Jeff Flowers on February 23, 2015 41 Comments Your freezer is a necessary appliance and probably one of the most useful. It keeps food fresh and can safely store items for future use. Frost on the walls inside of your freezer reduces its efficiency and increases your energy bill. Many newer freezer models have a self-defrosting feature, but what if you aren’t lucky enough to have this feature? Let’s take a look at how often you should defrost your freezer, as well as a few methods to help you defrost it quickly. How Often Should You Defrost Your Freezer? No matter what type of freezer you own, it’s recommended that you defrost it approximately once a year or when layers of ice become more than a quarter of an inch thick. Please don’t forget to unplug your freezer before you start defrosting it. No matter what method on this list you use, this is an important safety precaution that one should not overlook. Also, make sure to remove all food from inside the unit, as well as protect your floor with towels or a large plastic shower liner. You may want to bunch up rags or old bath towels on the bottom shelf of the freezer to help absorb the moisture. If you are able to move your freezer outside, then you will ultimately have less of a mess to clean up once your freezer has been defrosted. Nevertheless, here are eight different ways you can quickly defrost your freezer. 1. Wait for Ice to Melt The obvious method — Unplug it, open the door and wait for the ice to melt. This defrosting method is the simplest, but also takes the longest, especially if you live in a colder area. It’s also the safest method of defrosting your freezer. Simply open the door, walk away and pack some patience. As the ice begins to melt, you may want to mop up the excess water with a sponge or a towel. You might also consider placing old towels on the floor to absorb water that runs out of the appliance. Perhaps you’re like me and not very patient. If so, let’s look at a few ways you can speed up the defrosting process. 2. Use a Blow Dryer It is perfectly safe to use a portable hair dryer to defrost a freezer as long as you use basic safety precautions. Make sure you stand clear of any standing water, keep the cord and the dryer away from any water or ice and focus on one area at a time to ensure that your dryer does not overheat. In addition, never allow the end of the dryer to get too close to the coils or sides of the freezer because the high heat may damage the unit. It could also damage the plastic construction inside of your freezer. Line the base of the freezer with towels to catch the melted ice. Aim the hair dryer parallel to the wall of the freezer. Your goal is to get the warm air behind the ice. As the edges start to release, continue to blow hot air behind the ice and use a plastic scraper to pry the ice from the walls gently. 3. Use a Fan A fan can help circulate warm air into your freezer. However, this method works best when the air in your home is warm enough to make a real difference. This works especially well for anyone that has a deep freezer in their garage. Simply set up a fan up outside of the freezer with its door propped open. The airflow helps the ice to melt faster. You will still need some time for this to work, depending on the thickness of the ice. But you can speed up the process without putting in much work. 4. Set Bowls or Pans of Hot Water on the Shelves A traditional method to speed up the process of defrosting your freezer is to place pans of boiling water on the shelves and close the door. Because freezers are well-sealed, the steam from the hot water helps loosen the ice so that it naturally melts off the walls. You can then remove it by hand using a plastic scraper after about 30 minutes. However, the heat from the pots and pans may damage the shelves, so if you use this technique to defrost your freezer, we’d recommend placing a thickly folded towel under the heated containers. Make sure that there is enough room to put the pan in the freezer. Keep in mind that you will have to replace the pan of boiling water every 10 minutes or so, depending on the amount of ice that is built up on the interior. When you replace the water, remove the melted ice with a sponge. 5. Heat a Metal Spatula One quick defrosting method, and likely the most dangerous, is to use a hot metal spatula. Wearing an oven mitt, hold a metal spatula over a flame to heat it. Then just press the spatula into the ice to loosen it and break it up. We don’t really recommend this defrosting method, as you are susceptible to burning yourself or causing damage to the unit. But we mention it here, because it will work in quickly melting the ice in your freezer. If you decide to use this method to speed up the defrosting process, please do so with caution. 6. Use a Hot Cloth and Rubbing Alcohol Dip a rag in boiling water, pour rubbing alcohol onto it and place it on the ice to loosen it. Concentrate on little pieces at the edges, grasping loose areas and wiping around the ice to remove it. The frost should start melting somewhat quickly. This approach works best when you need to remove just a thin layer of frost rather than large chunks of ice. 7. Scraping Scraping the ice is presumably the most popular method of speeding up the defrosting process. If you go this route, make sure you do it safely. Use a traditional ice scraper, a plastic spatula or a wood spoon to avoid hurting yourself or puncturing the wall of your freezer or a gas line. We’d recommend using this defrosting method in conjunction with other methods on this list. 8. Use a Wet/Dry Vacuum Using the smallest nozzle accessory on a wet/dry vacuum, set the switch to blow. Start at the top and move down slowly over all surfaces. It is preferable to using a blow dryer because it takes less time and eliminates the risk of electrocuting yourself. When the chunks of ice start to loosen, switch the setting on the vacuum to suck up the water and ice. Then start on the next layer and repeat until everything is dry. For complete efficiency, use this defrosting method in conjunction with other methods on this list. Once all the ice melts, you can clean your freezer with a tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in hot, soapy water. Just dip a sponge in the mixture and rinse the inside of the freezer. Repeat until it is clean. Make sure that you wipe the inside of it with a dry towel. Plug it back in, and close the freezer door to cool it back down. In about a half an hour, you can transfer the food back into the freezer.
Kenneth Little says July 28, 2016 at 5:01 pm Another good technique is to use running water, cold or warm. Reply
Peggy smith says August 8, 2019 at 6:51 pm Can you take the freezer outside and hose the inside out to melt the ice? Is that safe? Someone suggested that to me. Reply
Jenn Hoff says January 24, 2020 at 6:35 pm Well, it depends on how large your freezer is! ;’D But if you can unplug and carry it, more power to ya. 🙂 Reply
Jroymich says May 17, 2020 at 8:45 pm Yes water hose works real good. My Holiday freezers is on the back treated porch. I remove every thing and place in boxes with a blanket on top. unplug unit ,spray hose the inside of the freezer with the drain plug removed and scrape the inside walls with a Windshield ice scraper after the ice starts to soften then tip it over front ways to dump every thing out. Sit Freezer upright it will be necessary to keep the drain hole cleared out to finish draining. Then a big bath towel is used to mop remaining water out. Wash cloth with baking soda in water to finish cleaning. Plug in and reload * work fast 20-30 Minutes. Cool day is best. Colder is better. Reply
Tommy says May 28, 2017 at 12:10 pm You know, even us old guys need a reminder, once in a while. Thanks for the reminder. Love your page and contentment to all of us. Carry on! Reply
Debbie says August 1, 2017 at 12:35 pm Is there any way to prep the clean freezer, to minimize the build up? It was suggested I try spraying the inside with Rain-X or using a car polish, but I’m uncertain if that’s wise. Reply
Heather Mckinney says August 30, 2019 at 11:20 pm I have heard rubbing the walls with rubbing alcohol. Never tried it though. With that said, I want to say a big thankyou to you!! Today’s date is August 30th, 2019. I Google ed defrosting a deep freeze. I just finished de-icing my deep freezer in the garage. And you gave me 2 of the best piece’s of advice for me to learn!! Lol #1: UNPLUG the dang thing first!! #2: use an ordinary ice scraper.. makes a lot of sence now. Thank you!!! Reply
Jimmy says October 29, 2017 at 7:00 am Just try some “pam”. It helps when it’s time to defrost again 👍 Reply
Nancy says April 1, 2018 at 12:07 pm Pam is a spray that is used rather than oil to cook with………like food won’t stick with Pam Look for it in the oils area in stores. Reply
dimi says December 31, 2017 at 1:23 pm I defrost my upright once a year. I live in Quebec and winters get cold up here, so I wait for an extra-cold day and put all my food in boxes to be taken outside in the balcony. This way, I can take my time getting the ice melted with pots of hot water and such, and when it’s all cleaned and dry, I turn the freezer on and wait till it gets real cold again, then I bring the food that is still well-frozen right into the proper shelves and I’m done! This also gives me a chance to organize all my frozen food. PS. do not use pam oil spray or rain-ex. Reply
Tanya says July 9, 2020 at 11:55 am Good advice about putting the frozen food outside in the cold. Thanks Reply
Jason Bissett says January 23, 2018 at 7:34 pm Steamer is the only way to defrost with out issue.. such as melting plastic parts, cuting the evaporator and to save time and add more water.. Reply
Audery says January 29, 2018 at 8:28 am When you say steamer, do you mean a wallpaper (remover) steamer? Reply
Rex says May 31, 2018 at 10:14 am I have a Zanussie under-counter freezer frost free, so called. Mine is set fairly low and still it defrosts but re-freezes too soon which blocks the drain hole to the plastic reservoir tray. Therefore what happens, the melt water seeps out under the bottom food storage tray then freezes. Of course, when I try to see what what I want from the tray it’s jammed, because of the build up of compacted ice under it! Reply
Paul says June 8, 2019 at 10:00 am Check the back of the appliance for the hose that takes the melt water away. Sometimes that have a trap at the bottom that blocks. On Zanussie I think they have a rubber valve at the bottom of the hose that gets sealed with dirt, remove and clean. Reply
Daniel says July 6, 2018 at 3:19 am Empty out the freezer, put some rolls of toiletpaper at the bottom and set them on fire. If the fire gets out of control, simply close the lid which will starve it of oxygen. Otherwise, the fire will soon melt the ice, the paper will absorb the water and the whole exercise takes minutes. You can also use gasoline or alcohol if you prefer not to have to pull mucky toilet paper out of the bottom of the fridge. IMPORTANT: Make sure the freezer is empty otherwise you’ll be grilling the food which is not the point. Reply
Mémére says July 28, 2019 at 6:56 am 🙂 yep… funny but do you realize that unexperience people might REALLY believe you and try that! I met someone one day who never had to cook a turkey and was going to put it directly on the rack!!! I did provide a roaster and gave a few instruction… That probably avoided a house fire!!!! Reply
Greg says August 18, 2018 at 7:53 am Awesome post. You made one (older) millennial guy feel like a man, defrosting my own freezer. One small step at a time … 😉 Reply
Bill Lenfestey says September 1, 2018 at 9:10 am I’ve been defrosting freezers since I graduated from college in 1974. I’ve always used the methods discussed in Jeff’s article, with pans of boiling water. in 1975, (when I was young enough not to be hampered by maturity and good judgment), I filled and electric skillet with water, but it in the freezer after setting the control on High, and defrosted the freezer more quickly then I’ve ever done, since. Because I had a constant heat source, unlike what you have when you use pans of hot water that cool down as soon as you put then in the freezer, defrosting was a snap. However, in my humble opinion, this method is completely dangerous. If water drips on the skillet controls, I can see damage to them occuring. Also, especially if you don’t plug the skillet into a circuit with a ground fault interrupt, I can see electrocution occurring. I would recommend not using this method unless you want to try to win a Darwin award. I have wondered about using a battery-powered windshield defroster or possibly a hand-warmer that campers use. I’m also contemplating concocting something with alcohol, such as the stuff you can make yourself to deice windshields, to speed up the process. If all else fails, I’ll just tell my wife that I just bought all new appliances and they don’t match any of the existing kitchen colors. If I put her facing the freezer before I tell her this, she ought to get steamed up enough to finish the defrosting in about fifteen minutes. Reply
Mar says September 24, 2018 at 10:38 pm Used the blow dryer method took 5 minutes max melted the corners and the sheets fell picked up, wiped down and done 😊 Reply
Ed Paulsworth says November 6, 2018 at 8:26 am I have been disconecting the compressor and then replunging in the refrig overnight. Some frozen foods get a little wet on the outside, but still seem usable. This doesn’t seem to dry out the insulation, but you can use the technique to get easily back to functioning. The compressor is inside an air plenum behind the refrig. Carefully take off the cover and remove it’s connector(not easy at first) replace the plenum cover and plug in the refrig. Let run for about 8 to 12 hours. Reconnect compressor, plug in refrig., and try operation. I would repeat process for every 2 or 3 days for a shorter period to see if the insulation gets dried out. Reply
Mark says November 12, 2018 at 5:04 am Using hair drier worked as a charm, thanks a lot for the hint. Defrosting took 5 minutes, I used a wooden spoon to softly remove the ice then put it in the sink. Also was much less water mess and safer for the food waiting outside of the fridge. Reply
Wen says February 5, 2019 at 6:54 am Amazed at how well putting a fan in front of the open freezer was!!! I increased defrosting time by also adding a bowl of hot water onto the top shelf. Reply
Adebisi-Lateef Opeyemi says May 17, 2019 at 11:37 pm Thank you for all the method ,i will try the dryer method. Reply
Paul says June 8, 2019 at 9:55 am I’ve been working with appliances for thirty years and have to defrost a lot of frost free appliances when they failed or door not shutting. The only method I use is a wall paper striper, date, no electrics to get wet, fast as steam melts water very efficiently and won’t melt plastic unless it is held in the same spot for a long time. It takes about 10 to 20 minutes bepending on size. On standard freezers the advice I give to customers is do it once a month whilst cooking dinner. Turn appliance off, remove containers and stack, cover with large towel or blanket. Bowl of hot water on bottom shelf with a towel underneath. If it is done once a month the frost will be thin and it will defrost in minutes, wipe dry and put the draws Bach in and turn on. Ten minutes a month is less hassle and time than once a year and if left too long the draws can get broken. Reply
Apres Ski says June 11, 2019 at 6:04 pm A blow dryer? Now, why didn’t I think of that? Lord knows I use it enough. Reply
DawsonKohen says September 29, 2019 at 3:44 am Good answer back in return of this issue with real arguments and describing the whole thing on the topic of that.| Reply
Diana Martin says November 11, 2019 at 3:50 pm I have a frost-free refrigerator/freezor but “someone” (my son) left the bottom drawer ajar after I went to sleep and then at some point it was closed again. It defrosted then re-froze, in other words. I pulled out of the stuff out and put it in the freezer downstairs and then simply unplugged it and opened the freezer drawer. I’m not doing all that rigamarole. I will clean it out with soapy water after it is defrosted and dry it out and make sure it’s good and dry before plugging it back in. Hopefully, all goes well. Reply
MG says January 28, 2020 at 6:28 pm I wait for July, unload it, put contents in coolers (21 cu ft so lots) drag it to driveway, hose it down. Dry, lug back in, reload. Turn on. It is a pain Reply
Janice G says February 20, 2020 at 7:32 am An electric tea kettle….. continual steam! No matter what method, must always be careful and think sensibly. Reply
257 says July 15, 2020 at 11:23 pm i just turn off my freezer and use a hair dryer or just let it defrost itself Reply
brigitte Laser says September 13, 2020 at 10:59 am Please I need some sensible advise,how do defrost when it is all iced up with food in it,I can’t move the drawer nor the food full of ice.😞Help please🙏🙏🙏 Reply
