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Post by iguanamamma on Jun 21, 2010 12:50:09 GMT -5
Some dumbass tore the electric meter box off of my MIL's house. I hope it was a shocking experience but nobody is hanging fried from the electric line.She (my MIL) died in Nov. 2008 right after IKe. The city never missing a beat decided that the electric service to the house had to be repermited and inspected. It's ok we added wiring for a dryer, a dishwasher, and air conditioning and now have people on a list to rent the house to. Anyway, my son opened the fridge door. he said it looks like a science fair exhibit gone wild in there. We're talking maggots and green mold. The house is 300 miles from where I live. My son and I are going to attempt to clean the fridge when I come home in July. The fridge is unplugged right now. I told my son to remember the sign I had in the kitchen "If it walks out of the fridge,let it go."
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Post by sparkle on Jun 21, 2010 13:33:45 GMT -5
I think you'd be better off getting rid of it. if I were going to rent a house i would not want it to have a fridge with such a dangerous past. Since it's a rental, you could replace it with a simple model. It will rent fast. Who wouldn't want to move in to a place with a new refrigerator.
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Post by amberwind on Jun 21, 2010 13:41:06 GMT -5
It is possible to clean it, but the process would be so time consuming that it would probably be a better investment to just buy a $400 new fridge.
Plus, the only way I know of to clean that kind of ick would leave the whole thing smelling heavily of vinegar, so the tenants would know something was hinky with the fridge.
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MiSC
Banned
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,611 
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Post by MiSC on Jun 21, 2010 13:48:10 GMT -5
I wouldn't want to be eating out of a fridge with that kind of history. Please, just dump that one and get a new one.
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Post by eagle on Jun 21, 2010 14:09:37 GMT -5
Actually, I have seen some pretty awful looking refrigerators that cleaned up real nicely.
How much food was in the fridge to start with? Was there meat in there and whatnot?
Did anything explode?
Even if the answer is yes to all of the above, you REALLY can get the refrigerator clean again. The one concern I would have would be how badly did things permeat the inner workings of the fridge. If stuff got into places you can't reach, I'd be inclined to throw it out.
Rentals don't have to have a refrigerator. Many people I know have rented houses that did not include a refrigerator. If you want the rental to include a fridge, that's fine, but just know it's not necessary.
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Post by messymimi on Jun 21, 2010 14:29:39 GMT -5
Dear IguanaMamma,
Remember, you might have to also replace all of the seals and gaskets, if they are moldy and nasty. By the time you do that, it might be more than an old refrigerator is worth.
Since this will be a rental, appliances that break down will be your responsibility to fix. Would it be worth fixing if it breaks?
It might be cheaper and easier in the long haul to just replace, or, as Eagle said, rent the place sans fridge.
messymimi
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Post by Arid on Jun 21, 2010 14:29:51 GMT -5
I'd recommend throwing it out.
First of all, you do NOT want to expose yourself, your son, or anybody else to that kind of mold contamination. Just the act of cleaning is going to spread mold spores throughout the house. This could be an ongoing problem for renters, especially those with allergy and asthma issues. I've watched people die from lung issues--PLEASE--do NOT go there!!!
Furthermore, I once lived in an apartment (my very first one, by the way) where the refrigerator had a "life of its own." No matter what I did, the mold came back (and I was working as a microbiologist at the time!!!). I had to wipe it down DAILY to keep things under control. If I so much as went away for the weekend, the mold was there waiting for me when I got back. It wasn't fun. . .
PLEASE, THROW THE THING AWAY!!! Don't even open it again! Watch for a a good sale, and buy an inexpensive one. The world will be better for it.
Arid.
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Post by shopgirl on Jun 21, 2010 15:09:16 GMT -5
Your idea of saving the nasty old fridge is the exact reason why I will never rent from an individual homeowner again! Remember, you are competing against big managed apartment complexes, where every little thing is maintained to be in new or pristine like-new condition. It's a tough market out there, even for rental units.
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Post by clutterific on Jun 21, 2010 16:58:43 GMT -5
I'm with shopgirl - one thing I've noticed in my boyfriend's apartment and while we have apartment hunted together is that individual homeowners and even people who own multiple rental properties tend not to keep up with things as well as apartment complexes in terms of maintenance, replacing old/broken/disgusting appliances, updating, etc. As a potential tenant who can pass a credit check and/or have a cosigner, I doubt I would rent that way.
The flip side, however, is that when a homeowner DOES keep up with everything and treat the rental unit the way many complexes do, it shows AND they can charge a bit more.If it were me, I'd ditch the gross fridge without even attempting to clean it, and I would replace it with a cheap but reliable new one.
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Post by dtesposito on Jun 21, 2010 18:59:03 GMT -5
I think there's a possibility that the fridge can be cleaned out but honestly, the hours and hours of work and dealing with the crud is probably not worth it. You don't want to spend hours working and find out that you can't get the smell out--then you'll have to buy a new one anyway.
This is one situation I've never had to deal with and I'm so thankful!
Diane
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Post by success19 on Jun 22, 2010 1:16:44 GMT -5
Lots of renters have to supply some of their own appliances - so you could just toss it and let the new renters supply their own fridge.
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Post by bigtimetroubles on Jun 22, 2010 3:01:02 GMT -5
I have the experience of my parents taking an old refridge from the dead aunts home that had an awful smell in the ice and freezer....it made the nasty ice forever and it was good to get rid of that one...I suggest following everyone else here who says dump it in dump and either let the renter get their own or buy cheapo one someplace like Sears or Home Depot.....hugs btt
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