How to Defrost and Maintain Your Freezer

Steps for Manually Defrosting a Freezer

1. Disconnect Freezer

   Turn the freezer off and unplug it from the wall. If the freezer is part of your refrigerator, it will also cut off the power to the fridge. A fridge can maintain food cold for four hours if the door remains closed.

   However, if you have a lot of ice buildup, it may take 12 hours to defrost. So, plan on moving your food items to another fridge or a spot at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
   

2. Remove Food

   Empty all the food from your freezer. Transfer the food to coolers or another freezer while it's is defrosting. If it's winter and the temperatures are below freezing, temporarily storing the food on an enclosed porch is another option.
   

   Tip

   Do you have some things that have been in your freezer for a long time? Regularly checking your food is excellent for cleanliness and space issues. It is also crucial since food kept past its frozen shelf life could be spoiled by freezer burn or make you sick. Find out how long different foods keep in the freezer to determine what you should toss.

3. Remove Inserts

   Remove all drawers and ice cube trays. Place them in the sink to thaw out and wash.
   

4. Remove Drain Plugs

   Locate your freezer's drain plugs (interior and exterior), and pull them out. If the exterior drain is threaded, attach a garden hose, and divert the water to a large bucket, a floor drain, or the outdoors. Set up a bunch of old towels on the floor to absorb the water from the melting ice.
   

5. Let the Freezer Defrost

   Leave the freezer door open and allow it to defrost over the next several hours. Monitor the process, so you can add and remove towels as needed.

   Consult your freezer's manual if you are inclined to speed up the defrosting process. Optionally, you can aim a fan into the freezer. A fan set on high will help push the cold air out of the freezer, so the ice melts faster. With some models, you can also place a pan of hot water in the freezer to accelerate the melting. You may have also have a special scraper that came included with your owner's manual.
   

6. Clean Interior

   Once the freezer is defrosted, wipe down the interior with an all-purpose cleaner, and replace the plugs.​
   

7. Reconnect Freezer

   Plug your freezer back in and set the thermostat to zero.
   

8. Refill Freezer

   When your freezer is back to temperature, refill it, and you're set until next time.
   

Tips for Freezer Maintenance

• While waiting for your freezer to defrost, take a few minutes to clean your freezer's condenser coils. Since you need to pull the plug and move it away from the wall, you might as well get a vacuum cleaner to remove all the dirt and dust that accumulates over time.
• Clean and inspect the freezer door gasket, the seal responsible for keeping the freezer cool. Make sure the gasket has no tears, cracks, or holes. Most appliance experts recommend using a baking soda solution for cleaning; it's made with one tablespoon of baking soda and one quart of warm water. It will clean away mold, mildew, dust, and collected food debris.
  
• Defrosting your freezer boosts its efficiency and storage space, so set aside time to do it regularly. Late winter or early spring is often a good time to take care of this task because there tends to be less food in the freezer after a winter of eating down last year's harvest goodies. Since you're likely emptying your entire fridge, you might as well clean the fridge part too.