Getting an Old Fridge Out of Your House Without Hurting Anything

Almost everyone has a story about a fridge. The one that died in August and sat in the garage until the following spring. The one in the basement that came with the house. The upright freezer that nobody has opened in two years and nobody wants to open now. Appliances are the items people put off the longest, because they are big, awkward and a little gross. Here is how to get one out of your house without hurting yourself or your floors.

Why strapping it to your car is a bad idea

Plenty of people think about tying a refrigerator to the roof of a car and driving it to wherever it needs to go. It does not work. A fridge is tall, heavy and top-heavy, which means it shifts the moment you brake or take a corner. Straps loosen. The finish on your car roof does not survive it. And if the load comes off on a county road, it becomes everyone else's problem too. A pickup bed is better, but a full-size fridge on its side in a truck bed brings its own trouble, because fluid can leak and a fridge is happiest travelling upright.

Add the weight of lifting it into the vehicle, and the real risk is not the drive. It is your back. Appliance moves are an easy way to hurt yourself around the house.

Empty it and give it a day

Start with the contents. Clear out every shelf, drawer and door bin, including the freezer. If it still works and you are moving it soon, unplug it at least a day ahead so the ice has time to melt, and lay towels on the floor in front of it. Water always shows up in places you did not plan for. Prop the doors open a little with a folded towel after it is empty and dry to help the inside air out. If the fridge is the smelly kind, a bit of baking soda in a bowl or a few coffee grounds helps while you wait.

Measure the way out, not the fridge

A fridge is usually moved through a tighter path than the one it came in on. Walk the route from the appliance to the door and check each point:

• Doorways: measure the narrowest opening, because door frames and handles can add a surprising amount of width
• Turns: hallway corners and kitchen islands are where large appliances get stuck
• Stairs: count them, note whether there is a landing, and check that handrails will not be in the way
• Floor surface: lay down cardboard or moving blankets to protect wood and tile
• Outside: look at steps, slopes, snow or mud between the door and the truck

Also tape the doors shut with painter's tape so they do not swing open during the carry, and take any removable handles or shelves out so you do not snap something off in a tight corner.

Do not do it alone

Two strong people with an appliance dolly can move a refrigerator on level ground. Add stairs and it is a job for a crew that does this all the time. The risk is not only a pulled muscle. It is the cracked tile at the bottom of the stairs, the dent in the door frame, the scraped paint, and the sudden moment of realizing the thing is still on the second step and neither of you is able to hold it.

Let someone else haul it

Appliance removal is one of the simplest jobs to hand off. At Wipe Out Clutter it is part of junk removal, and the whole point is that you do not have to strap anything to the top of your car and hope for the best. The crew arrives with the right equipment, carries the appliance out, loads it and takes it away. You can read more on the Junk Removal page. We also pick up other heavy things in the same visit. One reviewer wrote that Dustin and his working partner moved a heavy old piano down four stairs and onto their truck with no fuss.

If your fridge is part of a larger cleanout, such as a kitchen remodel, a basement or an estate, tell us about everything at once. A fridge, a stove and a stack of old cabinets are a single trip, not three.

What to have ready when we arrive

Make sure the appliance is emptied and unplugged, and the path to the door is clear of pets, rugs and boxes. Know whether the unit sits on a floor drain or against a wall, and let us know about stairs when you call. We serve Coldwater, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Jackson and Three Rivers. Call 517-462-2407 for a free estimate and describe what you have. The sooner it is out, the sooner you get that corner of your house back.