These are our top defrost freezer tips. No matter how tidy your freezer is, sooner or later you will need to defrost it.
Over time excess ice builds up, affecting the efficiency of your freezer and increasing your electricity bills into the bargain. So how often should you defrost your freezer? Well, the answer to that is as often as possible but in practical terms you should aim to do it at least a few times a year or more if ice is accumulating very quickly. Every time you open the freezer door warm air gets into your freezer, and this will cause the freezer to work harder and create more ice. It’s very annoying but it’s how the freezer works, so you will have to take steps to deal with it.
So how do you defrost your freezer? Well, first of all it will take some planning beforehand. Ideally you should do it when there’s not much food left in there because it makes the job easier for you. Take out the remaining food and put it in a large bowl or storage box, covering it with a towel to keep it clean and hygienic. Now unplug the freezer from the socket and grab a large bowl. You will find that you will able to scrape of a lot of the softer ice very quickly with a flexible spatula made of rubber or plastic.
Do not use a heavy metal scraper as you could damage the walls of the freezer. Once you have removed all the ice you can, then put some boiling water in a bowl and stand it in the freezer with the door open.
After a short while the steam will start to melt the remaining ice and you can scrape it off with your spatula. You will probably be splashing a lot of melted ice around so make sure you have cloths on the floor to soak up any mess.