Defrosting the freezer

saving-grace

kittyscarlett wrote: »

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I tend to do it over a few hours with bowls of hot water, rubber gloves and towels. Then it usually comes away of its own accord or with a little help from gloved fingers. I just don't like the idea of hacking away at bits of ice and potentially damaging either the freezer interior or wiring

I do it this way too, but i use a round bladed knife to start easing the ice away from the sides of the freezer then it comes away in great thick sheets or chunks- straight into the sink which means fewer pools of water to mop up from the freezer (drain hole is blocked). I don't do any scraping or chipping.

But it certainly doesn't take a few hours. I have a large chest freezer and can have the whole process completed in about an hour.

MRSMCAWBER

Hello

Next time you defrost it, wipe the inside over with either glycerine (most supermarkets now have it in the baking aisle) or neat fabric softener... when it freezes up again the smell of the softener fades ( i have never had the smell transfer to any food).. then when you switch it off next time, stick a bowl of boiling water in it..shut the lid and leave - the ice will come off in sheets. I then use a plastic fish slice to shovel it out.. a quick wipe over to dry and another coating of glycerine/softener and you are done.
I can switch mine off, defrost and have it back on in about 30 mins now.... and as its so quick, mine gets done monthly now.

Old_Joe

Mode of operandi:
Turn upright freezer off a few hours beforehand.
After empting out, keep contents in a cool a place as possible, putting smaller items in the 'fridge.
Place our large roasting tin of boiling water on one of the uppershelfs, replacing boiling water as and when needed.
Attack the topmost shelf first with the steam generator that seems to almost cut through the inch/two inch layer of ice.
Having done that part I find the worst is done. In between scooping the melting ice at the bottom of freezer with a dustpan, I mop up as much frozen water. Obviously wiping every surface dry when defrosted before putting the food back.

Penelope_Penguin

saving-grace wrote: »

I do it this way too, but i use a round bladed knife to start easing the ice away from the sides of the freezer then it comes away in great thick sheets or chunks- straight into the sink which means fewer pools of water to mop up from the freezer (drain hole is blocked). I don't do any scraping or chipping.

But it certainly doesn't take a few hours. I have a large chest freezer and can have the whole process completed in about an hour.

That was exactly what I did. Completed before lunch (and I didn't start too early ). But it was chipping away at the large blocks that broke my scraper thingy.

Penny. x

kittyscarlett

saving-grace wrote: »

But it certainly doesn't take a few hours. I have a large chest freezer and can have the whole process completed in about an hour.

Takes me a " few hours " because I leave it to get on and do its stuff whilst I do other things and check on it from time to time, mop up, remove ice, refill bowls/pans with hot water etc

Crazychik

Hi PP

I use my steamer! Its brill for multi purpose jobs, like the oven door (when I get a new cooker that is) toilet/tiles, defrost freezer, cleaning windows!

dND

I use either the bowls of hot water method - the hardest bit being leaving it alone to get on with defrosting and not checking every couple of mins and letting the warm steam out:rotfl:

The other thing I use is a very old hairdryer - back in the 70's when everyone rollered their hair, Ronson came up with a portable hood hairdryer. It means I can put the dryer unit on a chair and drape the hose into the freezer with out worrying about the drier unit getting wet. I then use the low heat setting to avoid damaging/melting the plastic lining of the freezer - works better with chest freezer than upright.

When the ice was softened enough it would either come off in large chunks with the help of a wooden spatula or would have melted and drained out of the drain at the bottom into a large bowl.

Either method used to take around a couple of hours as I would be getting on with other things. I would only defrost on a cold day and heap all the frozen stuff together, well insulated with blankets. Nothing showed any problems of major defrosting, even the ice cream.

[Deleted User]

I give the ice a good wallop with my ice cream scoop(metal) and its very satifying to see get dollops of ice faling off. I am due to do mine just before Christmas as I am 'shopping' from my freezer at the moment to use things up.I have had things in there that I forgot I had so some very odd sorts of meals just lately:rotfl: :rotfl: but i am determined to be more organised in the future;)

New Years resolution No.1 Don't buy strange food, and put wrapped in freezer minus boxes

P.S. mind you I did have some smashing steak the other night that I had forgotten I had:j .I had got this foil wrapped parcel out thinking it was mince, so bang went my shepards pie and I had a big steak with mushrooms instead :beer:

tattycath

HI everyone.
Apparently defrosting your freezer regularly - at least twice a year - you can cut the cost of running it by 10% . To speed up the defrosting process next time you should rub glycerine round all the inside surfaces after defrosting and before refilling.
A freezer is most economical to run when full.

Penelope_Penguin

Craftyscholar wrote: »

I'm in the middle of defrosting my upright freezer.
As usual it's taking forever as it was so bad. :eek:
How frequently do you organised OSers do yours?

Hi Crafty! Long time no see :beer:

I did mine this week

.........and before that; can't remember

I have a chest freezer, and found that if I left it switched off and open for an hour, the ice came off in huge chunks. Despite the fact it was really badly iced up, everything was taken out, defrosted, cleaned and refilled within about 3 hours.

Penny. x