How to Safely Defrost Your Freezer

In order to make sure that your freezer works as efficiently and effectively as possible, it’s important to make sure that you remove any ice before it causes more serious problems. Fortunately, there are a number of methods you could use to safely defrost your freezer and without unnecessary delays.

Unplug and wait

This is probably the most common way of doing things, but it does involve unplugging your freezer and simply letting the ice naturally melt. This is time-consuming and, if your fridge and freezer are a single unit, then you will need to keep your fridge shut in order to prevent your food from spoiling.

Blow dryer or fan

Your hair dryer can help you warm something up but make sure that you are not standing in any water while using the dryer. Be careful not to get the cable wet. A fan can also help move warm around. Remember, your home needs to be warm in order for your fan to be effective. Again, make sure that you keep your fan and any power cables away from any water.

Steam and scrape

Boil some water and place the pots of hot water inside your freezer to help the ice melt faster. After letting the steam work its magic, you can then use the scraper to remove chunks of ice.

Rubbing alcohol and a hot cloth

Boil some water and dip a rag in it before pouring some rubbing alcohol onto the hot wet cloth. Apply this cloth to the ice and focus on the edges. This is best for removing thinner sheets of ice and frost. It’s not as effective when it comes to ice that has packed on. No matter the defrosting method, it’s important to make sure that you have something on hand to collect the water and bits of ice. Some people like using newspaper but they are not as absorbent as things like paper towels. If you use paper towels, however, you will need a whole lot! Rags and old towels are a better option. Don’t use your best towels since they are bound to get rather grubby. If you want to use them again for cleaning or around the house, you need only wash them.

Safety First!

Finally, don’t forget that the scaping method should be used with care. Avoid forcing the ice and remember to use safe tools only. Some people might say that it’s perfectly safe to use metal tools like spatulas, but this can result in serious damage. In addition, not all plastic tools are suited for scraping the ice from your freezer. Even those that are specifically designed for this purpose can break if the ice is too hard. It’s a good idea to either unplug your freezer or use steam to help loosen the ice before scraping. If you notice that your freezer is not working as it should, contact Express Appliance Repair right away at (647) 492-7773.