How to Safely and Securely Move a Fridge

Moving house can be a stressful experience, but with the right planning and preparation, your move can go smoothly. One of the biggest challenges when moving is dealing with large or heavy items, especially appliances like fridges.

Moving a fridge requires careful consideration to ensure it arrives at its destination safely, without damage or harm to yourself or others. In this blog post, we’ll provide tips on how to prepare a fridge for moving house and how to move a fridge safely so you can have peace of mind that your valuable appliance will make it through the journey unscathed.

How to prepare a fridge for moving

The day before the removalists arrive to start loading up your fridge onto the truck, it’s important to take certain steps to prepare for the move.

• Turn off the fridge and empty it
  Before emptying the fridge, you should unplug it at the powerpoint. There’s no point wasting power while you’re emptying the fridge.Empty out all of the food and beverages from the fridge and discard any expired items. To avoid food wastage or spoilage, it’s worth having an esky or cooler ready with some ice packs to keep your food and drinks fresh during the moving process.
• Clean fridge
  While your fridge is empty, it’s worth taking the opportunity to clean it inside and out. Clean out the inside of your refrigerator thoroughly with warm water and baking soda before packing it up. Be sure to dry the interior of the fridge once you’ve cleaned it. A damp or dirty fridge can result in unpleasant odours and you want to ensure that your fridge is fresh and clean at the other end of the move.You should also wipe down the exterior of the fridge. Remove all dust and debris, especially from the top and rear of the fridge so that you won’t be tracking any mess from your fridge into your new home.You should also defrost the freezer if necessary.
• Remove shelves and drawers and pack separately
  Take out all removable shelves and drawers from the fridge and pack and move these separately. This will prevent them from getting damaged during the moving process.
• Secure the fridge doors
  Once you’ve emptied and cleaned the fridge and freezer, and you’re ready to move, secure the doors closed either with tape or strapping around the fridge. This will prevent the doors from opening during the move and reduce the risk of damage to the fridge.

Moving the fridge

• Be careful of the floor
  Before attempting to move the fridge out of its alcove, check underneath to see if it has wheels. If so, you should be able to slide it out of the alcove without risking damage to the floors. If it doesn’t have wheels, then sliding it out could damage your flooring. Instead, rock the fridge back and slide a piece of cardboard or an old towel underneath. Once fully underneath the fridge, you should be able to slide it out without risking damage to the floors.
• Use moving blankets
  To properly protect your fridge while it’s being moved, it’s worth wrapping the fridge in moving blankets or other appropriate packing material. This will prevent the exterior surface from being scratched or dented while in transit.
• Use a moving trolley
  Regardless of how many people you have, you should never try to carry a fridge. Always use a moving trolley and ensure that the fridge is secured to the trolley with a strap.
• Get help and move slowly
  Once the fridge is secured to the trolley, you can carefully move it to the moving truck or trailer. It’s important to have another person to help direct you while you operate the trolley. You will need an extra set of hands and eyes to help guide you through doorways and up ramps. This is especially important if you need to move the fridge up or down any stairs.
• Secure fridge while in transit
  Whether you’re using a moving truck or a trailer, it’s essential that the fridge is firmly secured to the sides of the truck or trailer to prevent it from moving or falling while in transit.
• Always move in upright position
  When moving your fridge, it’s vital that it’s always kept in an upright position. This helps to protect the many sensitive components inside the fridge from being damaged. Almost all refrigerators contain a cooling system that uses either liquid or gas which can become extremely hazardous when in an improper orientation. When not at an upright standing angle, this internal coolant system can be compromised leading to leaks and faulty equipment. In some cases, you might even end up needing a new refrigerator if careful attention isn’t paid during a move. So make sure not to overlook this critical step and always keep your refrigerator upright while moving!