Here is Why You Ought to Defrost Your Freezer, In keeping with an Exprert

The freezer is vital for anybody who retailers in bulk to save cash. Whereas there are some meals it’s best to by no means freeze, the colder cousin of the fridge will hold most meals from spoiling when you possibly can’t prepare dinner or eat them inside a couple of days.

However be sincere — are you able to at present account for every little thing in your freezer? Or is it packed to the diploma that you just’re afraid to take something out for concern of what you would possibly discover lurking at midnight corners? Worse but, are you even capable of get something out? In case your freezer seems just like the makings of a snow cone manufacturing unit…nicely, it is not presupposed to.

“My mother and father are inclined to plan as if the apocalypse is going on tomorrow,” says Trevor Craig, meals security knowledgeable at Microbac Laboratories. “Their freezer is stocked with issues they are going to by no means eat, and also you all however want an ice chipper to get to something.”

Whereas the build-up of frost within the freezer may be partially attributed to overfilling, “freezers really preserve temperature higher once they’re full,” Craig says. Excellent news for fellow apocalypse planners, however your freezer can get frosty for a number of causes, which overfilling could exacerbate. “Normally frost types due to moisture within the air that’s trapped within the freezer condenses and freezes,” Craig says. An overfull freezer can stop the freezer from sealing correctly, which permits humidity to creep in.

Whereas some frost buildup is inevitable, you possibly can assist stave it off by being conscious concerning the variety of instances you open and shut the freezer door and ensuring to first cool any objects which might be destined for the freezer. Sizzling meals put within the freezer will even create extra evaporation. Older freezers are additionally extra vulnerable to frost than newer ones.

Learn extra: Can You Guess Which Zones in Your Fridge Are the Coldest (and Warmest)?

Freezer effectivity and meals security

Ensuring your fridge is working effectively is not solely good on your electrical energy invoice, however it has implications on your well being as nicely. “Closely frosted freezers can burn out or fail to maintain your meals frozen,” Craig says. “If the meals will get too heat, it is not going to outlive its full shelf life, and it would even be a well being hazard if it does not keep chilly sufficient.”

Frost can even result in undesirable and sudden substitute prices, which is far more problematic than a barely elevated electrical energy invoice. In keeping with Craig: “If heavy frost builds up, your freezer may even break, after which there may be little possibility however to throw all of the thawed meals out,” he says, to not point out it’s a must to probably purchase a brand new equipment.

Methods to defrost your freezer

Happily, defrosting your freezer is a comparatively easy course of, when you get previous the trauma of getting to confront what’s lurking in there. A bit of planning is the one requirement, particularly for those who do have a completely well-stocked freezer.

Step 1: Take away all objects from the freezer

“Ideally, it’s best to defrost your freezer when it’s virtually empty earlier than you restock it,” Craig says, including that you could tightly retailer your frozen objects in a cooler through the course of if wanted. “For those who defrost steadily sufficient, it should not take too lengthy and you may hold every little thing frozen or chilly till putting it again in.”

Step 2: Set your freezer to defrost or flip it down all the best way

Newer freezers typically have a setting for defrosting, in any other case, you are simply turning the dial all the way down to its off or lowest setting. (Notice: Don’t unplug your complete equipment, as we’re nonetheless attempting to maintain the objects within the fridge chilly throughout this course of.)

Step 3: Let it sit till all of the frost melts away

“After getting every little thing out of the freezer and have it shut off or set to defrost it ought to solely take a couple of hours if the frost is not unhealthy, or a few day if it is significantly unhealthy,” Craig says. “You’ll be able to hold the door open throughout this course of to hurry it alongside if that is what the producer recommends.

Step 4: Wipe it down

After it is absolutely thawed, clear out any pooling water and wipe down all surfaces earlier than beginning up once more.

The fridge cavity should not be threatened by the freezer defrost course of, however you possibly can put out some towels on the ledge of the fridge door, or on the ground, for those who’re involved about water leakage. For those who do see leakage, it may very well be an indication that the seals on the freezer or fridge are broken.

Step 5: Flip the dial again as much as your most well-liked temp

As soon as the freezer is dry and cranked again up, you are free to restock it with objects for safekeeping. 

Freezer upkeep and maintenance

As soon as you have ripped off the band-aid and defrosted your freezer, it can save you your self time (and maybe cash) sooner or later by staying on high of the method. 

“It is best to defrost about every year, or for those who see the frost rising to thicker than about one-quarter of an inch,” Craig says. “It should make your freezer run higher, preserving your meals temperature and electrical invoice down.”

Defrosting your freezer is not solely about going through your demons within the type of long-forgotten objects that will have gotten freezer burned past restore or outlived their shelf life by a cringe period of time. “Usually for me, there are a couple of popsicles or frozen Lady Scout cookies that I forgot about,” Craig says, “so I’ve a pleasant little snack whereas cleansing up.”

To defrost a chest freezer, you will need to take a barely completely different strategy. Here is find out how to defrost a freestanding chef freezer in minutes.