How To Defrost A Freezer

Published On: April 26, 2019|Categories: Appliances, Blog, Buyers, Moving, Moving & Packing, Sellers, Staging, Tips, Life Hacks & How-to|Tags: appliances, defrosting a freezer, home tips, how to defrost a freezer, tips for the home|

Newer freezers don’t need to be defrosted, as they self-defrost, but older freezers may need to be defrosted, not only to make space for actual food, but for them to operate efficiently and decrease energy usage.

You will need a safe place to store the frozen items, such as another freezer, or you can place it in a cooler or even a snowbank (if it’s in the dead of winter.) Another viable option is to use most of the food in the freezer in preparation of cleaning out the freezer, and discarding the rest of the food, particularly if it is past-prime or freezer-burned.

You’ll need to turn off the freezer and remove all removable parts. This may be a challenge initially as some may be frozen in place. Place towels all along the floor to absorb any water from the defrost, and you may have to wait. After the parts are removed, clean them with mild dish detergent and allow to dry. This includes ice trays and any removable doors.

If time is an issue, you may need to place bowls of warm water inside of the freezer to help the defrosting process. Replace these bowls frequently to keep the defrosting process moving quickly.

You can also use a hairdryer to help remove the ice.

If you’re not in a hurry, just simply wait for the ice to melt on its own, but make sure you frequently monitor the towels underneath the freezer to protect the flooring. You may need to change them several times.

You can scrape the ice off the sides of the freezer as you go and things begin to melt.

Wash any shelves and drawers in a sinkful of soapy water, then dry them thoroughly.

Wipe the inside of the freezer down with baking soda, which will help clean and deodorize the freezer.

Let the freezer air-dry for fifteen minutes and then replace all parts and turn the freezer back on. Close the door and allow it to cool down for thirty minutes before using. If you follow these procedures regularly, you will not have as much ice buildup and will not need as much time to defrost. Defrost every six months on average and try to keep the freezer as full as possible to decrease energy wastage and decrease room for ice buildup.

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