How do I defrost a fridge / freezer?

[ItsAllTLAsToMe]

DH thinks it will take a couple of hours, but I was thinking it would take much longer?

It's a big upright fridge / freezer. We've had it for 3 or 4 years, but never defrosted it .

I seem to think I should put a big bowl of hot water in the freezer part - is this a good idea?

Ooh one of my favourite jobs lol switch it off, empty contents, I just put everything in a box and cover..leave with door open/drawers out for about 15mins. I put a big towel along base to catch any drips..and then set about it with a plastic scraper. DP accidently left door ajar recently and it was like an iceberg lol but I did it in about an hour in total

Oh, that sounds quick .

I wonder whether there is a fancy keep your fridge on, but turn off your freezer setting...

Do you have a steam cleaner or wallpaper steam stripper? It is much thicker then trying to use bowls of water or scrape the ice off.

Quicker not thicker!

Ah, no, I don't have this things starfish.

I can take some foods to my lovely friends house during all of this though (I'm only defrosting it because I'm moving house!).

Arg, please excuse my typos!

Hair drier. Hot setting. Will take you 10 mins max.

Oh, and scrape as well as the hair drier if there are lumps of ice.

Make sure no dripping water can get on the hairdrier.