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Cleaning Your Freezer

Summary: Cleaning your freezer doesn't need to be an all-day job. Keep your frozen foods cold by housing them in your kitchen sink, covered with a blanket, while you quickly use spray cleaner and paper towels to clean the freezer cabinet. Wipe up spills immediately when they happen, and you shouldn't have to deep-clean your freezer but twice a year.

No matter the type of freezer you have, cleaning a freezer is much easier than cleaning a refrigerator. In our garage we have a top-and-bottom refrigerator/freezer, as well as a stand-up freezer. In our kitchen, we have a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer. Again, it's my opinion that it is much easier to clean any of our three freezers, than it is to clean either of our refrigerators. I think the reason is because the freezers are opened far less than are the refrigerators, leaving fewer instances for dirt and spills to occur in the freezers. That being said, there have been times when we've had frozen orange juice containers burst, and frozen fruit spilled, leaving a sticky mess to clean up. Follow these guidelines when cleaning your freezers to keep them clean and in good working order:

  • Unplug the freezer from the power source.
  • Lay down a tarp, newspapers, or paper toweling on the floor in front of the freezer to catch any water, ice, or debris.
  • Prop open the freezer door, if need be, and remove everything from the freezer. I like to place everything in my empty kitchen sinks when I clean the freezer. If there is too much food for the sinks, I place it in tubs on the kitchen table and cover the contents with thick bath towels or blankets to hold in the cold.
  • Once you've removed everything from the freezer, use a spray cleaner such as Formula 409 or Windex and spray everything inside the freezer cabinet.
  • Allow the spray cleaner to work, so you won't have to work so hard, and inspect the gaskets around the door. While the spray cleaner is dissolving grime and foodstuffs, you can take a Q-Tip, spray it with cleaner, and go around the groove inside of the door gasket to clean it. Doing so not only cleans the gasket groove, but gets rid of any food particles that might be preventing the gasket from sealing the door shut entirely.
  • Using paper towels, wipe down every inch of the inside of the freezer, cleaning the surface to a shine.
  • If you have food residue, apply a paste of baking soda and water and scour it with a soft pad. Do not use Brillo pads or steel wool, as those types of pads will scratch and etch the surface of the freezer.

Once you've cleaned the entire freezer, dry the cabinet thoroughly with a clean towel. Replace all of the freezer racks and components, and then put the food away. Close the freezer door and lug the unit back into the power source. Do not open the freezer for at least half-n-hour in order to allow the freezer to reach the proper temperature.

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Comments for this tip:

Glenn Lesak    12 Sep 2009, 08:55
We are leaving the house for a month. We have emptied the freezer and cleaned it. We plan to leave it unplugged while we are gone. Do we leave the door open or closed? Thank you.
seema    31 Aug 2009, 17:12
i had used a cleaner which was so strong that the colour of the fridge is come out now if i paint it will not look good no matter how much i clean it doesnt look clean please help and give sum option
Rufus    02 Jun 2009, 16:14
How to get rid of mold in the freezer inside the slotted vents?
Paul Hepler    20 May 2009, 12:58
I need ideas to clean rust from metal freezer shelving.
And the freon tubes that run under each shelf.

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