John Myers
Even if it is rather time-consuming: you should defrost your refrigerator at least once a year. This keeps everything hygienic inside and you prevent ice from turning your device into a power guzzler. We will give you useful tips that will make the task easier.
Defrosting made easy
Are you looking for a jar of pickles at the back of the fridge and find that a layer of ice has formed on the back wall of your appliance? Then it’s high time to defrost the fridge! You should defrost and clean your refrigerator once or twice a year, and not just for reasons of hygiene. Especially when a layer of ice has already formed inside or – in the case of a fridge-freezer combination – in the associated freezer compartment, the operation also costs more electricity. Your wallet and the environment will also be happy if you keep your refrigerator free of ice. We give you valuable tips that will make the task easier for you.
Prepare the fridge properly
The basic principle is: Please pull the plug before defrosting the refrigerator! Defrosting the refrigerator without switching it off first prolongs the process and makes little sense in terms of energy. Wondering where to put your food from the fridge during defrosting? Here are two professional tips: Use a cold winter’s day to defrost. Then you can temporarily store the food on the balcony or in the garden. If you can’t plan the campaign well in advance, at least don’t defrost it immediately after a bulk purchase. For example, before a holiday trip is a good time because before that you will try to have as little fresh food as possible in the house anyway. Use a cooler bag or box: put ice packs inside, fill the bag or box – and then wrap it all up in a blanket. Then place the wrapped food in the coolest room in your home.
Good to know: Despite all the planning, are you worried that your frozen food could thaw a lot during the defrosting campaign? Find out beforehand under what circumstances you should freeze food twice.
Cleared out and defrosted – that’s the quickest way
Door open or door closed? If the layer of ice is not too thick, it is best to defrost your device with the door open, it will be quicker. On the other hand, if the ice is thick, put a pot of hot water inside and close the door. The warm air accelerates the defrosting process. In both cases, you should first remove all shelves, shelf inserts, and drawers from the appliance. Place wipes or terry towels in front of the refrigerator door to prevent puddles from forming in your kitchen. After about an hour, remove larger pieces of defrosted ice. This works best with a wooden spatula, not with a knife. This will prevent damage to the device. Then you have to wait: Depending on the thickness of the ice layer, it can take several hours to defrost the refrigerator. You can schedule the process overnight. Once the refrigerator and freezer compartment has been defrosted, wash the interior and all floors, inserts, and compartments thoroughly. Ideally, you should use some vinegar essence in the rinsing water to disinfect the device at the same time. Then wipe everything dry with a cloth, plug the refrigerator back in and set it to the desired cooling level.
Extra tip: You can also use the defrost action to check your groceries. Jars that have been opened and packages with products that are rarely used and that may no longer be edible are often hidden way back. Before putting things back in the fridge, simply read up what goes in which fridge compartment and which types of fruit go in the fridge.
