Cleaning Your Fridge Before Moving

Posted on July 22nd, 2010 by Paulina Aguilera

You’ve got most of the packing taken care of with the professional moving company you hired, so now you can focus on tackling the contents of your refrigerator. If you’re relocating without your fridge, make sure you clean it out properly for the tenants following you. After unplugging your fridge to save on energy while you work, here’s what to do to get it squeaky clean:

• Separate your food into 3 separate categories:
  • Keepers: The food and beverages you want to take with you to your new home. Store these items in a cooler with plenty of ice, and make sure to keep a few cool snacks on hand to keep your energy up during the move.
  • Donations: Have a second cooler on hand to donate food you don’t want to take with you but that is still within the expiration date limits that you may want to donate. The Red Cross accepts perishable food donations at some of their locations or you can try to contact local food banks by using the directory from FoodPantries.org.
  • Garbage: Most of your freezer food is going to the garbage, so be sure to get a sturdy trash bag that won’t leak as you’re cleaning. Also, toss out anything spoiled or past its expiration and any vegetables and fruits that are too withered for your keepers and donations food.

• Remove all shelves and drawers. Soak them in a baking soda and water mixture to for a cheap and eco-friendly option to harsh cleansing chemicals. Let the drawers soak while you move on to the next step.
• Wipe down the inside of your refrigerator with a rag, dish soap, and warm water. Clean as thoroughly as you can – make sure you get the doors, walls, and the rubber lining along the border of your fridge.
• Clean any mildew with pure white vinegar. Black, yellow, or green spots are likely mildew and not residue from your food, so make sure anything in question gets treated with the vinegar. It also functions as a preventative to mildew buildup, so wipe down your new refrigerator with the stuff as well. Remove the vinegar and mildew with a clean, damp rag and dry thoroughly.
• Rinse off the shelves that have been sitting with the baking soda mixture. Use a bristle brush to scrub away any remaining spots, stains, and food particles under lukewarm water. Dry thoroughly and replace them where they belong.
• Clean the outside of your fridge with the same baking soda and water solution you used for the shelves. Be sure you clean the dusty top as well.
• Plug the refrigerator back into the outlet and you’re done!

Related Articles:

1. Recipes to Green Clean Your New Bathroom
2. The Many Uses of Vinegar – Will Save More than the taste of Your Foods
3. How to Deep Clean and Disinfect Your New Home Naturally

Tags: cleaning, move, refrigerator

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 9:45 am and is filed under Moving Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.