How to prep a fridge freezer for storage

alreeve27

Hi there - we have a Hotpoint HTF187WG fridge freezer, which I believe is frost free. It’s going into storage for a few months. Is there anything I need to do beforehand, other than eat the remaining food!?

Sorry this may be a daft question.

Thanks

TELLIT01

I suspect many fridges and freezers sit around in warehouses for months before delivery so I wouldn't expect to need to do anything before putting it into storage.  Protective wrapping to prevent it being bashed either in transit or when being stored, but nothing to the unit itself.

JGB1955

Personally, I would let it 'rest', empty for 24 hours.  Clean the insides thoroughly with either a food-friendly spray cleaner, or a bicarbonate of soda mix.  Allow to dry.  Then store with the doors open/wedged ajar - otherwise you may well return to a fridge freezer full of mould.  Good luck!

EssexExile

Definitely store it with the door open or the smell will be horrendous when you do open it.

twopenny

Clean and throughly dry.

Make sure it's stored upright.

molerat

You will not get rid of all the water inside so it needs to be open to air otherwise it will stink when you get it back. Having moved and used storage many times - once the fridge was in store for 4 years - I used a cardboard block to hold the door open a fraction and duct tape to hold the door closed.

alreeve27

Thanks everyone - this is very helpful!

alreeve27

Another quick question - is there anything to consider when storing a dishwasher too? Thanks

molerat

A used dishwasher will often hold a fair bit of water - lay one on its side to repair and see what happens !  Try to drain as much as possible and keep the door open slightly as with the fridge.  I would be tempted to give it a "service wash" to clean out all the gunk that accumulates.

EssexExile

alreeve27 said:

Another quick question - is there anything to consider when storing a dishwasher too? Thanks

Same, leave the door ajar.

YellowCarBlueCar

One cautionary note about keeping the door open for prolonged periods.

I had an old freezer in my garage, which I didn't want to use for a couple of years, so left the door open.  When I came to use it again, the door would no longer stay closed, as the door seal had lost all of its magnetism.  While the door is closed, the metal of the freezer cabinet acts as a 'keeper' for the magnets in door seal, maintaining the magnet's strength.  In my case leaving the door open for a couple of years was enough to kill it.

I don't know if you can safely close the door without mould issues one the interior is 100% dry, e.g. after a couple of months?