How to Defrost a Freezer

You should defrost your freezer at least once a year to help it stay efficient and usable to its full capacity. 5-Minute Crafts has listed a few steps to help you with this, so you can make the best of your freezer’s space and utility.

1. Unplug the freezer.

The first thing you need to do is unplug or turn off the freezer. If you have a small or portable freezer, you can move it outside to make the clean-up easier.

2. Remove all of the food.

Remove all of the food from inside the freezer. Place it in a cooler to prevent it from thawing.

3. Lay towels on the bottom shelves.

Lay towels or rags on the bottom shelves of the freezer. These will absorb the water that may come out of the freezer.

4. Use the freezer’s drainage hose, if it has one.

Some freezers come with a drainage hose to help with removing water from the inside. If yours has one, place the end of the hose in a bucket so the water won’t reach the floor.

5. Let the ice start to melt on its own.

The safest and easiest way to defrost your freezer it to simply let the ice melt on its own. After unplugging it, leave the door open and wait for the ice to melt.

6. Use a fan.

If you want to speed up the process, place a fan directly pointing at your freezer while it is defrosting with the door open. The fan will help circulate warm air into the freezer. This works best if the air in your house is warm enough to make a real difference.

7. Use steam.

Place pans or bowls of boiling water on the shelves of your freezer and close the door. The steam from the hot water will help loosen the ice that’s attached to the walls. Replace the pans and bowls every 10 minutes.

Note: Place a thickly folded towel under the pans and bowls so it doesn’t damage the shelves.

8. Soak up the water.

As the ice is melting, make sure to soak up the water using towels or rags. Beach towels are perfect for this, because of their size.

9. Clean the inside of the freezer.

Once all the ice is melted and you’ve soaked up everything, you can start by cleaning the inside of the freezer. Simply mix one tablespoon of baking soda with 4 cups of hot water and then use a rag to wipe all around the freezer. After doing this, use a damp cloth to dry everything.

10. Final result

After doing all the steps above, you can now turn the power back on and wait for the freezer to reach its proper temperature. This can take several hours.