Appliances like your refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, washer and dryer, and other large items are not designed to be moved very often. But, when you’re moving houses, you’ll probably need to move at least one or two of them. You can’t move appliances like you do other furniture or you’ll damage them and maybe hurt yourself. These tips from moving and storage experts will help you safely move your appliances from one location to another.
Hire Professionals
The safest and easiest way to move any appliance is to hire a professional who knows exactly how to do it safely and without damaging the appliance or the floor of your home. Even if you want to do most of the move yourself, it’s still recommended that you hire professional movers to move your appliances. It won’t cost too much for just this piece of the move and you’re sure to get the results you want. You can still do everything else on your own.
Use a Dolly
If you still insist on moving your appliances yourself, be sure to use a dolly. You do not want to drag your appliances across the floor or try to lift them, even with a partner. Dragging an appliance is sure to damage both the appliance and your floors, which is not a good thing whether it’s the floor of the house you’re moving from or the one you’re moving to. You do not want to leave scratches or gouges on the floor in your old home, especially if you had to pay a damage deposit. You surely won’t get that back if you tear up the floor.
A dolly will allow you to roll your appliances across the floor and to the waiting truck or trailer. This will save both your floors and the appliance, but more importantly, it will prevent you from injuring yourself. You’ll still have some lifting to do from the dolly to the truck (unless you have one with an automatic lift gate), but it’s a lot less than if you try to carry it from the house to the truck and back again.
Place Floor Pads Down Before Moving an Appliance
Even if you’re using a dolly, you can still damage the floors if you aren’t careful, especially as you maneuver the appliance onto the dolly. Placing floor pads or moving blankets down on the floor before moving an appliance in or out of a home will keep the floors protected from sharp edges. You’ve probably seen these pads in an elevator of a building that is being used for moving equipment up and down floors. You don’t have to worry about the walls as much, but definitely take care of covering the floors.
Line the Moving Path with Cardboard or Another Smooth Surface
Have you ever steered a dolly down a sidewalk only to have the wheels catch on an uneven part of the concrete? Whatever is on the dolly may go flying, if it’s not tied down. And even if it is tied down, the dolly can tip over and cause the whole load to go crashing to the ground, including yourself. To keep this from happening, line the path between the door and the moving truck with flat cardboard or another smooth surface such as old pieces of carpet. This will give you a better, smoother path to the truck or from the truck to your house.
Prep the Appliances
Unlike most furniture, appliances require some prep work before you move them. For a refrigerator, for example, you should remove all the food and place it in coolers, clean the unit inside and out, and leave the door open for at least 24 hours to remove the moisture. You should also tape the door shut so it doesn’t swing open during the move.
For washing machines sometimes you have to face black flakes in washing machine and it’s tough to move them. so, disconnect the power and hoses, leave the door open for 24 hours to remove moisture, and wrap or tape the door shut (unless it’s a top-loading unit). Most other appliances just require you to clean the inside and outside of the unit and tape the door shut, except for the stove (remove the racks first) and the dishwasher, which you’ll need to disconnect and allow to air out for 24 hours first.
Conclusion
Moving appliances is definitely not easy, but if you’ve invested a lot of money into your appliances, you don’t want to just leave them when you move. Use the tips here to get them from one place to another safely and in good shape.
