It's often not necessary to completely empty your refrigerator. Some items should be left inside so the cooling system can work at maximum efficiency, so your electricity bill doesn't go up. Exactly how you prepare your fridge depends on the length of time you plan to be away.
NO! It is not OK to run an empty refrigerator. To prevent damage to a refrigerator, it must have at least eight ounces of water or water equivalent therein. That is critical. If you remove that last eight ounces, there is nothing left to prevent cold waves from becoming excessive.
A full refrigerator retains cold better than an empty one. If your refrigerator is nearly empty, store water-filled containers inside. The mass of cold items will enable the refrigerator to recover more quickly after the door has been opened.
Foodborne illness: Eating food that has been stored for too long or left out of the refrigerator can lead to foodborne illness, which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.
If the refrigerator is empty, you can store it indefinitely unplugged, as long as the door is either removed, or left propped open so you don't have problems with moisture accumulation and mold formation.
The answer is no. The temperature of a refrigerator needs to be maintained at a certain level, and if you unplug it, the temperature inside drastically changes leading to many problems. Even when not in use at night, it is best left plugged in to preserve the quality of the food stored inside.
The simplest way to do this is to unplug the fridge from the power source and let any moisture, frost or ice melt and run down into the bottom of the fridge naturally. Be sure to put a towel in the bottom of the fridge first, to absorb any water that runs down.
As the USDA notes in Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency, your refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours during a power outage. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers after 4 hours without power.
Food that has been stored too long in the refrigerator or freezer may be of lessened quality, but most likely would not make anyone sick. (However, some bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes thrive at cold temperatures, and if present, will multiply in the refrigerator over time and could cause illness.)
To reduce Salmonella growth, eggs gathered from laying hens should be refrigerated as soon as possible. After eggs are refrigerated, they need to stay that way. A cold egg left out at room temperature can sweat, facilitating the movement of bacteria into the egg.
Once a week, check expiration dates and remove anything old, such as takeout boxes, expired food, and leftovers from last week. About twice a month wipe off any spills from shelves, sticky jars, or bottles.
When there is food in the fridge, the items help to cool down each other because food naturally absorbs cold air. Fill your fridge with hardly any food and there's too much space, so your fridge is going to have to work hard to keep food from spoiling (especially delicate items such as lettuce).
Keep it stocked. A full fridge is a happy fridge because the thermal mass of its contents helps maintain the temperature (or in other words, the cold stuff helps keep it cold). In a full fridge, the compressor won't need to cycle on and off as much, which will extend the life of the compressor and reduce running costs.
Refrigerate or freeze perishables right away.
Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours—one hour if the air temperature is above 90° F. This also applies to items such as leftovers, "doggie bags," and take-out foods.
How long can a refrigerator be stored without being used? This depends on how long you plan to store it. As a general rule, refrigerators aren't designed to be left unused for long periods, but you can store one for around 12 months if you commit to checking in on it occasionally.
Moisture from food and condensation can form on the surfaces of your fridge, creating a damp environment for molds to thrive. The refrigerator's temperature is another factor that can impact mold growth; colder temperatures support mold growth.
Wipe the inside of the empty refrigerator with hot, soapy water, then wipe with clean water to rinse off soap. Dry with a clean towel. DON'T FORGET TO WIPE INSIDE THE DOORS AND ANY DRAWERS THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED. USE A SOLUTION OF 1 TABLESPOON OF LIQUID BLEACH IN 1 GALLON OF WATER TO SANITIZE YOUR REFRIGERATOR.
For optimum quality and safety, you want to make sure your eggs are kept at a steady temperature below 20'C, so try to avoid moving them too often between very cold and very warm temperatures such as between a hot car and fridge, or fridge and hot kitchen.
If you are going to be away for a month or less, we recommend the following: Leave the refrigerator running. Leave the temperature controls at the normal settings. If all the food is removed and you want to save energy, the temperature control may be set to a warmer temperature setting during the absence.
Per FSIS-USDA guidelines, if kept frozen continuously, chicken will be safe indefinitely, so after freezing, it's not important if any package dates expire. For best quality, taste and texture, keep whole raw chicken in the freezer up to one year; parts, 9 months; and giblets or ground chicken, 3 to 4 months.
Which refrigerator brand is most reliable? All three of the appliance experts we spoke to for this roundup said Whirlpool and LG were the most reliable refrigerator brands due to their durability, reliability and ease of repairs. Samsung and GE were also mentioned by our experts as high-quality fridges.
In general, it is advisable not to exceed a few weeks. Three important pieces of information regarding the safe duration of leaving the refrigerator unplugged are: Climate Impact: Warmer climates may accelerate the formation of odors or mold, making it advisable to keep the unplugged period shorter.
The best way to store a refrigerator in a storage unit or for any length of time it is going to be switched off is with the doors partially opened for ventilation. This can be achieved by placing an old towel in between the door and the door frame to prevent it from completely closing, then securing in place with tape.