Moving a refrigerator

Refrigerators are one of the most demanding challenges of every move. Not only are they one of the largest and heaviest items you will be moving, but you should also not try to move it rashly and without preparation. Otherwise, you might easily hurt yourself or the refrigerator.

How to prepare a refrigerator for moving?

Before you start racking your brains about how you are going to get this big fridge down these stairs, for goodness’ sake, read this list of tasks and start preparing at least 24 hours before moving.

Take out all the food

Before moving, you should take all the food out of the refrigerator. The best thing to do is to stop stocking up on food two weeks before the move. Above all, eat and prepare any food that could go bad. Thus, you will save room in the car, you won’t have to clean up the broken and dirty insides of the fridge if food had been flying around during the move, and you will not be needlessly wasting any food. In addition, you will be able to handle an empty refrigerator easier.

The same applies to the freezer. Make sure nothing remains in it, even ice cube moulds, which would only add to the weight of the refrigerator. Empty the ice into the sink, clean the ice mould and pack it in a moving box with the other items from the kitchen.

Unplug the refrigerator and defrost the freezer

Unplug the refrigerator and defrost it by leaving the door open for several hours (count on roughly 6-8 hours to defrost the freezer, ideally let it defrost overnight). Or you can choose the defrost mode, if your fridge has it.

Don’t waste time by thoroughly scrubbing the refrigerator, you can do that in peace after the move. When packing, any lost time will be felt. It is enough to just wipe out the insides of the fridge and freezer with a cloth so that no melted water drips out of it and to give it a quick cleaning. After moving, thoroughly wash and clean the refrigerator with a cleansing agent.

Take out the shelves and drawers

Take everything out of the fridge that you can. Take out the shelves, drawers, holders, organisers and other removable items, clean them and, when dry, pack them up. Don’t forget to wrap delicate items in bubble wrap or with towels so that they won’t break during the trip and place them in a safe moving box. If you aren’t sure how to organise everything in the boxes, read how to pack a moving box.

If such a procedure would be difficult with your fridge, you can attach the shelves and drawers with tape.

Secure the door before moving the refrigerator

Leave the door to the refrigerator at least slightly open so that the insides can dry out and air can flow inside, thus avoiding the creation of mould. When the time comes to move it, secure the door to the refrigerator with a rope or moving strap. With two-door (American) refrigerators, it is enough to tie the door handles together. Don’t bind your fridge too tightly, however, or you could damage it.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

A refrigerator has to be moved in an upright position, often using a hand truck. Even though it may seem like it will be a “piece of cake”, you can easily damage the door, corners, lift, stairs and walls with just a slight distraction. In light of its size and weight, it is safer if you will not move it by yourself. There should always be at least two of you when moving.

But you do not need to move your refrigerator or other heavy loads by yourself. The professionals from STĚHOVÁNÍ Praha are ready to help you. So don’t hesitate to turn to our dispatchers and sales managers, who are prepared to answer your questions.