If you have a freezer, you’ve probably experienced freezer frost, the annoying buildup in your freezer that becomes hard and icy and frankly is difficult to remove once it has set in. Unfortunately, when you purchase a new freezer, the associate at the store doesn’t discuss preventing the frost from building up, frost tips, or even mention that this type of frost is an issue. In fact, you probably will only hear about it if you are considering purchasing a frost free freezer. This type of freezer has a special feature to prevent frost and the need for extended freezer care because of buildup. The models will be more expensive and have a special freezer temperature gauge that is supposed to help frost from accumulating, and will add to your price tag. However, even with a standard freezer, you can do a lot to avoid frost, and you don’t necessarily need an expensive upgrade to a frost free model to do a little bit of freezer frost prevention.
Nobody likes the frost that builds up on foods stored in the freezer, causing freezer burn and wasted products. What you might not know is that a buildup of frost can actually put an extra burden on the motor of your freezer and cause the freezer to stop working entirely. Then, you will have to call the freezer service for a costly home visit to repair your freezer. However, by following these tips to prevent frost in freezers, you can keep your unit frost free.
Perhaps the most important thing is to keep your freezer clean. If you have frost buildup, you can either chip off the ice, or if it is a small amount of frost, then you can use a hair dryer to melt the frost. Make sure to carefully dry the area or the melted water, or the frost will just refreeze. Throw out any foods that show signs of frost damage and freezer burn. Then totally empty your freezer. If you have a lot of foods in the freezer, you may want to get a friend to help so you can get the foods back in quickly after you clean.
Using baking soda and warm water clean the entire freezer. You will want to have paper towels or several cloth towels handy to sop up any water and to dry off the inner freezer surfaces so there is no frost or ice created from the cleaning. Then restock your freezer.
It is very important to keep your freezer door closed. Often, if you have kids in the home, they will stand in front of the refrigerator or freezer with the door open while they browse. This contributes to freezer frost because warm room air enters the freezer causing moisture to freeze when the door is finally closed. This starts the buildup of frost, and more frost is created each time it occurs. This one tip alone can prevent frost buildup if followed diligently by all users.