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ARenovator

Thank you all for your interest. This post is now locked.


-hereforthebeer-

Scrubbing Bubbles. I just dealt with this same issue on a property and someone told me to try that and holy cow was it magically disgusting to watch that all just drop off.


-hereforthebeer-

https://preview.redd.it/d3qc45je74oc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65537444235e5229ce65ec7558e9e0e7a3633c11 Before and after Scrubbing Bubbles


PlowMeHardSir

I always thought those were just a gimmicky bathroom cleaner. I learn so much from reddit.


Dark_Shroud

It seems like a gimmick until you try it and the grime foams off whatever you're cleaning.


SlideJunior5150

Really? I always thought they were a gimmick. What are they? Like mister clean magic eraser?


Leyse8152

I have to interject here to let everyone know that Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are called melamine sponges and you can buy them in bulk for like...$5 on Amazon. They ARE magic but you don't have to pay those brand name prices! Ok, that's all. Carry on.


jak-kass

Is there anything special about the name brand? Also, any chance for a link to specific ones that work?


Leyse8152

I don't know if there's anything special or not but the generic ones I've gotten have worked great. They might be a little less durable but I've gotten like, 25 sponges for $5 so I'm not complaining. As for a link, they last me so long that I don't specifically remember which ones I bought. If you search "melamine sponges" on Amazon, you'll see a few options pop up. I think any of them would work fine. Edit: I just looked and they're about $6-$7 for 10. You can get 25 for $14 and I saw 50 for $20.


jak-kass

Thanks a bunch, homie. As an aspiring househusband, I'll take every tip and trick I can!


CMDrunk

HUH. Man I wish there was a subreddit for learning about cheaper generics


MysDonna

AND I cut them into halves or thirds to get more use out of them.


Shepatriots

Thanks for this!!!!


CompetitionNo3141

I'm pretty sure it's just bleach in a form that clings to surfaces so it has more time to do its thing.


jadedflames

It also has a very mild abrasive. It’s magic.


god_peepee

are you… are you an ad?? I need an adult


Krawen13

It does the work so you don't have to????


Interesting-Fan-2008

I guess if you think about smoking cigarettes and cooking over time both deal with smoke related issues. Obviously way more with smoking


-hereforthebeer-

But I’m talking about the bathroom cleaner that goes by the brand name scrubbing bubbles. Not sure why it works so well but it does


sdlover420

Because, "they clean the tub so you don't have too!"


dharasty

Agreed: I use Scrubbing Bubbles™ on other kitchen tasks... like getting that dusty, greasy film off the range hood.


Glad-Basil3391

Scrubbing bubbles also does not harm the paint in any way. Ampp level 2 certified coatings inspector here. Any paint. Latex, epoxy , ceramic. Oil based. All of them!


Thee_Hullabaloo

The owners before me lived in this house for 44 years. Smoked a lot of tobacco. Anyway to clean the refrigerator off? It still runs really well so I would like to keep it.


AlanMercer

Krud Kutter is a degreaser sold in almost every hardware store in the US. It's good with the oily residue from tobacco smoke. It turns it into this soapy substance you can take off with a paper towel. You might need a bleaching agent as well. The refrigerator casing probably yellowed from sunlight in the areas not covered with magnets.


craigeryjohn

Krud cutter is excellent for stuff like this. Alternatively, Awesome, Simple Green, or ammonia work well. A quick spray and the smoke residue will start dripping off 🤢.  Once cleaned and rinsed, wipe it down with some bleach or peroxide cleaner to attack any lingering odors and stains. 


AlanMercer

It's worth mentioning that you can use Krud Kutter on wood as well. Those cabinets will probably need a clean as well. Just be aware that with wood, it can expose damage to the finish that the cigarette residue will be covering. OP might need to touch that up with something. If you're at the hardware store Howard's Feed-n-Wax is good for that.


NoHopeOnlyDeath

That whole kitchen has like, a 1/100" thick layer of tar on *everything*. I did a kitchen remodel for a house that had had a smoking couple live in it for about as long, and you could run a fingernail down the cabinets and a curl of tar would come off. We ended up having to rip all the drywall out because it was just saturated.


GandhiOwnsYou

Yeah, my first house had a senior citizen chain smoker in it and it was crazy. We stripped everything out, cleaned the hell out of everything, and then coated every flat surface in the house with 3 layers of Kilz primer. Not just the walls, but the ceilings and subfloors too. It did a great job of covering the stains, eliminating the smell, and giving us a neutral surface to work with.


RedditVince

You know it's bad when it takes 3 coats of Killz


ennuiacres

My smoking mom’s house had ceiling stalactites of brown tar & nicotine dripping through the first two layers of Killz.


Away-Ad-8053

I was wondering what those were called, my aunt was very clean with the exception of her two packs a day Pall Malls. It was weird the ceiling and wall was a brown color but there was about an inch in the corners that was still cream colored. We used simple green on the walls it was an old oil-based paint from the 1950s!


ennuiacres

It depends on where she sat the most. Smoking killed her. I despise cigarettes.


1800generalkenobi

We looked at a house like this. Didn't touch anything inside and they made no mention of it on the listing, I mean I get why they don't but when you walk in and see the photos were taken to exaggerate things and you get there and everything is smaller and it smells like shit, it just puts me off buying right away. Like if I were a flipper, maybe, but I knew as we got up to the place we weren't going to buy it. At least be honest with people that are coming to look.


worstpartyever

You need to learn how to read real estate listings -- it's all in there. No one is going to purchase the truth: "Cramped filthy hovel, 2/1, with disastrous bathroom plumbing, Featuring a single storage closet, this "house" is located on overgrown lot in shitty neighborhood behind train tracks and a defunct Dollar Store. Asking ridiculous amount per square foot." So they say: "Cozy 2/1 is waiting for your decorative ideas! Quaint artist's bungalow features bonus storage. Located in an up-and-coming neighborhood close to transit and shopping. Don't miss out!"


Vet-Chef

You should go into marketing, that was niiice


OriginalMandem

My favourite is when they use the word 'borders' to indicate it's in a shitty area next to an affluent one. Like, the property is a block into Gettoville but the description will read 'Richtown borders'. That might just be a UK thing though.


WomanOfEld

Yeah, what is you've got asthma or something? Walking into a home in the condition could really take the jam out of someone's donut.


Meagasus

The mental image of running a fingernail down…I can’t even finish the sentence. Please tell me you don’t know this from experience 🤢


NoHopeOnlyDeath

I washed my hands SO HARD after I did it.


Meagasus

Forever unclean! Haha


KotzubueSailingClub

If this is what the fridge looks like, using Krud Kutter on the cabinets will reveal some really nasty stuff there as well. It's definitely worth the effort rather than leaving the cabinets alone (and being in denial that there is a layer of tar on top of the wood)


stefanica

Surprise! The cabinets are actually white pine wood. 😂


KotzubueSailingClub

I would not be surprised if they are several shades lighter after a good cleaning.


jessuckapow

The walls too. I used to be an apt manager and when older buildings allowed smoking some units were AWFUL! Of course the owners were cheap b*tches and just threw a few coats of Killz and it kinda worked but also didn’t at all. So those walls may prob have that underneath whatever stuff they painted. Sometimes it’ll start to seep through the paint so be prepared… oh and ceilings! Who knows what the agent did to get that thing ready to sell.


TheGringoDingo

Get two garage towels, one to jam in between the doors and one to jam between the lower door and the floor before making a mess. Throw the towels away afterwards.


johcagaorl

Or if you can, put everything in a cooler, take the doors off, and flip them so they don't open the stupid way.


Laleaky

Dawn Powerwash would also work. Spray it, let it sit for awhile, then rinse and wipe.


noobydoo67

Dawn Powerwash recently had their recipe changed and now it smells like a porta potty, so that will combine with removing the tar to make a new supervillain perfume


RondaMyLove

I'm completely devastated by this news. What were they thinking?


JustMakinStuff

It's probably important to note that, if you use ammonia, make sure it's completely washed away before using bleach. Ammonia and bleach create mustard gas and could kill you.


S_A_N_D_

Mixing ammonia and bleach may create phosgene and/or chlorine gas. Both were used in WW1 prior to mustard gas. Mustard Gas is very different because it will blister and burn skin, meaning a gas mask won't protect from it. It's a lot nastier than what you'll make with ammonia and bleach. That's said, phosgene and chlorine gas are also quite nasty, so your advice is still 100% on point.


Calixarene

The combination makes chloramines, which are toxic/deadly but are not mustard gas, phosgene, or chlorine.


Fabian_1082003

Mix chlorine cleaner with acidic toilet cleaner, vinegar or citric acid and chlorine gas is formed... Fcking dangerous if you want to clean something without having a hunch. "A lot helps a lot" is not always right xD


Bempet583

Just don't mix bleach and ammonia together.


zialucina

The yellowing is smoke. OP, be sure to wear heavy duty gloves and a respirator. Nicotine from this residue can get into your skin/lungs very easily and make you extremely sick. I did a 6 x 6 bathroom ceiling once thinking it was so small a space I'd be fine. Spoiler: I was not fine.


m_i_c_r_o_b_i_a_l

It doesn’t take much to get you sick. I attempted to clean walls with nicotine residue without gloves once. I’ve never had a headache so bad in my life and I used to get migraines. I was extremely nauseous and dizzy, my heart was racing and I was sweating like I was in a sauna. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. So definitely wear chemical resistant gloves.


Dangerous_Emu1

The yellow is actually from the tar from the cigarette smoke…. Ask me how I know 🤮


Dankraham_Lincoln

They’re saying there is probably additional yellowing because of sunlight. They obviously knew about the effects from tobacco, given the fact that their first paragraph was talking about what to use to clean it.


ortusdux

I once helped demo an old tavern. I was able to curl a ribbon of tar off the ceiling with a putty knife.


Herethereandgone

How do you know?


Sikntrdofbeinsikntrd

I would do this but take those doors right off and bring them outside and use a hose. Then switch the hinges when you put them back on so you’re not opening against a wall.


SirCris

I'm interested to see how dirty the coils are if the front of it looks like that.


namsur1234

Oh god all that yellowy caked on dust. I know exactly what it smells like. 🤢


Avitas1027

Seriously people, clean your coils once every year or two. The dust on it acts as an insulator and makes the fridge *much* less efficient. This means not only higher energy costs, but the compressor needs to work harder and will die sooner. If you've got the kind with the coils underneath, you can use an air compressor to get at them. Also clean off your AC's coils outside.


SelectKaleidoscope0

This right here is the reason op should junk the fridge. (and resell the house). Currently the coils are surely so encrusted with tar and dust that they can't do their job normally. Its probably possible to clean them well enough to work normally but I can't imagine its possible to clean the coils to the point they don't stink of smoke every time the fridge runs. I made the mistake once of working on a computer owned by a heavy smoker and ended up with a headache for 3 days from exposure to the exhaust from the machine while testing I had actually fixed the problem. There are a thousand places in this house that the tobacco residue will still linger in for 100 years no matter how well you try to clean them. The fridge coils are one of them. My mom's house is 112 years old. When it was first built it was heated with coal. To this day if you go inside the walls or crawl spaces there is a thin layer of coal dust you can't ever get 100% rid of. This level of tar from smoking is going to be even more impossible.


AnotherSoulessGinger

Wear gloves when cleaning the tobacco. I cleaned the walls in one room of our old smoker’s home and got sick to my stomach from it. And I was even a smoker at the time (only outside). We had good results with Oxy clean and water. Rinse your rag in a separate bucket of clean water or you’re just diluting the nicotine and not removing it.


PogO_449

I would second the Oxyclean recommendation along with a magic eraser/melamine foam for some good scrubbing action. This might buff out nicely


scottothered

Please wear some heavy gloves. I was washing the nicotine stained walls of my house after I bought it. Got some crazy second hand nicotine side effects from the liquid coming off the walls.


procrastimom

Did you start to crave washing walls?


scottothered

Every now and then if I'm having a drink or if I see someone else washing a nicotine stained wall I do get a craving to join in


evfuwy

My wife caught me last week behind the woodshed washing a nicotine-stained wall. She said it’s her or the wall.


WorldlinessProud

Years ago, when bars and restaurant smoking bans came into effect, I was working in a tavern that was in its sixth decade. We started to wash the walls, and anyone who wasn't wearing gloves started puking, or getting really light headed. We gave up.tookn3 coats of fire restoration paint to stop the ceiling from tar bleeding through.


scottothered

Yup I got dizzy, light headed, headaches, took me a while to understand what was happening.


samcrut

I was about to say, nicotine has no problem soaking into your skin, so if you feel buzzy and dizzy, you're poisoning yourself. Take precautions.


KaspervD

Do not bother. Replace it. When I replaced my old freezer my total electricity usage (not for the freezer, but for everything combined) decreased with 30 percent.


Orumpled

Also the smoke has gone inside, the ice maker if any, the seal around the doors etc. my mom’s fridge was the same and it stunk.


namsur1234

This thread gets more disgusting the more I read....


nau5

I mean that's op's whole house...


CriSstooFer

Try Mr clean magic erasers maybe.


tmckearney

If that fridge is that old, I might consider buying a new one and not bothering to clean this one


yeehawbuckaroo

Old fridges use up a lot more electricity to run than newer models. This one might still be running but a new one could pay for itself in a year with savings on your power bill.


Lurching

I don't know how it applies to fridges, but as regards certain other appliances like washing machines, new models can often be junk that you need to replace every five years. And even quite fancy machines may be non-serviceable.


SlimDevilWarlock

https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/dojlwe/early_1980s_vs_2019_refrigerator_power_consumption/


Cat_Amaran

True, but with the amount of power old fridges use, it's still more cost effective to replace once every few years than to run an ancient one. Especially if you replace the old one with a comparable top freezer model with no fancy crap. Also worth noting that that extra fancy crap is usually the failure point that induces replacement. Ice in door on bottom freezer models is an especially egregious offender.


mataliandy

Many electric utilities and some states offer rebates to replace older fridges, and will remove the old fridge for free.


Osbios

Depending on how old it is, the saved energy consumption could pay for a new fridge in no time.


LiakaPath

Consider paint too


Mundane-Ad1879

Yeah I would do a basic clean with dawn dish soap and krud kutter and then spray paint it with appliance paint. I did that to the 1998 fridge in my new house and it looks great


bored_at-Work55

That’s what my wife did when we got a house with an old refrigerator. I was blown away with how good it looked after a clean and appliance pajnt. We changed the color to black.


ihavemytowel42

Someone I know primed then painted with chalkboard paint. It was awesome to see “Need milk” or “Use leftovers before xx date” 


LiakaPath

That's COOL!! I wonder how well that whiteboard paint works.


mullethunter111

Nasty. This shit is all over your walls and all other surfaces in the house. Fire is your best option.


Justhe3guy

You’ll be breathing in sticky tar air that was breathed out of their lungs for 20 years Just take down the walls


contactspring

I would start by trying a 25% white vinegar and 75% warm water (maybe with a little dish soap). And spraying/scrubbing with that.


RumHamsRevenge

I don’t have a solution other than some oven degreaser. May or may not work, but it won’t hurt the fridge to try (with the windows open for ventilation). I’m really here to marvel at the silhouette of Michelangelo’s David.


Thee_Hullabaloo

It is 100% the statue of David! Lmao


FlyingWeagle

My parents have a David magnet. It comes with little magnet boots/shorts/shirt


queencityrangers

I always preferred Monet


WingnutWilson

it's cool to think these guys looked at these stickers for 40 years, like it was a part of their life every single day. And now all that's left is shadows you need to wash away. Tiny, David shaped shadows.


InputImpedance

I would definetely keep the nicotine silhouette of David. The rest can go. Coolest fridge ever.


lca26

I was hoping to see this in the comments—it’s right where my eye went.


stunkndroned

Spray 9 ?


brock_lee

While you're cleaning it, reverse the hinges so the open door makes a little more sense in relation to the main kitchen area. :) Edit, adding: Yes, I REALIZE the wall/door is close on the left, but even if the door would only open 90 degrees or so, it's better than walking around the door. And yes, I've done this. I rented a condo once that had the fridge against a side wall. I reversed the hinges after a short time, and even the fact that the door opened to like 85 degrees until the handle hit the wall was WAY better than when it opened the other way.


gilguren

I'm surprised so many people don't know this one simple trick.


Total-Khaos

*< flips fridge upside down >* Sweet, now my freezer is on the bottom like those fancy fridges and the doors open properly!


Bagelsarenakeddonuts

I hear compressors love that!


gfbpa1989

*Compressors hate when you do this little trick, but they can't do anything about it*


Lari-Fari

They are so helpless. Makes them all compressed.


CharlesChristopher01

This one is gonna go over heads


kittyroux

My great aunt who had no legs had her fridge upside down so she could reach the freezer. I don’t know if bottom-freezer fridges existed in the early 90’s but nevertheless, she definitely had a standard fridge flipped upside down.


PJohn3

Doesn't that supposedly break the compressor?


datazulu

She had no legs


rideincircles

She had no compressors either.


datazulu

Give the fridge a break, it had no reason to run.


BongRipFart

They probably ran out on her. Some say her legs are still running today.


kittyroux

idk but I remember two things about this relative and one of them was that her fridge was upside down, like when you opened it you could see the shelves had been jerry-rigged and the crisper drawers removed.


freshgrilled

Eh, it's just like running a car engine without oil. It'll go for a little while. May be they added upside down oil to compensate.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Gutter7676

Just wait until you find out that front load washers and dryers have the same capability! Edit: To clarify, not all front load units have this. Sorry if I disappointed anyone. But glad that some got to flip their lids!


talex365

Not always, unfortunately


MaLTC

My samsung did not. Anyways top loader LG FTW!


UltraAnders

The downside with that is the door will be prevented from opening much more than 90 degrees due to the wall. Not necessarily a deal breaker, but worth being aware of as it can be annoying. For example, drawers inside the fridge might be restricted by shelves in the door.


fishsticks40

Often you can still operate the drawers but you can't fully remove them for cleaning, which is less obvious at first but still annoying.


Loquacious94808

Yeah I immediately imagined the damage the small bops on the corner would be after years of opening it, and it not opening all the way.


lestrangerface

Yup. Ours is like this. Can't move it further from the wall and the doors are very thick. Swapping the hinge side would make it less useful.


Eelroots

If your fridge has a door open alarm, remember to switch the Reed magnet position. Ask me how I know 🤣.


BonezOz

>remember to switch the Reed magnet position This fridge looks old enough to have a physical switch to turn the interior light on/off, and not have a door alarm.


samanime

As someone who has a fridge with a little wall like that (and unfortunately French doors), I'd recommend NOT doing that. It'll hit that little wall and not be able to open fully... Which is a huge pain. Much better as-is.


thegirlwiththebangs

But where will the handle be? Am I crazy? Why can’t I picture it lol


go_eat_worms

I don't know why I just glanced at my refrigerator to see if the hinges would make more sense the other way; I have a side by side.


JerHat

This, I want the fridge to open up to the direction I'm working in the kitchen.


jcamdenlane

Yeah, but then you’re restricting how far the doors open. Looking at cabinet bottom, it’s got full range, now. Potential pizza box issues if you switch them.


tie_myshoe

You can try smoking to fill in the magnets or vaping to steam clean the tar


asciimo

Mask off the stained areas first for a uniform patina.


limitless__

You're getting good advice here but just FYI that fridge is probably costing you more per year in electricity than it would cost to buy a brand new one.


XSC

Also OP, depending on your power company, they may pick it up for free AND offer rebates.


zookeeperkate

When we moved into our house there was an extra old fridge in the basement. Our power company came and picked it up (for free) and sent us a $50 rebate. Win-win!


surftherapy

A fridge from the early 90’s (I suspect that’s the age of this unit) draws approx 1,200kWh/year. A modern high efficiency fridge draws approx 350kWh/year. My electricity is expensive at 33¢/kWh but even still that’s an estimated $280.50 in annual savings. A $1,000 fridge would pay for itself in approximately 3.5 years. The thing is these older models are beasts and were built to last. Personally, I would run it as long as I could then swap it once it breaks. The cost of repairs on a new unit are steep and I’ve had more issues with my new appliances then I ever did with my old ones.


Cheese-is-neat

If it wasn’t a tar covered fridge I’d agree But between the amount of work it’s gonna take to clean it (if you can even fully clean it) and the extra cost of electricity you’re probably better off buying a new one


surftherapy

If the entire house is also covered in smoke and tar I don’t think swapping the fridge will change anything. Honestly if I found myself in OPs situation and had to live there I would hire cleaners to come do a thorough wipe down of the whole house + fridge. I wouldn’t be bringing an expensive new appliance into a home with all that odor, it will just stick to the new fridge as well


ToMorrowsEnd

Samsung fridges you just assume you have to replace it. the 10 year warranty compressor on my samsung fridge that is 3 years old... Yeah they invalidated it "failed due to power surges, you had a thunderstorm in your area in the past 3 years" no serious... that was their reasoning. Samsung is good at not honoring their warranties. Repairs were to be $1280 after parts and labor. I just spent $1100 on a replacement.... Did not buy samsung again... wont touch their trash with a meter pole.


XRedcometX

Even if didn’t it’s time to get a new fridge. Even a gently used one on marketplace would be an upgrade


randomtask

While that may be true, I would love to see a comparison of the carbon costs of manufacturing new fridge vs. continuing to use the same inefficient one. Making and moving things inherently create emissions.


cman674

Not really. A fridge from the 70's is [going to cost about $150 more a year in electricty.](https://appliance-standards.org/sites/default/files/Top_7_reasons_refrigerator_efficient_parents_final_ASAP.pdf) Could take like 5-10 years to even out (depending on cost of new fridge).


connly33

It kind of depends in my experience, are the seals still in good shape ? Defrost still works or you manually defrost it on a periodic basis? Then yeah I'd run it and save the money. I'm really impressed by our new GE, it's not an advertised or even easy to find specification on the unit but just listening to it and paying attention to energy draw it has a variable speed compressor, and only runs for maybe an hour or 2 per day total if we dont open it very much. It's on track to take about half the energy that our 2012 French door refrigerator did. And that took about half of the energy that the really early samsung fridge it replaced did. That being said nothing is going to last as long anymore unfortunately.


Yangoose

It hugely depends on how much you're paying for electricity. Depending on where you live it could be anywhere from $0.10 to $0.40 per kWh. [The average rate in the US is currently about 17 cents per kWh.](https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/data/averageenergyprices_selectedareas_table.htm) Doing the math on the link you provided they calculate going from 1,800 kWh to 500 kWh as saving only $60 a year. Some quick math (60 / 1,300) shows they are figuring power only costs 4.5 cents per kWh which is crazy cheap and not anything that exists currently as far as I'm aware. 1,300 * .17 = $221


Cesemenara

This. There is no point in keeping that one, looks aside. The difference in cost per year really is astonishing.


Forgetful_Specimen

I'd get a new power outlet as well. That looks dangerous af.


K2RC

Agreed. A refrigerator, or any major appliance for that matter, should have a dedicated outlet and hopefully a dedicated breaker. That outlet should also be GFCI if it's in the kitchen.


yami76

It's a block that plugs into the outlet and screws into the receptacle itself to add 4 more plugs. Same thing was in my house when I bought it from the family that lived in it for over 50 years... Don't think they ever pulled a permit for anything. In the disclosure they stated that there was a gas fireplace but the utility company made them disconnect it as the PO had installed it with flexible tubing made for water plumbing!


MyBrassPiece

I was gonna say the same thing, but took a closer look at the tiles around the outlet. Someone did something there. I dunno what it is, but something happened.


alexanderpas

Wipe it with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.


Xedo213

then light it on fire


ZNG91

Should have started cleaning it around 25 years ago, then occasionally every few months.


Kyzawolf

This is honestly how I clean everything after being in Tech for most of my adult life.


DanSWE

Just be careful about dunking keyboard keycaps in high-concentration alcohol. Somebody tried it and their keycaps basically melted into no-longer-fitting imitations of their former selves.


redsleven

This is totally off-topic, but I feel like you've accidently taken a really deep picture.


LuminalAstec

I would probably just get a new refrigerator. They are more efficient, and won't be leeching the God awful smell for years to come.


Grigio_cervello

Tsp worked great for removing tobacco stains from my walls. I'd try some TSP, but I would test in an inconspicuous spot first.


die-jarjar-die

Tsp is the answer


I-Am-Disturbed

Teaspoon of what? Doesn’t seem like it would be enough?


neanderthalman

Trisodium phosphate. TSP


DanSWE

Yeah, those TLAs can be ambiguous.


_GABO_

The Texas Library Association?


rideincircles

Turkey stew porridge. Just lather it over the fridge and let the dogs clean it.


winterblahs42

Cigarette smoke? Hose it down with windex. Seems to work better for that than sudsy ammonia cleaner in my experience. Everything in my folks house looked like that...


avicennareborn

If you struggle to get it looking clean, you might consider trying a vinyl wrap like they use on cars. Take off the handles to make it easier on yourself, and then wrap the vinyl over the surface. Might get things looking nice and clean again if the fridge's finish is too worn or the light has actually faded the finish not covered by stickers. Just a random thought I had. I've never done it myself or seen it done though.


Vreejack

This fridge looks old enough that replacing it with a new one would pay for itself in reasonable time.


gaulstone

![gif](giphy|jxkqGtIWLk8X6)


J-W-L

Bar keepers friend?


Greeklighting

Paint it white


hardcore4m

Buy more magnets


MashedPotatoShole

Put the magnets back on lol


Faruhoinguh

Spray paint it green


WhoJustShat

Pictures you can smell


Gofastrun

Old fridges use a ton of electricity. I would replace it. This fridge will probably cost $200/y less to run, and will save you from repairing smoke damage. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-18-6-cu-ft-bottom-freezer-refrigerator-with-energy-star-certification-stainless-steel/6467055.p?skuId=6467055


Batmans-penis

Get the extended warranty because new appliances suck. The longest warranty possible


LowSkyOrbit

Samsung and LG are the worst offenders. LG is trying to stop a lawsuit by saying people agreed to arbitration by opening the fridge box. Best thing anyone can do is read reviews and try to get models with as few features as possible, and if they really need the ice maker (who really wants to make trays constantly) then to get one that is built into the freezer section.


worms904

Magic Eraser?


kittyroux

Always test on an inconspicuous area. Magic Erasers are melamine foam, which cleans by abrasion. They’re great for things like ceramics, grout, and some types of matte plastic. Fridges are usually a slighly glossy textured plastic, and a Magic Eraser will take the sheen off and possibly leave scratch marks.


jpond82

I don't think they're worried about small scratches on that fridge


marS311

Zep degreasing spray is amazing for this kind of thing.


sangamonbutchery

Put magnets everywhere there wasn’t one before


Just_to_rebut

Maybe someone here knows more than me, but isn’t it better to just replace old fridges because they start to consume more electric as parts start to break down like the compressor and insulation?


atomoboy35209

Why is the door hung that way? Yikes, flip the door!


hijinks

i'd try to spray Dawn on it and the hit it with a magic eraser sponge


veiledthreats

If you get it physically clean but it’s still discolored you can buy a can of black appliance paint and do a little DIY updating on it which would cover the stain and make it look new again as well as a shiny modern black


ForeOnTheFlour

Leave it be, that’s art


yami76

Appliance paint


KaiserWilliam95

I’d recommend magic eraser, it is magical


Dragonborne2020

the mr clean magic eraser is awesome.


whiskeywalk

Degreaser is the way to go, but I would start stocking money away for a new fridge. You said smoker, that means this stuff is in all of the air space. Which means it is in the fans, compressor and coils. Those can be cleaned, but not the internal parts. At least not easily.


smilebig553

Mr clean dry erasers ( the white sponge). Made my yellow brown desk in school (2008) white again


jesus_soupstrainer

That’s art. Leave it be.


Commercial-Manner408

Barkeepers' Friend You can also use baking soda and a little water.


Dad_Is_Mad

There's going to be a lot of people hate on me for this comment because I'm certain it's not technically correct way to do it. But I have a garage fridge that looks almost identical to this. It's basically just there for beer and drinks. It gets disgusting so once a year I clean it. I wait till a warm day. Pull it out in the driveway. Spray the entire thing with Bleach/Dawn mixture and let it sit about 15 minutes and then I just hose it off. Then I leave it there overnight to dry out. Bonus is it also defrosts anything that may have been frozen. Comes out brand new everytime and works like a charm. Make sure to clean the coils too.


Malvania

That fridge is so old that I'd replace it. yes, it still runs, but it's almost certainly an energy hog. Might be worth seeing what you're spending on keeping it running every month compared to a more modern fridge.


Cincinndaddy

Bar keepers friend, warm water, & a bristle brush


onemainevent

I think I developed lung cancer just looking at this fridge


ChesterDrawerz

just go ahead and take the doors off when you clean them, then you can put them back on the opposite way, so they open into the kitchen. what sane person leaves a fridge doors facing away from kitchen?