After a while, a thick layer of ice can begin to build up on the inside of your freezer. Having ice build up can reduce the efficiency of your freezer. With all those freezer meals you’ll want to make sure your freezer is at its best. Here are a few simple ways to defrost a freezer, like a boss!
People think that cleaning the freezer can be a huge mess, but honestly, it is pretty easy to do, it just takes a little bit of time. By keeping the build up of ice down, you will help lower your electric bill and keep your freezer in good running condition. If it works too hard, you might cut time off of the lifespan of your freezer. So make sure to clean your freezer when you begin to see a buildup of ice.
Simple Ways to Defrost a Freezer
First off, before we get into this, do not start hacking away at the ice on your freezer shelves or walls! Using anything that is metal and chipping away at the ice can be a big issue. You can damage the walls, puncture a shelf, or something worse. So make sure to resist this no matter how much it tempts you.
Prepping
Turn off and unplug your freezer for this process.
Empty out all the contents of your freezer and wrap in towels and store in insulated bags, coolers or whatever you have on hand, to prevent thawing.
Lay towels down around the freezer. This will catch all the mess when things begin to melt. That way you can prevent a bigger mess. You can also lay a towel down in the bottom of the freezer to help catch the water.
Defrost Options
You can defrost your fridge in many different ways. So below I will give you three different options to choose from. All the ways below will do the exact same thing, thaw the ice and get your freezer looking like new!
Hot Water
Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling place a trivet or hot pad down on the shelf in the freezer and place the pot on it. This will help to melt the ice around it. Close the freezer door and leave it for 20-30 minutes. Then come back and open up the freezer and see how much it has melted. You might need to repeat this step a few times, depending on how much ice you have. You can also use a plastic scraper to gently tap the walls and shelves to help break off the ice. Be gentle so that you don’t cause any damage.
Let it Melt
Just open the freezer door and let it melt on its own. This is a bit of a slower route, but you can open the door and leave it for a few hours. Then if you are busy you don’t have to babysit it like with the hot water method.
Alcohol
Now, this only works if you don’t have a ton of frost build up. Simply wipe down the shelves and walls with alcohol. Just pour some rubbing alcohol onto a clean towel and then start wiping at the frost. This will melt it pretty fast.
Clean Up Time
Once your freezer is fully defrosted, it’s time to get to cleaning. Simply take clean towels and mop up any water in the freezer. You can use some mild dishwashing soap and water to clean the walls and shelves. Then make sure to dry it fully with towels once you are done. (ameriseed.net) This will help prevent any ice forming when you turn it on.
When you are done cleaning it, then turn the freezer back on and let it sit for 30 minutes before putting your food back inside. You want to wait a little bit to ensure your freezer has time to get cold before you place your food back in. When it’s ready you can organize your freezer, with these 16 amazing organization tips.
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