When you end up with extra appliances, it can be frustrating feat trying to place them out of the way so that they don’t encumber your home by occupying valuable space. Self-storage is an attractive alternative to keeping an extra microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, dryer, or other appliance in your garage or on your balcony. However, it is essential to store appliances properly or else they can get ruined or start functioning poorly. Here are a few items to consider when storing your appliances in a storage unit. 

Before the Storage Unit 

• Let your appliances dry and spray them for bugs before putting them into storage 
• Carefully clean appliances along with all attached tubes, grids, or filters 
• If you are storing other household items, load your appliances into your truck last so that they will be placed in the storage unit first. This will give you greater access to the items you need to access more frequently 
• Use strong tape to keep oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator doors shut during transportation, but make sure the tape is removed and that the appliance doors are either removed or slightly opened once the appliances are placed into your storage unit. This will help to prevent the buildup of mildew 
• Drain water from appliance hoses and other parts found on refrigerators, dryers, washers, and dishwashers. This protects against mildew and freezing temperatures 
• Use bubble wrap, blankets, or another protective packing material to wrap your appliances. This will protect appliances that contain glass or that can be easily dented or scratched. 

Refrigerator specific 

• To prevent damage to the refrigeration unit, always keep your refrigerator upright when it is stored and also during transit 
• Clean the inside of the refrigerator and then dry it. Also drain the water from the holding tank and clean the defrost pan, which is typically located underneath the refrigerator or at the back of the appliance 

In the Storage Unit 

• Think about using a storage unit that has climate control if you live in a climate with extreme temperature swings. Climate controlled self-storage units are kept between 50- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit to protect appliances from unsuitable temperatures and also protects electronic parts from cracking. If storage units with climate control are not available at your storage facility and your appliance have had exposure to freezing temperatures, ensure that you let your appliance thaw for a day or two before you use it to minimize damage 
• Avoid propping heavy objects against glass surfaces on microwave and oven doors. Consider marking these surfaces as “fragile” 
• Don’t plug appliances in while they’re in storage. Not only is it against storage facility policy, it’s not smart 
• Although you can store dishes in a dishwasher, place blankets or pillows in a dryer, it isn’t generally recommended that you store items in appliances 
• Use a protective sheet to drape over your appliance to keep away dust but still maintain air flow 

For any additional questions, contact the manager at a storage facility listed on this site.