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My wife complained that stuff on the fridge has a tendency to slow migrate forward with each door open close cycle, and several times a can of soda has taken the deep dive.

How can I easily keep this from happening, and win peace in m household?

One comment suggested using sticky mats available at hardware stores for this purpose. I've not seen them in Canada. Only non-sticky ones used as tool drawer liners.

A sticky mat has the following downsides:

  • It does not prevent cans from rolling off the edge.
  • Being sticky, it becomes a constant cleaning issue. Expecially during fly season.
  • It's about the sam price per square foot as the foam strip, making it a much more expensive solution.
Sherwood Botsford
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I wandered out to the shop and looked for inspiration -- and found it.

The remnants of a roll of 1/4x x 3/16" adhesive backed foam strip. Used for weatherstripping.

Brought it in, and ran a strip around 3 sides of the top of the fridge. about 1" in from the edge.

Tests confirmed that even a rolling can of soda couldn't jump the curb.

From a few feet away, the strip is invisible.

Sherwood Botsford
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There are sticky mats sold specifically for this purpose. Usually sold as a roll for cutting to size.

Non-slip mat roll

The mat is tacky on both sides so that it sticks to the shelf, or in your case the fridge, and items placed on it stay put.

This is widely used to cover shelves in motorhomes to stop stuff rattling about when driving.

It can be bought in any decent hardware store, motorhome supplier or of course online. Search for non-slip matting.

Chenmunka
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If items on the fridge (or on shelves) migrate forward, then the refrigerator is not level. Adjust the leveling screws at the bottom front.

More important than preventing items from slipping, leveling ensures that the door closes properly! Failure to seal well causes air leaks allowing moisture to accumulate and food to rot.

DrMoishe Pippik
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    Good advice, but I think the question is about things left standing on top of the fridge, not inside it (and some fridges have a slightly curved surface).The question doesn't make this as obvious as it could though. – Ray Butterworth Jan 19 '24 at 03:36
  • Due to space constraints the fridge cannot leveled. It leans about 1/4" to the left, and the sameto the back. But items fall off the front. not the back or left side. – Sherwood Botsford Jan 19 '24 at 04:14
  • Slightly making the fridge lean backward (if freestanding model) helps the door close on its own. Seal should not be affected if done in moderation (I've used this method for a decade now). And re: things falling only off the front, that's probably because of the momentum of the door hitting it there. Fridges tend to be a bit flexible (read: flimsy) in construction, so flexing will always happen unless you externally brace it on all sides. The topic starter's own answer will work, provided the ledge is tall enough to stop the objects present. – MiG Jan 19 '24 at 16:25