Washing the inside of a refrigerator is a tedious process. I hate doing it, it takes so long. First, all the food has to come out. Jars of pickles and mustard, packages of tortillas, milk and juice cartons and plastic wrapped left-overs.

Although my kids frequently complain that there is nothing in the house to eat, the refrigerator contains a ton of stuff, all of which must be placed somewhere before I can clean the box where it has been stored. Egg cartons sit on the kitchen table with sour cream and capers and a lone bottle of champagne.

Decisions are necessary. The green onions look too far gone, probably aren’t revivable. Toss them. A bowl of rice and mushrooms won’t be eaten by anyone. Let that go, too.

I remember how snazzy, how sparkling white the plastic insides and clear glass shelves looked when the refrigerator was new. I have cleaned it a number of times, the last time taking everything apart, washing each shelf on both sides, took out the drawers, too.

The refrigerator looked so good when I was done that I showed it off to friends when they came to visit. "Hey, look," I said, opening the door wide to show off my accomplishment. "My refrigerator is super clean!"

I wonder what the refrigerator designer people were thinking when they molded into the interior all those grooves. Milk drips into them and dries like glue. Even an old toothbrush and hot, soapy water barely urges the brown goo away. The ripply bottoms of the produce drawers are also a problem. Fossilized lettuce leaves stick fast and must be slowly dissolved before they loosen.

It takes a couple of hours to clean the refrigerated section. Cleaning out the freezer too takes longer and involves removing the contents and turning the temperature up. If I don’t wait until the inside is warmer, my wet sponge freezes as I wipe the surfaces.

There are people who never clean their refrigerators. Just as I never clean my oven (I really think that I never have), some refrigerators are allowed to collect crumbs and spills for years and years. No one tries to wipe or wash them away. Then, one day, either the refrigerator dies and is replaced and the cycle begins again, or the owner moves leaving the refrigerator behind.

I used to move a lot. When I was young, I lived in many different places, left many refrigerators. I remember how, after I’d moved out, I’d go back to the old place to clear out and wipe down the refrigerator. Each time, the process surprised me. There was more in the refrigerator than I remembered. I didn’t have enough boxes to hold the food, the garbage can was full, the floor needed mopping. Washing a refrigerator, I found each time I did it, is cold and watery. It’s a dumb, boring job.

When I went into real estate, it did not occur to me that refrigerators would be a part of it, but they are. It seems like we’re always having to deal with someone’s left-behind refrigerator, and it always needs cleaning. Nice new white refrigerators and old dented brown ones – all must be cleaned. I figure it costs around $100 to get a refrigerator looking as good as it can. This seems like a lot of money.

People do depend on having refrigeration, of course, and buying a new refrigerator is more expensive than cleaning an old one. Many buyers hope appliances will be provided. And so, I frequently wonder, at what point does it make sense to not clean a refrigerator, but instead to get rid of it?

Especially the old ones that noisily run and guzzle energy, I say that if we can, let’s throw them out, and do it while they’re still dirty. Especially the olive green ones and the dark brown ones, big and bulky and sticking out too far in the room, if circumstances allow, let’s let them go.

When we are preparing a house for sale, making lists of what we think should be done before buyers will see it, we estimate what hiring someone to clean will cost. We tell the seller approximately how much to allow for vacuuming the floors, washing the windows, showers and sinks. And the darn refrigerator -- which takes, it seems to me, a disproportionate share of the cleaning budget.

It is frequently the case that an entire house can be swept and tidied in less time than it takes to clean one refrigerator. What a waste of good labor.

Whether or not to leave the refrigerator for the next occupant has to be decided, I think, on a house by house basis. Sometimes we advise one way, sometimes the other.

If the refrigerator is going to go, it will have to be hauled. If a new replacement is in the offing, usually the old fridge will be picked up when the new one is brought in. But if not, it can be difficult to get rid of the old one. The Salvation Army doesn’t want old refrigerators.

There is recent good news. Now, today, as a wonderful bonus, and a sign of the energy-conscious times we live in, refrigerators can be carted away for free. They do not have to be cleaned first. Not only that, the refrigerator owner will be paid for giving it up – fifty dollars!

Yes, it’s true. Customers of P.G.&E. who live in Alameda, Contra Costa, and some other counties, can avail themselves of the Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling Program sponsored by the local garbage company. Call1-800-599-5795 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and arrange for pick-up.

The appliance can’t be dead; it must run. But up to 4 operating refrigerators or freezers per customer will be removed and $50 will be paid for every one. Scheduling should be made 2 to 3 weeks ahead. Checks will be mailed within 4 to 6 weeks after collection.

There’s money to be made here. How many old, dirty refrigerators have you got?