When you hire a professional moving company in Johannesburg or Cape Town to move your refrigerator, it’s important that you prepare the fridge properly for transport. Your two major risks when moving a refrigerator are damage to the mechanism and the development of an odorous ‘warm fridge’ smell. In this article we’ll share our best advice to make sure that all goes well when moving your refrigerator.
- In the days leading up to your move, avoid re-stocking your fridge, if possible. This is so that there’s less food to be transported in cooler boxes or bags and minimal food spoilage/wastage.
- Unplug your fridge the night before your move (or 24 hours before the move if possible). The evaporator needs enough time to defrost to avoid damage. In addition, gases and fluids need enough time to settle (stop moving through the compressor). If your fridge has an automatic ice maker, disconnect the water hose and empty out the ice. If left inside, the ice will melt and might leak into the moving truck and damage your furniture.
- Thoroughly clean your fridge with warm soapy water or similar cleaning product. A warm, dirty fridge creates a strong odour which is difficult to get rid of. If the fridge has been cleaned properly, then it can stand closed and warm for a long time without developing that warm fridge smell.
- Remove the shelves from the fridge and box separately. Glass shelves could shatter during transit if not removed from the fridge. Remove and clean the shelves and then wrap them in protective wrapping. Line the bottom of a box with thick packing paper. Pack the shelves into the box, standing them up vertically (glass shelves are more likely to break when packed flat).
- If you’re putting your fridge into storage for a long time, we suggest leaving the refrigerator doors open, just in case the fridge wasn’t cleaned spotlessly before your move. The ventilation will help prevent the development of that strong warm fridge odour.
- Once the TMT moving team has offloaded the refrigerator at the destination, wait at least 3 hours (12 hours if possible) before plugging it in. The gas and fluids need to settle after transit.
For advice on preparing large household items for your move check out this article- here
Happy Moving!