How do you empty the fridge and freezer before the move?

How do you empty the fridge and freezer step by step?

1. 1

   Step 1: Stop bulk shopping two weeks before the move and plan meals based on what is in the freezer. our advice

2. 2

   Step 2: Give away or throw away what will not be eaten, and do not freeze more than you can eat. our advice

3. 3

   Step 3: The day before the move: turn off the fridge and unplug it. If it's not a No Frost fridge, defrost it.

4. 4

   Step 4: Collect the meltwater in a low bowl under the water outlet, empty it and dry the cabinet with a sponge.

5. 5

   Step 5: Leave the doors ajar until the cupboard is to be carried, so it has time to dry. our advice

6. 6

   Step 6: Pack the frozen food tightly in a cooler bag with cool packs and open it as little as possible.

7. 7

   Step 7: Wait at least one hour after the cabinet has been put in place before connecting it, and follow the user manual for your model.

8. 8

   Step 8: Put the food in when the cupboard has cooled down. Keep 4 °C in the fridge and -18 °C in the freezer.

Source: Bosch: Defrost the freezer, Bosch: Defrost the fridge, Bosch: Install your fridge, Livsmedelsverket: Power outage, this is what you do with the food in the freezer, Livsmedelsverket: Power outage, this is what you do with the food in the fridge, Livsmedelsverket: Storage of refrigerated goods. The steps marked our advice are the editor's own.

What do you do with the food left in the freezer?

It is not possible to specify any particular shelf life for frozen food, writes the National Food Agency. Food does not become dangerous from being stored for a long time in the freezer, but taste, smell, colour and consistency become worse over time. Look, smell and taste when the food has thawed. Fatty fish and fatty meat, such as salmon and pork, keep for a shorter time than lean fish, chicken and game because the fat becomes rancid.

So start with what's been lying around the longest and what's fattest. Thaw preferably in the fridge or in a cold water bath. Food that has been thawed and cooked can be frozen again, and so can uncooked food that has been thawed in the fridge, but it becomes drier.

Source: Livsmedelsverket: Freeze food.

How long does the freezer keep cool during the move?

A closed and full freezer can keep the cold for up to two days, according to the Food Agency's advice during power outages. This applies as long as the door is closed, so do not open it unnecessarily. If the food has started to become soft but still has ice crystals, it can be frozen again. If it has thawed completely but feels refrigerator cold, you can freeze it again or cook it directly.

Raw meat, poultry, fish and shellfish are quickly ruined if they are warm for several hours. Pack them tightly together with cool packs or frozen water bottles. The food cools each other, so the fuller the cooler bag is, the slower it becomes warm.

Source: Food Administration: Power outage, what to do with food in the freezer, Food Administration: Power outage, what to do with food in the refrigerator. The Food Administration writes about refrigerators during power outages; that it also applies to coolers is our interpretation.

How long do refrigerated goods last outside the fridge?

The National Food Agency advises you not to leave refrigerated foods out for more than four hours if it is at most 20 °C, three hours if it is at most 25 °C and two hours if it is 26 to 30 °C. A moving day in the summer can therefore be too long for milk and sandwiches on the lorry.

Some goods can withstand more. After a long power outage, someone with a normal immune system can themselves determine with sight, smell and taste if, for example, milk, butter, yoghurt, cheese, raw eggs, mustard, ketchup, jam and juice can be eaten. What the rest of the moving day contains is in step 5, moving day.

Source: Food Agency: Storage of refrigerated foods, Food Agency: Power outage, what to do with food in the fridge.

How do you defrost the freezer before the move?

Bosch describes the defrosting as follows: turn off the cabinet and pull out the plug or switch off the fuse. Place the freezer drawers with food in a cold place, preferably with a cold pack on top. Put a low tub under the water outlet and open it. Two tubs of hot water on the shelves make the ice melt faster. Then empty the meltwater, wipe with a sponge and close the outlet.

If you have a No Frost cabinet, you do not need to defrost, since the moisture is removed and no ice forms on the walls. Do the defrosting the day before, so that the cabinet is dry when it is to be carried. It is our advice, as well as putting a towel underneath for the water that comes out anyway.

Source: Bosch: Defrost the freezer, Bosch: Defrost the fridge.

How long should the refrigerator stand before starting it?

In Bosch's installation guide, it is stated that you should wait at least one hour after installing the cabinet before connecting it, to avoid damaging the compressor. Other manufacturers may specify a different time, and the one that applies to your cabinet is stated in the user manual. Bosch has its user manuals available for download on its website if you no longer have yours.

If the cabinet will be in a cold storage or garage for a while, check the climate class on the type label inside the cabinet. The cabinet works as it should within the room temperature the climate class indicates, and Bosch writes that a refrigerator in climate class SN should handle down to 5 °C. How the rest of the packaging is done is stated in step 3, pack, and everything that needs to be done before the moving day in Your moving plan.

Source: Bosch: Install your fridge.