Once you have totally defrosted your freezer and before you replace your frozen foods, thoroughly clean the freezer and any shelves or drawers. It is possible to switch on the heater and wait for the car to de-ice itself while you sit inside, but this costs time and fuel and is possibly the least environmentally-friendly method. If you have the brain-bandwidth to plan it, you can ‘cook the freezer’ the week before you plan to spring clean it. However, this can take anywhere from 3 to 24 hours, depending on how badly frosted it has become, and if you have food that you don’t want to go to waste, you may want to hurry things along.

Davenport, M., Qi, D., & Roe, B. E. (2019). Food-related routines, product characteristics, and household food waste in the United States: A refrigerator-based pilot study. Resources Conservation and Recycling, 150, 104440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104440Align the opening of the bag with the bottom of the opening on the freezer. Have a sip of brown licuid sugar. It depends what method you choose. If there’s a lot of ice and you want to completely defrost the freezer, it could take several hours. We recommend allowing a full day, just in case.

According to a 2022 study by Euromonitor International, about 98% of UK homes own a fridge freezer.[4] Moreover, there has been steady growth in the frozen food market. Here are some key data from the 2021 Frozen Food Report from the British Frozen Food Federation[5]: Not only does a clogged up freezer look sad, the extra ice also takes up space and compromises how efficiently your freezer could be working otherwise. Frost build-up in freezers can also cause its doors to jam, which can damage the appliance and affect the temperature you're supposed to keep your food at for hygiene reasons. By looking at the data, we can see that consumers find practical use in their freezers. Your defrosting questions answered How can I keep the food frozen? De-ice all of your windows. 42% of drivers only de-ice their windscreen before setting off, but you’ve got to de-ice all your windows, mirrors, and lights to be safe. Various factors can cause freezer frosting. Some of the reasons behind this problem include air drafts, temperature fluctuations, and humidity levels. During the summer season, freezer frosting tends to happen. Whenever you open your freezer, moist air comes in and turns into cold water droplets. Eventually, these water droplets freeze as they reach the freezer’s shelves and walls. How do I prevent freezer buildup?It’s a good idea to use Pyrex dishes if you have them, as they are specifically designed to tolerate changes in temperature, such as the difference between the boiling water within and the frozen shelf onto which you will be placing it. To help any large chunks dislodge from the sides of the freezer, you might want to scrape at them with a spatula or other blunt utensil. Using a vacuum cleaner instead of a hairdryer Although there are plenty of affordable options out there, frost-free freezers tend to be more expensive than an appliance that you'll need to defrost manually. So, if you want to save yourself the hassle of defrosting your freezer by hand, then you may need to spend a bit more upfront. If you don’t have a cool box or have more frozen food than fits into your cool box, there are other alternatives to help slow the thawing process. Choosing a freezing cold winter day for your defrost is ideal as you can place the food into a cool box, cool bag or even a large plastic lidded container and leave it outside until you are finished. You really need the temperature outside to be below 5°C and keep it away from any direct sunlight. Previously frozen food that's been defrosted should not be frozen again as there’s a higher chance of food poisoning when you eventually come to eat it. The exception is for food that’s been previously frozen, defrosted and cooked. This can be frozen again without a higher chance of food poisoning.