The freezer is one of the most useful appliances in the home. It allows us to keep food in good condition for months and even more than a year. However, this will only be the case if the freezer works properly. This requires regular maintenance and general care. If not, the freezer will accumulate ice and make it difficult even to close the door. However, it can often be a difficult and time consuming job.
At oneHOWTO, we want to show you how to defrost your freezer. We show you the beast eays and fast methods to help you make this a quick task and not a prolonged chore.
When should you defrost a freezer?
Regardless of the type or brand of freezer you own, using the it to preserve food is just as important as keeping it clean. If you are going to store products and foods already prepared inside, it is essential that it is in good condition. For this reason, it is essential that you thaw a freezer at least once a year.
In addition to keeping food safe, there are more reasons why you should defrost your freezer annually. The accumulation of frost and ice hinders its operation and causes an excess of energy consumption to keep food in good condition. This means your monthly electricity bills will be even higher.
How long does a freezer take to defrost?
Before explaining how to defrost a freezer with our different methods, it is important to understand how it works and how you can defrost it on its own. It is an appliance that preserves food at temperatures below 0 ºC (32 ºF). The ideal freezer temperature ranges from -3 ºC to -4 ºC (26.6 ºF to 24.8 ºF).
Every time there is a power outage or you directly disconnect the freezer from the electrical socket, the temperature rises rapidly and thus the defrosting process begins. So that no stored food is wasted, at oneHOWTO we recommend you defrost this appliance when it is empty.
Keep in mind that the average freezer temperature can be maintained for 48 hours (when full), even if it is disconnected from the electrical current. If it is half empty, it will only be able to keep that temperature for about 24 hours.
In short, the fuller the freezer is with food, the longer it will take to defrost. If you want to speed up the process, the solution is simple: try to empty it as much as possible. Another option is to apply one of the tricks to defrost a freezer quickly that we provide below.
1. Defrost a freezer with hot water
If you want to know how to defrost a freezer which has accumulated a lot of ice, hot water is the best option. It is the best known method and the one that speeds up the process the best. You will need to put a pot full of hot water in the freezer and then close the door.
In this way, the ice inside the freezer will melt much faster. Be careful and try to collect all the water released by the melted ice as it flows out the bottom. Although it is a simple method, the pot of hot water could cause damage to the surface of the freezer. To avoid this, place it on a cloth or other similar stand.
2. Defrost a freezer with a hair dryer
Do you want to speed up the process as much as possible? If you need to know how to defrost a freezer quickly, you can also use a hair dryer. It's a simple trick, but you should take the following precautions when applying hot air from the dryer inside the freezer:
- Move the dryer away from the walls and coils of the freezer. The high heat given off by the dryer could damage the appliance.
- Do not touch the ice with the dryer and avoid direct contact with water. You should also keep the cord away from the water.
3. Defrost a freezer with a hot spatula
A hot spatula can help you know how to defrost the freezer without turning it off if you use it correctly. It must be metal and you have to heat it over a fire. Then scrape the ice off the appliance to get it to melt.
As a precautionary measure, put on some gloves before trying this method to avoid burning yourself. Collect the water that melts from the ice.
4. Defrost a freezer with a fan
Air from a fan can be enough to defrost a blast freezer. Check out its efficacy by following these tips:
- Make sure the temperature of the home is warm. To do this, you can turn on the heating to promote this increase if the current room temperature is not enough.
- The air released by the fan will circulate much cleaner and warmer air inside the freezer, causing it to defrost.
You can place the fan in front of a heater to use the latter's hot air. However, just be very careful with heaters and water.
5. Defrost a freezer naturally
If you are not in a hurry to defrost the freezer or don't want to resort to any of the above methods, opt for the natural process. This means letting the ice melt little by little without the help of any appliance. To do this, open the door so that heat enters and the ice melts.
Finally, place a container so that the water from the melted ice falls. This is the safest method of defrosting your freezer, but it is also the slowest.
Once it is completely thawed, it will be much easier to clean the freezer. Follow our advice in our articles on how to clean the freezer and how to get rid of bad smells from the freezer to know more.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Defrost the Freezer, we recommend you visit our Maintenance and home security category.