Winterize or prepare your fridge for long-term storage

We all know that refrigerators are meant to store food, but sometimes you may need to store the fridge itself! Like when you’re moving to a new place or when your vacation home will be unoccupied for a while. If you ever need to store your fridge or if it will be unused for a long period of time, there are a few steps you can take to “winterize” or prepare your fridge for a storage stay.

Winterize or prepare your fridge for long-term storage

1

Empty the refrigerator.

First, remove all food from the fridge and freezer, making sure to store it elsewhere so it won’t go bad. Discard expired or spoiled food as needed.
Empty open fridge
2

Clean the interior.

Next, clean the interior using a mild detergent or warm, soapy water. It’s best to use a soft microfiber cloth as the cleaning tool. You can follow the steps in our video guide for in-depth instructions for cleaning a fridge.
3

Dry the interior completely.

When you’ve finished cleaning, don’t forget to completely dry the inside of fridge so no parts are damp or wet. Mold or mildew may form while the fridge is in storage if you don't leave the interior bone dry.
Girl wiping the fridge with yellow cloth
Note
If your fridge does not have a water line connected, skip to Step 10.
4

Turn off the water supply.

Turn off your home’s water supply to cut off water to the fridge's water line.
5

Have a spare water filter on hand.

If you have a water filter, make sure to have a spare one ready when you return. When you're ready to use the fridge again, give it a taste test to determine whether you want to keep using the old filter or swap in a new one. Water filters are available on our website.
Water filter being removed
6

Turn off the ice maker and disconnect the water line.

Turn off the ice maker and then disconnect the water line from the back of the fridge. For specific instructions, please see your model’s user manual.
Important
Make sure to turn the ice maker off first. Leaving the ice maker on while the water line is disconnected can cause damage.
7

Dispense any excess water.

Then, dispense excess water from the water dispenser into a bucket or large container. Keep dispensing until there is no more water in the line; the internal reservoir will have around 2 gallons in it. Make sure the water line is completely empty. Otherwise, mold may form.
8

Remove any ice from the icemaker.

Gather any ice from the ice maker, and then store or dispose of it as needed.
Ice on Icemaker
9

Disable the power supply to the refrigerator.

When all is said and done, unplug the fridge from the wall socket or turn off the connected circuit breaker.
10

Keep the refrigerator doors open.

Leave the fridge’s doors open to help with air circulation. If needed, use an object to prop open the doors because they may close naturally based on the fridge’s leveling.
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