It's been 4 1/2 weeks since our fridge started having breathing problems. For the first two weeks, it was only breathing enough to keep the upper portion at "refrigeration" temps. So what food we were able to save either went to the upper portion or in an ice chest. I contacted my cousin that does heating/air/refrigerators...but his diagnosis was very grim news. There was nothing he could do for our model and that we should prepare for the worst. Hubby looked for a replacement while I continued to use it's upper portion to keep what little food we had cold.
I knew it was gonna happen, I just wasn't prepared that it would take it's final breath while everyone was deep asleep. I was the one to discover it's warm body the following morning along with all of the warm contents inside. It was a very sad day for all of us...it meant the end of purchasing refrigerated food until a replacement could be found. It's been over a week & half since that day...
Hubby was able to find several used, in good condition, replacements in our area for very little money. Unfortunately, after the first contact and reply on each side, there hasn't been any further talk. While we've been waiting, hubby had mentioned to our next door neighbor of our dilemma and was pleasantly surprised when neighbor said he had 3 extra refrigerators and would give us one for free. Hubby made plans and arrangements to get it.
I was so excited when I was told that it was a side by side with ice and water in the door. My excitement did not diminish when I was warned that the outside had a little bit of rust...I could do a little rust if it worked. I cleared a path for hubby to remove our expired fridge and waited in anticipation for hubby to walk next door with the hand truck and bring back our replacement.
Hubby arrived and I was standing ready with dishrags and cleaning products in hand. I had a happy tune in my heart and a smile on my face while I waited for him to set it on the porch beside me and unstrap it from the hand truck.
Hubby went inside and left me to my cleaning. I started on the outside, but just cleaned the left side when I realized the black stuff I was removing wasn't dirt but mold. I opened the freezer door and every surface was covered in mold. I looked closer at the rubber seal to the freezer door and saw it was completely black. Then my heart fell to my stomach when I noticed inside the freezer that all of it's water/ice components had been removed. I suddenly got scared and slowly opened the refrigerator door...my heart fell to my feet. Every surface in it was also covered in mold and the entire bottom, across the front where it breathes, was so rusty that it crumbled when you touched it.
My happy tune in my head and the smile on my face suddenly left...I decided to just get serious and work at getting it cleaned. I spent an hour scrubbing until my arms hurt, but only managed to get the solid surfaces of the freezer door done. The sun went down, I lost natural daylight, I gave up for the night.
It's a new day and I've already had a little visit with it this morning to figure out if it's a lost cause or if I can really salvage it until we can get something else. Honestly though, if I get near it again with cleaning products, I will need a mask...I don't want to be breathing in all that mold.
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