How long does it take to defrost a freezer?

[BotBotticelli]

Yes, I have mamaged somehow to reach my 30s never having defrosted a freezer (pls don't judge!). Previously I have lived in shoddy rented accommodation with horrid old freezers and I never bothered.

Anyway DH and I have recently bought our new house and now have a shiney new freezer. It's about 3 months old now and about 3-4mm of frost has accumulated in the freezer. So I am planning to defrost this evening once DS is in bed....will it be possible to do this between 7pm-10pm? Or will it take longer than that?

Also, do I just shove all the frozen food in the fridge before turning off the power, and hope it all stays frozen as long as I don't open the fridge door?

All advice greatly received!!

I would say it may take longer than that. I would wait until you have hardly anything in your freezer to be honest to minimise waste. I switched it off, left the door open and filled a basin with boiling water and shoved it on the different shelves. Left it for 10 mins at a time with the door closed over and that seemed to speed up the ice melting. Basin caught some of the ice melting but water did go everywhere so have spare towels handy! Took me about 5 hours but mine was quite thick with ice

I used to use containers of boiling water but a former flatmate introduced me to the wonders of defrosting freezers with the help of a hair dryer and I have never looked back!

I use a wallpaper steamer. It gets nice big chucks out and cleans at the same time. Did mine last week and it took half hour.

If it's a "new" freezer check in the instructions. It may not actually need doing at all.

Modern freezers are often designed to be "frost-free". Ours is now four years old and has never needed defrosting.

I use a hairdryer.
I put a big bowl on each shelf to collect the water and lots of towels on the bottom. I leave it till I can't open and close the drawers usually
Takes about half an hour.
I then boil the towels with bleach and soda crystals to clean the washer. 2 jobs done

Having spent years dangerously defrosting with a hairdryer, My dd had the genius idea last Summer (when I paid her to do it as it's a job I hate) of unplugging it, putting it out in the garden in the sun, and going off to do something else for a couple of hours, whilst it did itself!!!

Am so cross I never thought of this myself.

If you just leave it, it will take hours - you do need to chip away at the ice or use a hair dryer - not recommended due to electrics and water not mixing, or get hot water and be continually wiping the build up of ice with that.

Just put the food tightly packed in cool bags, or carriers you then wrap in newspaper layers and /or towels.

I tend to leave mine until I can't open the drawers too. Last time, I put the frozen food with frozen blocks in cool bags. Then I put bowls of boiling water on each shelf and kept chipping away at the chunks. It takes a couple of hours (but is only a small three-drawer freezer).

The trick is to defrost regularly, say every three months when the build up isn't so thick, and it takes much less time/effort. Or buy a self-defrosting one which I am planning to do when I replace mine!

I have just moved and there freezer has so much ice in, how can I defrost it quick?

Just moved and the freezer is packed with ice. How can I defrost it quickly?