It always seems like a shame when it comes time to ditch your old appliances, but every appliance will eventually get to the end of its useful life. Fortunately, you can upcycle your old appliances and get just a little extra value out of them. Plus, by repurposing, you’ll be able to express your creativity a bit and possibly even make a beautiful conversation piece for your home.
In this guide, we’ll be discussing four ways you can upcycle your old appliances and create something special for your living space at the same time.
Outdoor Refrigerator Cooler
Source: Instructables
Throwing out an old refrigerator can seem like such a waste, but you can repurpose the fridge, doors, and all, into an outdoor cooler without doing much work at all.
Begin by removing the electrical components from your fridge. You can leave them in place, but this will make for a heavy cooler that is much more challenging to move around. Next, tilt your fridge onto its front, and screw four heavy-duty casters into the corners of the back of the fridge. Be careful not to drive screws into the inside wall of the fridge.
Next, flip the fridge onto its new wheels. Open the doors and remove any interior shelves and drawers. You can use silicone caulk to seal any openings in the inside fridge wall. Once the silicone is dry, close the doors.
Finally, you can build a cedar box around the fridge to disguise it and make it look like a cooler — one small side where the freezer was, and one large side where the fridge part was. You can add some new hinges to help keep the doors open when you pull them up to grab a drink.
Upcycle Your Old Appliances Into a Dryer Drum Fire Pit
Source: Instructables
Next up, let’s look at how you can make use of the drum from the inside of an old dryer. You could make a drum light or a drum fire pit! To make a fire pit, begin by cutting the dryer belt that spins the drum and removing the drum entirely. You might need a hacksaw or a Sawzall to get the drum out.
Once it’s out, you basically have a free, portable fire pit for your outdoor space! You can put some steel or iron legs on it if you need to, or you can just sit the drum on top of some pavers wherever you plan to have your outdoor fires.
It’s a good idea to use high-temperature spray paint — like paint made for car engines — on the metal before exposing it to fire.
Under-Bed Dishwasher Storage Racks
Getting rid of your dishwasher? Before you do, grab the racks from the inside and use them as storage bins. They should have wheels on them to slide into and out of the dishwasher, so they’ll be perfect for under-the-bed storage that can easily slide in and out.
These racks are perfect for storing books, extra clothes, and more out of the way but within reach when you need them.
Upcycle Your Old Appliances Into a TV Terrarium
Source: re4m
Finally, if you have an old tube TV, you can easily turn it into a terrarium or reptile enclosure. Carefully open the TV and remove the electronics from the inside. Make sure you’re left only with the shell of the TV and the glass. If you plan to put reptiles in the enclosure, you should seal any openings with silicone before you begin decorating. Once done, though, your new enclosure is sure to spark some conversation!
Buying a New Appliance to Replace Your Old One? A Few Things to Consider
Now that you’ve upcycled your old appliances, there are a few things you should consider when buying new ones.
First, ensure you measure the space where your new appliance will be before ordering. Older appliances often have non-standard dimensions, so don’t just assume a new oven will fit where your old one was.
Second, we recommend choosing an energy-efficient appliance if at all possible. In most cases, these will help reduce your carbon footprint and your electric bills, so they can be a welcome and financially beneficial addition to any home.
Finally, you should consider appliance insurance. Most people assume that new appliances won’t give them any issues. Unfortunately, that’s not accurate. An affordable insurance policy can help protect you from having to pay out-of-pocket for repairs and replacements after installation. Home warranties can be a great option for covering older appliances as well, so it can be a convenient package for getting maximum protection for your home. Almost everyone with a cell phone has received a sketchy call about their extended warranty. Usually, these are easy to spot as a scam, but some are not that obvious and people can lose thousands. Wanna know how to detect a home warranty scam? Check out this handy guide.
