Can’t buy that new refrigerator just quite yet? Give the old one a facelift! If you’ve ever wanted to makeover a large appliance but thought it was way too much work, there’s a way that’s quick and pain free. We’ve had our refrigerator for over a decade and it works wonderfully and I’ve always loved it. However it started to yellow a bit here and there and had some scratches and dents from our many moves. I’d seen people paint appliances but that was not a project I wanted to take on.
So I came up with another idea: Wall Vinyl. Pick out some that matches your decor and have at it! Below shows the progression of my refrigerator as we applied the vinyl. Before we started I cleaned the fridge really well. I found a formula that whitened up the plastic on it quite a bit which I share below.
Roy did most of the work and allowed me to just take photos. When I initially told him I was going to put a tree on the fridge he didn’t bat an eye. Which tells you how low the bar is around here for the “unusual things Nancy wants to do.”
Fridge Makeover Supplies
- Wall Vinyl of your choice
- Scissors
Preparing the Refrigerator
Clean your fridge really before applying the vinyl. For white plastic that has yellowed from age I used the following formula and it worked wonders.
YELLOWED PLASTIC WHITENING FORMULA
1/2 cup bleach
1/4 cup baking soda
2 cups (approx.) warm water in a bowl.
Mix well.
I like it to be fairly thick so adjust as necessary.
Using an old toothbrush apply the mixture on the plastic. Let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes
Scrub with brush and wipe off. Rinse with clear water.
I repeated this several times on mine. It made a HUGE difference as you can see on the photo.
Determine layout and cut and apply vinyl.
This shows the progression as we added the vinyl to the fridge. You can of course use any vinyl you like. I chose a tree. I get most of my larger vinyl on ebay at this shop. This idea will obviously work on other appliances such as dishwashers and washers and dryers. So perk up old appliances, or even newer ones! I guarantee you’ll get compliments on your creativity!
Roy applying vinyl.
