Flip your fridge or dryer door for easier access – CNET

In small spaces, how your fridge or dryer door opens can either mean easy access or aggravation. Many models of refrigerators and dryers are made so that the door can be opened from either side. The switching is simple, and all you need is a screwdriver.

Does your refrigerator or dryer have an adjustable door?

With either appliance, checking to make sure the door is adjustable is pretty easy. On dryers, simply open the dryer door and take a look at the inside. If it has two latches, one on each side of the dryer opening, then it is adjustable. Some dryers may have a latch on one side and a hole with a rubber covering over it or just, well, a hole. This is OK. The dryer is still adjustable.

Fridges are just as easy to identify. Open the door to the fridge and look for rubber plugs or a group of screws along the edge of the door opening. There should be a group of two or three screws or plugs at the top of the opening and at the bottom, if the door is adjustable.

How to flip a fridge door

Flipping a fridge door takes just a few minutes for most models. All you need are a screwdriver and a flip. You’ll probably also need an extra set of hands to help.

1. Remove the hole plugs or screws from the side of the door opening where the door isn’t currently hinged.
2. Unscrew the door hinges from the fridge.
3. Flip the door over so that the hinge is on the other side.
4. Screw the hinges to the holes on the other side of the door opening.
5. Do all of these steps for the freezer door.

Note: This may make your refrigerator’s logo upside-down. Also, this won’t work on side-by-side fridges.

How to flip a dryer door

Flipping a dryer door isn’t as easy as flipping a fridge door, but it’s still doable for most folks. Here is how most dryers on the market can be flipped.

1. Take the two screws out of the hinge that connects the door to the dryer. 
2. Remove the door and take it to a flat work area. The floor is always a good choice.
3. Remove the screws from the outer casing and pull the casing apart. 
4. Pull the glass casing loose (the black thing in the GIF, below) and rotate it 180 degrees. 



5. Put the casing back in place. 
6. Remove the hinge from inside of the door by removing its screws.
7. Place the hinge on the opposite side of the door and finger tighten screws into the holes. 
8. Tighten the screws with a screwdriver.
9. Replace the outer casing, finger tighten the screws and then tighten the screws with a screwdriver.
10. On the dryer, remove the rubber screw hole plugs by the new latch by prying them out with a flathead screwdriver. 
11. Move them to the other side and pop them in.
12. If your dryer only has an empty square hole on the other side and no latch, remove the latch by prying it out of the hole using a flathead screwdriver. It should just pop out and pop into the new hole.

Note: If your dryer door doesn’t have a window you can skip from step one to steps 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12, in that order. 

Finishing up

Once you’re done, give your fridge or dryer door a swing. If it seems like it’s a bit wobbly, tighten the screws of the hinge a little more. Also, close your dryer door and turn it on for a few seconds. If the dryer doesn’t turn on, you may need to pop the latch out and pop it back into the hole again. 

If everything seems in working order, you’re done!

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published Nov. 2, 2015 and has been updated.