Help! I've Got Appliances With No Home

There I was, standing in my driveway with a perfectly good fridge and nowhere to put it. My new apartment wasn't available yet, but my old landlord made it crystal clear: "That refrigerator better not be here tomorrow." Been there?

Whether you're between houses, dealing with roommate appliance duplicates, or holding onto Grandma's trusty washer for your kid's first apartment, sometimes these big machines need a temporary residence. I've been through this headache twice, and let me tell you what I've learned the hard way.

The Cleaning Part (Ugh, I Know)

No one—and I mean NO ONE—wakes up excited about cleaning a refrigerator. But trust me on this one. Last summer, I skipped the deep clean on my spare fridge before storing it. Three months later? Let's just say opening that door required a hazmat suit and some serious mental preparation.

Here's my real-person cleaning checklist:

For everything with a plug:

• Attack those weird corners where mysterious crumbs multiply
• Don't forget those air vents where dust bunnies throw their parties
• Hit it with bug spray (Texas roaches are NO joke) but let it dry completely

For water-using appliances:

• Get ALL the water out or you'll discover new forms of mold science hasn't named yet
• That weird drip pan under your fridge? Yes, that needs cleaning too (I once found a petrified grape in mine—don't ask how long it had been there)

Moving Day (Or: How I Almost Destroyed a $1,200 Refrigerator)

No one told me refrigerators had to stay upright during moves until I helped my sister move hers. We tipped it on its side to fit through a doorway, and two days later—no cooling. Repair guy said tipping it messed up the coolant system. Expensive lesson learned!

My back still remembers every appliance I've moved without a dolly. Don't be a hero—wheels are your friends here.

Oh, and after watching my washing machine doors fly open and nearly take out my cousin's kneecap, I always secure doors for the journey (but remove the tape once they're in storage—more on that in a sec).

Finding Your Appliance's Vacation Home

After storing my dryer in my friend's shed for "just a couple weeks" (that turned into six months in all weather), I learned some hard lessons about proper storage:

Drive-up access: Nothing makes you question your life choices like trying to wrestle a refrigerator through three hallways and around two corners.

Security that actually works: My neighbor's expensive washer/dryer set disappeared from their storage unit with flimsy security. Don't learn this lesson the expensive way.

Climate control is worth every penny: My first dryer developed weird rust spots after three months in a non-climate-controlled unit during a humid Texas summer. The repair cost more than climate control would have.

The Storage Setup That Won't Ruin Your Day Later

Here's the weird thing nobody tells you: leave those doors cracked open while in storage! I close doors for moving but prop them open for storing. Why? Because I once made the mistake of keeping a fridge sealed tight for months. The smell when I opened it? Let's just say even deep cleaning couldn't save it.

For covering appliances, I raid my mom's linen closet for those old floral sheets nobody wants anymore. They're perfect for dust protection without trapping moisture like plastic covers do.

Need more specific advice for your situation? I've made pretty much every appliance storage mistake possible, so I'm happy to help you avoid my blunders! Just give us a call at Teasley Lane Self-Storage, and we can talk through your appliance storage game plan.