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Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners

Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners

Fans of the Channel 4 program “Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners” may have spotted that we recently welcomed the team to our recycling facility. As part of the show, the cleaners were tasked with cleaning some of our fridges … and to test whether they could stomach the challenge.

Our fridges arrive in various states and conditions, some even contain rotting food and drink. This causes the fridges to harbour bacteria and all manner of smells. We are used to the sights and smells of the old fridges, however it clearly shocked the cleaners.

The familiar faces of Hayley (@OCCleanerhayley) and Gemma (@OCCleanerGemma) were among the cleaners on the day. Upon entering the site they walked up to one of our warehouses and the cameras captured the moment when they first set eyes on the task. In front of them were three fridges from our “fridge graveyard”, as they called it, ready to be cleaned. With the doors closed they seemed like any other fridge, however when they opened the door it was clear this was no easy task. Looking back at them was a filthy fridge, containing an unknown rotting substance complete with pungent aroma!

fridge freezer

Prior to cleaning, the fridges were swabbed and tested to highlight the amount of bacteria contained within. The results were shockingly gruesome and even surprised us how bad they were. Once they had got over how filthy they were the cleaners then set about scrubbing and cleaning the fridges using their well honed skills. All the while taking breaks to get fresh air and to keep their lunch down!

Once the task was complete, the fridges came out gleaming with no sign of the bacteria previously contained within. The team definitely lived up to their name of Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners and commented that it was one of the worst challenges they had been set.

Pure Planet Recycling recycle all manner of electrical equipment … including dirty fridges. If you wondered how a fridge is recycled when it reaches end of life please see our fridge recycling page.

If you missed the episode you can catch up here on the Channel 4 website. No fridges were harmed in the making of Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners. 🙂

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