Freezer defrosting advice needed

[Graphista]

Posting here for traffic. I have a fridge freezer where previously the freezer was a completely separate thing.

Freezer needs defrosting I've not been able to use it for months because of the ice buildup and I want to use it not least because I think I'm peri and I would LOVE to have some ice cream/ice lollies in for when I have hot flushes.

But...

I have NO idea how to do it and the instruction manual is no help.

The issue is I always have stuff in the fridge I need to preserve/not waste but the instruction manual assumes I'm emptying the fridge too.

I JUST want to defrost the freezer without messing with the fridge contents.

Can anyone advise on how to do this?

IF I turn it off how long can it be turned off for and the fridge contents be ok?

Or can I do it without turning it off? I'm thinking maybe using kettle/hot water in the drawers to melt the ice off even if just enough to get the drawers out and clean and be able to use again.

If there is a lot of ice such that you can’t use it I think you’re going to need to empty both parts because it will be turned off for quite a bit. Argos do good cheap freezer bags - at this time of year empty wrap in old bankers put some freezer blocks in and put outside or coldest spot inside.

Turn it off
Old towel under front
Hot water in things like baking tins/ saucepans. (Square and flat best).
Into freezer shelf. Close freezer door.
Every 15 mins or so replenish hot water and replace towels which may be wet.
Clean fridge meanwhile plus any freezer drawers you
Manage to get out.
There’ll come a time when you can start to remove ice manually - I also use a mental spatula. All advice is against using knife or anything sharp.
Make sure everything is 100% dry everywhere before you turn back on.
allow to cool for a while before putting food back in.

I have done just the freezer part when it’s not too bad and I just move food as high in fridge as poss and do it all as quickly as possible.

And yes you must turn it off.for safety and practical reasons. If you dont turn it off the melting water will simply refreeze !! You need all ice gone and all dry before back on.

I did it the other day without turning it off and I’m pretty sure this way is not recommended but it worked for me very well!

1. Empty freezer and wrap stuff in a blanket
2. Lay towels on the floor near the freezer, grab a washing up bowl and put in the bottom of the freezer.
3. Take a fish slice to the worst bits, chisel and hack bits of ice off. Make sure you’re not damaging the freezer itself but just hacking off lumps of ice.
4. Continue until it’s almost all done, you should be able to pull out the drawers at some point.
5. Take a hairdryer and aim that from top to bottom, melting off the rest of the ice. Make sure you aim it down so you don’t get bits of ice and water in the hairdryer.

Et voila! Done!

What Heron said except I would pack the frozen stuff into the fridge section while you do it, and don't open fridge door until your done.

As the ice loosens it falls off in lumps so have a washing up bowl or bucket to hand to put it in.

Have lots of towels ready as you'll need to dry the inside of the freezer before turning it back on.

Pack up the fridge and put in the car/shed/garage to keep cold (with any ice that you have).

Switch it all off, and point a hair dryer or dam heater at the freezer bit to speed up the process. Just don't let any water drip on them. Tray and towels to catch the water. Then dry it out and switch back on. Takes about an hour with my massive freezer

Oh, don't worry about taking out fridge stuff, sorry, had it in mind that it was a freezer inside the fridge. Just keep the fridge door closed, it'll be fine

just wanted to add that putting boiling water in a washing up bowl in the bottom of the freezer helps it along.

There’s no food in the freezer as the situation is partly due to dd left it bloody open! And I had to throw everything out 😡

I’ve only got plastic utensils

Don’t own a hairdryer either

Don’t have car/shed/garage either

Washing up bowl wouldn’t fit in freezer even with drawers out but I have pans/bowls/Tupperware I can use?

You’d think by this point we’d have self defrosting thingies?

If I don't open the fridge will the contents be ok even if I turn it off for an hour?

It's not a massive freezer 2 normal size drawers and one very shallow one (only really can fit ice poles and similar in this one, maybe a pack of fish fingers - you get the idea) - it's the shallow one that's the worst! Can't shift it at all at the moment!

The bottom drawer I could maybe leave in the freezer to collect ice/dripping?

Plenty of kitchen roll in for the job.

I'm thinking putting boiling water in the bottom drawer, turn it off for an hour and carefully chip away as it starts to defrost?

I'm thinking makes sense to do it the day before I normally get my groceries delivered so that stocks are fairly low in fridge anyway?

Have you got a fan heater?

No just central heating.

Fridge stuff will be fine for a few hours as long as you don't open the door much. Or borrow a cool box/bag and use frozen ice blocks to keep cool. Or hang outside in bags.

Newspaper on floor and bowl ready to catch ice blocks. Turn it off leave freezer door open use hot water in bowls on shelves/drawers to loosen the blocks of ice. Use a plastic spatula (one may have come with freezer) to chisel at partly loose ice. If you can remove drawers put hot water bowls on the shelves. You will need to replace water frequently. Eventually ice will crack and come away.

You’d think by this point we’d have self defrosting thingies?

You do, it’s called a power switch ;)

Food in fridge part with door closed will be fine for several hours even with power off. Don't use a knife; use a plastic spatula;. being too enthusiastic with a knife can lead to it piercing the wall of the freezer.

Containers of hot water as described above to defrost.
If you did have to empty freezer - I line the washing basket with towels as insulation and pack the frozen food in then cover with more towels or blankets. Or put it in cool box.
Lots of hot water in freezer with door shut defrosts it quite quickly.

Your fridge food will be absolutely fine for the time it takes you to defrost the freezer. What i normally do is put the freezer stuff in the fridge (it's cold and well-insulated) and leave the fridge stuff on the side until i've finished and it's always fine.

Definitely don't use anything metal to hack at ice, if the wall gets punctured will be a write off.

Thanks to all of you. Feeling more confident about doing this now, I've missed having a freezer.

I'll let you know how I get on once I've done it

You really don't need to do much hacking if you keep replenishing the hot water. It just takes longer to defrost if you keep having the door open to hack!

Ok thinking I'll put hot water in bottom shelf and leave that in closed turned off freezer to work?

I'd have thought leaving it open would work better? Allowing warmth of room into freezer?

No, you'll get more heat inside with steaming bowls of hot water, I use just off the boil water from the kettle. At first it won't seem to be doing much and then suddenly you'll start hearing bits fall off! You just need to replenish the hot water every 10-15 minutes.

I turn off, keep fridge closed.
Use metal pans filled with boiling water, Chuck some hot water over the big blocks of ice, semi shut the door.
Lots of towel around the drip tray.

I also soak towels in boiling water and lay them over the big blocks of ice.

Keep topping up the pans with boiling water.

I use my steam cleaner - don't know if you are supposed to but it seems safer than hacking at the ice with a knife!

Thanks for all the tips. I'll use bowls and pans and keep topping up hot water