When was the last time you looked behind your refrigerator? I did last year, after three years of not thinking about it, and found a civilization of dust bunnies, a missing spatula, and enough pet hair to knit a throw pillow.

Moving a 300-pound fridge is a two-person job that risks scratching the floor and throwing out your back. You do not need to do it. Here is how to clean back there without the heavy lifting.

The yardstick-and-sock weapon

Take an old yardstick or a long paint stirrer, wrap a microfiber cloth or an old sock around the end, and secure it with a rubber band. Spray the cloth with a multi-surface cleaner, then slide it into the gap between the wall and the appliance. Wiggle it back and forth. Pull it out and marvel at what comes back on the cloth.

I did this behind my stove and the cloth came out black. I did it again. Still black. Four passes later it was finally clean. I am not proud of this, but I am telling you so you do not feel bad about your own appliance gaps.

The vacuum crevice tool with an extension

If you have a shop vac or a vacuum with a hose attachment, use the narrow crevice tool. Tape it to a broom handle with duct tape for extra reach. Turn the vacuum on and feed it into the gap. The suction grabs loose dust, crumbs, and those mystery objects that rolled under there months ago.

For the floor underneath: the swiffer hack

Wrap a dry Swiffer cloth or a damp microfiber cloth around a flat mop head or a long spatula. Slide it under the fridge from the front — most refrigerators have a kick plate gap at the bottom that gives you clearance. Push in as far as it goes, then pull out. Repeat with a fresh cloth until it comes back clean.

The coil cleaning bonus

While you are back there, if you can reach the condenser coils (usually behind a grille at the bottom front or back of the fridge), vacuum those too. Dusty coils make your fridge work harder and use more electricity. That is a money-saving tip disguised as a cleaning tip.