Defrosting a freezer can be time-consuming and messy, but a popular cleaning hack can speed up the process significantly without scraping the ice away
Defrosting the freezer is typically a lengthy task, often requiring turning off the appliance and patiently waiting for the ice to thaw. It can be a messy affair, with numerous towels required to mop up the melting ice. I had been procrastinating over defrosting my freezer for a while due to it always being chock-full. The prospect of waiting hours for the ice to naturally melt was far from enticing.
Experts advise that freezers should be defrosted once or twice annually, or when ice accumulates to roughly a quarter of an inch. When your freezer is laden with thick ice, the appliance has to exert more effort, which escalates energy bills. With soaring energy costs currently a major concern for many of us, I decided it was high time to defrost my freezer.
The standard method for defrosting a freezer involves unplugging or switching off the appliance, removing all the food (and storing it in a cool bag), laying towels around the base to absorb water, taking out the drawers, and allowing the ice to naturally melt over one to two hours. Some experts suggest speeding up the process by placing bowls of hot water inside or using a fan to circulate air.
However, I opted to test a trick endorsed by cleaning aficionados on social media: employing a hair dryer.
I have a fridge-freezer, so I need to turn off both when defrosting the freezer. As someone who stores medication in the fridge, I have to act swiftly to prevent my medicine from spoiling.
My freezer was in a dreadful state – I hadn’t defrosted it for over 12 months, and the ice had become so thick that items were disappearing at the back. I was uncertain whether the hairdryer would actually accelerate the process, reports the Express.
Initially, I turned off my freezer, retrieved the food worth preserving, and transferred it into a cool bag with ice packs. Next, I removed the freezer drawers and laid towels across the floor.
I gave the freezer drawers a proper clean using warm, soapy water and left them to air dry while I concentrated on defrosting the appliance.
Fortunately, there’s a socket directly beside the appliance, so plugging in my hairdryer and directing it towards the ice proved relatively straightforward.
My hairdryer isn’t sophisticated or particularly powerful – it’s an Aldi model with three heat settings. I selected the highest setting, being careful not to position it too near the ice.
When attempting this method, it’s vital to keep your hairdryer away from any moisture.
The ice proved resistant initially, but after five minutes it started melting rapidly. The primary challenge I encountered was maintaining my arm position while managing the water streaming from the freezer. I needed approximately five towels to protect my flooring and soak up the surplus water.
I also ended up returning the drawers to the freezer during defrosting to capture the excess water. This approach proved effective and prevented my floor from becoming waterlogged. Overall, the freezer was fully defrosted in just 52 minutes and appeared spotless. There was no need for bowls of hot water or scraping away ice with kitchen utensils. Apart from laundering a few towels afterwards, the whole process went remarkably smoothly.
Now that I’ve discovered how effective this trick is, I’ll be defrosting my freezer far more frequently.
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