moving dolly under the fridge from the back side. You don’t want to move the refrigerator with it facing backward.
Once the refrigerator is on the dolly, use the canvas straps on the dolly to secure it to the dolly to prevent it from sliding off or falling over.
4. Get It Out of The House
To move your refrigerator out of your house, there are a few easy rules to follow. When you tilt the fridge back to access the wheels on the dolly, tilt it very slowly. The weight of the fridge can be overwhelming if you tilt it quickly and you could pull it down on you.
If you’re loading the dolly into the back of a truck using a ramp, always walk back up the ramp while pulling the refrigerator in behind you to prevent it from rolling back down and crushing you.
5. Securing It in The Truck
Since your refrigerator is a large and heavy appliance, it should be placed in the very back of the truck in a corner for extra support. You should surround the fridge with other upright, sturdy appliances or furniture to prevent it from rocking or tipping.
When securing it in the truck, always keep the fridge upright. Never rest it on its side or its back. Doing so can cause oil to leak into the cooling tubes, which will severely damage the motor of your refrigerator.