Garbage Disposal Not Working? Try These Fixes First

A Clean Refrigerator Is Expected at Move-Out

The refrigerator is one of the appliances landlords always check during a move-out inspection. Shelves with food residue, sticky drawers, odors, and moldy seals are consistently flagged and result in cleaning charges. A thorough refrigerator clean takes one to two hours and requires only common household cleaning supplies. The result is an appliance that looks move-in ready and removes this item from your deduction risk list entirely.

Empty and Defrost First

Start by removing all food, condiments, and items from every shelf and drawer. Check the expiration dates on anything you are keeping and dispose of the rest. If the freezer has frost buildup, turn the unit off or set it to the defrost setting and allow the frost to melt. Place towels around the base of the freezer to catch water runoff. Never chip at ice with a sharp tool since this can damage the freezer walls. Let it melt naturally, which takes one to three hours depending on the thickness of the frost.

Removing Shelves and Drawers

Most refrigerator shelves and drawers are removable for easier cleaning. Slide them out and wash them in the sink with warm water and dish soap. For glass shelves, let them come to room temperature before washing in hot water to prevent cracking from thermal shock. Use a soft brush to clean the tracks and support rails inside the refrigerator while the shelves are out.

Cleaning the Interior

Mix a solution of warm water and a small amount of baking soda or dish soap. Wipe all interior surfaces including the walls, ceiling, and floor of both the refrigerator and freezer compartments. A silicone spatula or old credit card helps get into the corners and edge channels. For dried spills that have hardened, lay a damp cloth over the spot for a few minutes to rehydrate the residue before wiping clean.

Door Seals and Exterior

The rubber door seals are a common place for mold and food debris to accumulate. Use a soft brush or a cloth wrapped around a butter knife to clean the folds of the seal thoroughly. Wipe the exterior of the refrigerator including the top, sides, and the door handles. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall slightly and clean the back of the unit if accessible. Replace the clean shelves and drawers, plug the unit back in, and set it to the correct temperature before leaving.

Find refrigerator cleaning tools and supplies: refrigerator cleaning supplies on Amazon.

More help: Appliances and Plumbing guides

Making Minor Repairs Before Move-Out

Minor repairs before move-out are almost always worthwhile from a pure financial calculation. A landlord who charges for repairs will typically bill at market rate or above for contractor labor — often $50 to $150 per hour — for tasks that a renter can address with $5 to $20 in materials and an hour of effort. Nail holes in drywall, scuff marks on painted walls, loose cabinet hinges, and caulk gaps around tubs and sinks are all common repair items that fall in this category. Addressing them yourself before move-out prevents inflated repair deductions that far exceed the actual cost of the fix.

Drywall repair for small nail holes is one of the most common and straightforward move-out repairs. Spackling compound or lightweight joint compound, applied with a putty knife, allowed to dry, sanded smooth, and painted to match the wall eliminates most nail holes completely. For holes up to about 4 inches in diameter, a drywall patch kit with a self-adhesive mesh backing simplifies the process. Matching paint is the most challenging part of wall repair — if you have leftover paint from the unit, use it. Otherwise, bringing a paint chip to a hardware store for color matching is usually accurate enough for small patches when the wall paint has faded somewhat from its original color.

Cleaning and repairing flooring before move-out requires honesty about what qualifies as damage versus normal wear. Carpet that shows foot traffic paths and general fading is normal wear; carpet with pet stains, large rips, or burns is damage. For hardwood floors, superficial scratches visible only in raking light are typically normal wear; deep gouges that catch your fingernail are damage. Wood floor scratch repair kits with color-matched markers or wax sticks are effective for minor surface scratches on hardwood and laminate. Steam cleaning carpet yourself and renting a professional-grade machine are both options that can address moderate staining — but severe staining or damage may require professional assessment rather than DIY remediation.

Knowing when not to repair is equally important. Attempting major repairs — replacing large sections of drywall, fixing plumbing, or addressing electrical issues — without the skills and tools to do it correctly can make the situation worse and create additional deductions. For significant damage, getting your own contractor estimate before move-out gives you an independent cost assessment that you can use to contest an inflated landlord charge. Some damage is genuinely beyond DIY remedy, and in those cases, negotiating directly with your landlord about an agreed deduction before move-out — rather than receiving a surprise bill — is often the most efficient resolution.