How to clean it
Cleaning a refrigerator before handing back the keys
The fridge is graded inside, behind, and underneath. Most people clean one of the three.
Empty it, remove shelves and drawers and wash them separately, clean the door seals with warm soapy water, pull the unit out and clean behind and underneath, then leave the door propped open so it cannot grow mould.
Shelves come out
Glass shelves crack under hot water when they are cold, so let them reach room temperature first. Wash them in the sink rather than trying to wipe them in place, which never reaches the corners.
The seals are where the marks are
Rubber door gaskets hold a black line of mould in the folds. Warm soapy water and an old toothbrush along each fold. This is a two-minute job that changes how the whole appliance reads.
Pull it out
The floor under a fridge is one of the specific things a landlord looks for, because it is the clearest signal of whether a clean was thorough or cosmetic. Roll it forward, vacuum the coils, mop the floor, and roll it back.
Prop the door open
A clean fridge closed up with a little moisture in it will be visibly mouldy in a week. If the power is going off, prop the door. If a landlord opens it after a fortnight and finds mould, that is now your problem.
Related
- Cleaning an oven for a move-out inspectionThe single most cited item on move-out inspections, and the one people most often decide to skip. How to do it properly.
- The move-out timeline that keeps your depositA week-by-week sequence from notice to handover, including the one-day window most people get wrong.
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