Sometimes, I have to remind myself that I’m thirty-eight years old. Because the temptation to pout like a four year old can just be so strong.
I mentioned on Monday that our fridge died last week. I was NOT in the mood to shop for a new one, and didn’t properly adjust my attitude before I headed to the Second-Hand Fridge Store on Saturday morning. Therefore, I had to hold myself back from dramatically slumping my shoulders and stomping one foot.
My issue?
Well . . . it wasn’t that they looked bad. Really, every fridge I looked at was perfectly nice.
And it wasn’t even that they smelled bad.
It was just that they didn’t smell new. Straight from the factory, never-housed-an-onion new.
Seriously. I want perfection.
But . . . after a trip to the big/fancy store where I saw the prices of the straight-from-the-factory-scented versions, I realized that purchasing a used perfectly-good used fridge was the wisest choice.
As I got my own dead-for-four-days fridge ready for the Used Fridge Delivery Man to remove it, I realized how ridiculous my obsession with a perfect, unblemished, scent-free fridge was.
My fridge? The one I’ve had for eleven years? Definitely not perfect.
I cleaned it out, but I definitely wasn’t worried about getting it pristine for its trip to the dump. I just wanted it to be non-humiliating.
For a girl who obsesses over a PERFECT used fridge, I sure don’t worry much about keeping my in-use one perfect.
Me and my double standards. Ugh.
And then, as I self-righteously (still, even after wiping out my own really-truly-icky used fridge) wiped down the looked-perfectly-clean-but-what-if-they’re-not shelves of my newly-delivered used fridge . . . my suspicions were confirmed!!!
The bottom crisper drawer? It wasn’t clean. Not in the least! It looked like someone had done a half-hearted job of getting crumbs and particles of who-knows-what out of there, but he/she did NOT bother to scrub or shine or take any pride whatosoever in the state of his/her crisper drawer.
Then . . . a glimmer of recognition flickered across my Slob Brain.
This . . . was my drawer.
Yes.
My drawer. The one I just “cleaned” ten minutes before.
Everything began to add up:
The fridges were the same size . . . .
The one I bought was missing a drawer in the store . . . .
He mentioned something about replacing it with a drawer from another fridge . . .
My guess is . . . since they needed to replace it anyway (and evidently forgot to replace it before arriving at my home) . . . it was completely appropriate to replace it with my drawer.
Besides . . . I obviously don’t mind if it’s not perfectly and totally clean.
Hmmmph. If they only knew!
Oh, how funny (and utterly humbling, no?)!
Thanks for sharing this….it makes me feel better about my fridge that does NOT sparkle. =)
DEFINITELY humbling.
Laughing out loud over here!! Love it.
It’s as though we share a brain!!! Seriously could be twins separated at birth!
How funny is that?! I would’ve done the same thing. Have fun with the “new to you” fridge! You may already know this trick, but someone once told me about taking Glad Press N Seal to line the inside of your fridge drawers/shelves so when they get gross (not like it EVER happens to us!!) you can just peel them up! less time for clean up! 🙂
I had to laugh! I did the same thing ~ cleaned out my gross refrigerator for it’s trip to the dump. Why?!?
We are SO alike, it’s eerie.
Makes me feel like I need to go clean out my fridge and crisper drawers.
just saw a thing online about using press and seal type cling wrap to cover all the surfaces before putting your stuff in the fridge, for super fast clean-up… and thanks again for being REAL with the rest of us slob-brains…. !
Good idea Ann W. I will do this when I clean out my fridge Friday.
Nony you have kept both drawers you never know when you may break one or you can repurpose the other one for something else like storage in the kitchen or under the sink.
Ann, it will take you longer to get the plastic wrap properly on the shelves than it would to just scrub them occasionally.
I don’t have the fridge on a rotation, but if something spills I clean the whole shelf, and every couple spills I clean the whole thing. I’ve wiped down the inside surfaces of the fridge at least once a month for the last year on this plan, and it’s only a ten minute job every time.
Thanks for sharing your humbling moment! And for the timely reminder…my fridge definitely does not smell so fresh. (It could be tonight’s coleslaw…oh, who am I kidding? Much more likely that it’s something green and fuzzy waaaaaay in the back.)
That was kind of funny – about getting your own drawer!
I hadn’t thought about the “double standard” but now that I think about it, I’ve done the same thing.
I am giving you a standing ovation for some honest blogging . You were so honest and thats was so refreshing . Your story hit home with me too ! Keep up the blogging 🙂
I don’t think it’s a double standard at all – there’s a big difference between your own “dirt” and someone else’s. There’s all kinds of things I do in my own home that I don’t like to do in another person’s home. For example, lay my head on a pillow, lay down on the carpet, use their hand towel in the bathroom, etc. I am maybe more weird about germs and dirt than you are, though. My imagination gets the better of me sometimes. I KNOW approximately how long it’s been since that orange juice spilled and that I will be getting to it eventually, whereas I can imagine but never really know what kind of disgusting thing that pool of brownish goo at the bottom of somebody else’s fridge is.
And you said that you were only cleaning out the drawer to send it to the dump, not into another person’s home.
Thanks for that….I also feel somewhat slobbish about certain things (my fridge being one of them). I’m going to clean it out today….Get the dribble of whatever it is off the bottom shelf……errgh I’m disgusting
I put newspaper in the bottom of the drawers…absorbs spills and odours, and cover them with either a dishtowel or paper towel..so when something goes OFF in there , clean up is a much easier and quicker job…let’s not talk about the rest of the fridge …sigh…
I use newspapers and old dish or hand towels as well in my crisper drawers. If something gets REALLY gross (well, if it WERE ever to get really gross…LOL!) I don’t feel bad about tossing the old towels as well. Of course, if it’s just ‘normal’ grunge, I just wash them with my other rags. And, since they’re old, I can use regular Clorox on them too!
Nony, I LOVE you. You brighten up my every day. I NEVER miss reading your post of the day, and I’m nearly caught up on all of the old ones too! Now, if you’d only stop taking weekends off, and holidays…etc. I think MY need to laugh (and learn) is FAR more important than YOU having time off! (Joking, people…don’t come after me, please!) This really IS the ONLY site I am faithful to, on a day-in-and-out basis. If I DO miss a day, it’s cos I’m too sick to get on the computer. Thanks for everything you do for us, and the happiness you bring us. (Not a stalker, I swear!)
Oh, I forgot to mention that I, too, just got a new fridge a few weeks ago. I’m in a rental unit, and mine died. I fully expected to get a ‘new used’ fridge to replace the old one…which I spent almost 2 hours cleaning first, in case they fixed it somehow and sold it (?) (This AFTER the repairman told me they couldn’t fix what ‘ailed’ it, which is why I got a new one in the first place!) However, I was delighted to find that they replaced my old one with a brand new unit. I imagine they buy them ‘in bulk’, as they own many rentals and apartment complexes, but it WAS a nice surprise. I live in a studio apartment, so it’s small, but very efficient. This one even has an icemaker. (This ALMOST made up for the fact that I had NO fridge for nearly a week, and thank goodness I have friends here who allowed me to use some space in THEIR fridge and freezers, cos I had LOTS of meat. I caught the ‘death’ of the old one BEFORE anything thawed, T.G.! (I noticed both lightbulbs were out, and new bulbs didn’t work either!) I don’t have renter’s insurance either, so…SOL if I lost everything.
Oh Carolina! Thank you so much for your comment! It made my day! (And I’m so sorry about the time off . . . I’ll have to discuss that with Hubby!)
Carolina, check with your car insurance people. They often offer renter’s insurance for free with your policy or nearly so. Add up the cost of replacing all that meat and it’ll probably come out a lot cheaper. Worth a phone call to ask, anyway.
Erm…I don’t have a car, either. I’m on so many meds that I’m afraid to drive any longer. I DO have access to USAA insurance, and they’re about the least expensive of ANY other insurance. They offer the gamut of insurances. I think I WILL check to see how much it would be. My daughter had renter’s insurance through them and it saved her literally THOUSANDS of dollars when her automatic fire sprinkler system broke (and it was her fault, too…more or less. One of her house guests hung a dress on the water line, and she broke it trying to take it down!) Anyway, it not only flooded HER unit, but the water went through her floors to the downstairs unit. That was TWO units that basically had to be gutted and redone. Plus, it ruined quite a bit of her furniture too. They paid for EVERYTHING, and almost immediately. It even covered her moving costs to move into a different unit. So, yes, I really need to check it out. (She bought a condo about 6 months ago, and she still has her homeowners insurance through them. GREAT company. I’ve had it since I was 18! I saved TONS when she started driving, too!)
Nony, I just realized I sounded like a commercial/Spammer just now. Obviously I’m not affiliated with them in any way except for being a member. And, it’s only available to people in the military, or retired from the military, and is a ‘legacy’ that can be handed down to the children and grandchildren of the service member. (My daughter can’t hand it down to HER kids though. Sadly.)
Ok…that is hilarious..you have yourself at least one new reader, 🙂
Nony,
I’ve never thought of a used appliance store before. Where did you go? I think I live near you, and would like to have a referral in my back pocket for the inevitable.
Honestly, Polly, I would NEVER recommend the place where we got that fridge. I was so thankful that soon after, Maytag gave me a fridge to review. We had nothing but trouble with that “new to us” fridge!
My tip for this — I keep a cheap hand held vacuum hanging next to the fridge and when I clean out the drawers I can quickly grab the hand held and get the crumbs and icky stuff , the one I use has a crevice tool which I leav out because this is the only time I use it ( I’m too lazy to walk the 25 feet and get the reg vacuum out )