What’s on your ‘to-do’ list at the moment? If you open the door of your freezer and it’s badly iced up, then defrosting the freezer (and cleaning the fridge) might be one of those household tasks that needs to be done.
Why do you get ice build-up in the freezer in the first place?
Warm air gets inside when you open the freezer door, the air condenses into water and then freezes into ice.
If you’re lucky enough to own a ‘frost-free’ model, then you can be smug and perhaps mow the lawn instead as this article doesn’t apply to you! But for the majority of fridge freezer owners they will need to defrost, so here are some tips to do this easily and effectively.
How often should you defrost your fridge freezer?
It depends on usage and household conditions. Ideally, when you notice a quarter of an inch or 1.5cm of ice build-up inside. More ice build-up than this and your fridge freezer has to work harder to keep frozen food safe. That means you are using more energy and spending more money to keep freezer items at the recommended -18°C or below. Also, ice build up reduces the capacity of the freezer so fewer items can be frozen.
A step-by-step guide to defrosting your freezer
- Empty the contents of your fridge freezer. Preparation is important. Where will you keep the frozen items during defrosting? A cool bag/box with ice blocks works well. Or ask a neighbour to borrow their freezer, and offer a similar service in return. If neither are possible, wrapping frozen food in newspaper slows the rate at which it thaws. Throw out any out of date food items. Finally, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to choose the hottest day of the year to defrost a freezer!!
- Preparation. Protect your floor from possible water damage by using old towels or sheets. Prepare the floor around and under your fridge freezer by using towels or absorbent sheets to soak up any water as the ice melts and spills out from the open door. Pans, trays etc. inside the freezer will catch larger chunks of ice, reducing the amount of leakage.
- Turn off your freezer appliance at the mains. Unplug your fridge freezer. Leave the freezer door open so the solid ice can start to melt. Remove any drawers, let them get to room temperature before washing them in mild soapy water and then drying them.
- Use a bowl of hot water to speed up defrosting. Placing a bowl of hot water inside the freezer will speed-up defrosting. Replace the hot water at regular intervals. Use a plastic spatula (never a metal knife) to loosen built-up ice as it melts. Never be tempted to use a hair-dryer to accelerate the process.
- Clean the inside of your freezer. Once defrosted take the opportunity to clean the top, bottom and sides, again with warm soapy water. Dry the surfaces and also place back the now clean and dry drawers.
- Check the door seal. Check the door seal for mould (soapy water again will help remove mould). Also, as the seal keeps warm air and humidity out, check it is not brittle or torn. If so, the seal may need replacing.
- Let your fridge freezer cool down properly before refilling. Switch your fridge freezer back on, choosing the fast-freeze option (if available) or letting it run for at least an hour before refilling.
If all of this defrosting just sounds too much!
Speak to Ace Electric or call 01252 623163 about our range of frost-free appliances. And if you’ve just completed this task, well done! Tick it off your list and go and do something you really want to do. You’ve earned the right!!
