Keeping your freezer organized and clean isn't always easy, but defrosting your freezer will make the cleaning process easier. Regardless of whether you store frozen meals in batches or freeze leftovers, the household appliance is essential in the kitchen. However, losing valuable interior space to ice buildup can be frustrating. Defrosting a freezer isn't a pleasant household task, but it can help you reduce food waste and even save energy. Additionally, some existing household items can be used to defrost a freezer using the following common methods and tricks.
Why should you defrost a freezer at all?
Cluttered freezer compartments are not only difficult to use but also detrimentalEfficiency of the device. The build-up of frost in freezers can also cause the doors to stick, which could cause damage and cause food to go bad at higher temperatures. The more ice cream your freezer makes, the more energy it uses.
So if ice accumulates inside that is thicker than about 3 cm, you need to thaw it. Take this opportunity to label and date your frozen foods and discard anything older than three months. The more food you store, the more the freezer costs. Therefore, you should not leave anything in it that you will not consume.
What to consider and when to defrost the freezer?
No matter what type of freezer you have, it is recommended that you defrost the unit approximately once a year. So, as mentioned above, when the ice layers become more than 3 cm thick, it is time to complete this task. You should also not forget to unplug the household appliance before you start defrosting. No matter which method on this list you use, this would be an important safety precaution not to be overlooked. If in doubt, plan to defrost even if your device doesn't have an automatic defrost function to keep it in tip-top shape.
In addition, it is advisable to make sure to remove all food from the device. Also protect the floor with towels or, for example, a large insert. You may also want to bundle old bath towels on the bottom shelf of the freezer to better absorb moisture. If you can put the device outside, you will ultimately have less mess to clean up after defrosting. So here are eight different ways and hacks that can help your get this task done.
What is the best way to defrost a freezer?
First, make sure you allow enough time if you want to defrost a freezer. Although the time frame depends on the size of the device and how much ice has accumulated, experts say a full 24 hours would be needed for a proper melt. Since you also have to switch off the device, food cooling would also have to be taken into account during this time. However, not all freezers require you to turn them off or perform a lengthy defrosting process. Before doing this, it is best to consult the user manual to find out the method recommended by the manufacturer. Otherwise, you can try the following clever ways.
Should you just wait for the ice cream to melt?
The obvious method is to unplug it and leave the freezer door open. Then you can wait until the ice blocks have completely melted. This would be the easiest option, but it will also take the longest, especially if it is cold where you are. However, it is also the safest way to defrost a freezer.
- If the ice begins to melt, you can wipe up the excess water with a sponge or towel.
- As mentioned above, you should also consider placing old towels on the floor to catch any water that runs out of the unit.
- If you don't have the time or patience for it, you can use other tricks to speed up the defrosting process.
Defrost the freezer using the classic trick with a hairdryer
It's perfectly safe to use a portable hair dryer to defrost a freezer as long as you take basic safety precautions. Make sure you stay away from standing water, keep the cord and dryer away from water or ice, and focus on one area inside the freezer at a time. This ensures that your hairdryer does not overheat.
- Never let the end of the dryer get too close to the coils or sides of the freezer as the high heat can damage the appliance. It could also damage the plastic construction in your freezer.
- Also in this case, line the bottom of the freezer with towels to catch the melted ice cream.
- Align the hairdryer parallel to the wall of the freezer. Your goal is to get the warm air behind the ice.
- If the edges begin to separate, continue blowing hot air behind the ice and use a plastic scraper to gently loosen the ice from the walls.
Use a portable fan to defrost the freezer
Another household appliance that can be used to defrost a freezer is the fan. This can help direct warm air into the interior of the freezer. However, this method works best when the air in your home is warm enough to make a real difference. The trick works especially well for anyone who has a freezer in their garage.
- Simply place a fan outside the freezer with the door open.
- The airflow helps the ice melt faster.
- Depending on the thickness of the ice, this may still take some time, but you can speed up the process without investing a lot of time and effort.
Use containers or pots with hot water and defrost freezer
You can also place bowls or pans of hot water on the freezer shelves. This is also a traditional method to speed up freezer defrosting. To do this, you can boil water and place it in all the pots in the middle of the interior with the door closed. Because freezers are well sealed, the steam from the hot water helps loosen the ice more quickly, allowing it to melt naturally from the walls. After about 30 minutes, you can then remove the ice blocks by hand using a plastic scraper.
- However, keep in mind that the heat from pots and pans can damage the shelves. So, when using this technique to defrost your freezer, it is advisable to place a thickly folded towel under the heated containers.
- Also make sure there is enough space to put the pan in the freezer.
- Also remember that you will need to replace the boiling water container approximately every 10 minutes, depending on the amount of ice that has accumulated inside. When you replace the water, you should also remove the melted ice with a sponge.
Heat a metal spatula or cooking utensils and loosen ice in the freezer
This is another hack that quickly defrosts a freezer, but also requires more caution. There is a risk of burns when using hot metal objects. It is therefore best to wear an oven mitt.
- Hold the metal spatula over a flame to heat it.
- Then simply press the spatula into the ice to loosen and break it.
- Move slowly and carefully to avoid burning yourself or damaging the device.
Combine rubbing alcohol with hot rag and defrost freezer
Similar to the indoor hot pot trick, this method can also help speed up the defrosting process.
- To do this, you should first boil water and dip a cloth or towel in it.
- Then pour rubbing alcohol on it and place the rag on the ice to help it come off the wall more quickly.
- Focus on small pieces around the edges, grabbing loose areas and wiping around the ice so you can remove the water.
- The ice should begin to melt somewhat quickly, although this approach works best when you only need to remove a thin layer of ice rather than large chunks of ice.
Remove ice from the household using various tools
Scraping the ice is probably the most popular method when it comes to quickly defrosting a freezer. However, if you want to go this route, you should make sure you handle the tool safely.
- Use a regular ice scraper, plastic spatula, scraper, or wooden spoon.
- Avoid injuring yourself or puncturing the wall of your freezer or a gas line.
- It is recommended to use this defrosting method in conjunction with other tricks from this list.
Use a wet-dry vacuum and defrost the freezer
You can use another useful device by setting the switch to bubbles with the smallest nozzle attachment on a wet/dry vacuum. Start at the top and slowly move down across all surfaces. It is preferable to using a hair dryer as it takes less time and eliminates the risk of electric shock. When the ice chunks come loose, set the vacuum to suck up the water and ice. Then start the next layer and repeat until everything is dry. For complete efficiency, use this defrosting method again in conjunction with the methods described above.
- Once all the ice has melted, you can clean your freezer with a tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in hot, soapy water.
- Simply dip a sponge into the mixture and rinse the inside of the freezer. Repeat until everything is clean.
- Also make sure to wipe the inside with a dry towel.
- Finally, turn the device back on and close the freezer door to cool it down again.
- In about half an hour you can put the food back in the freezer.
