How to clean a freezer, with or without defrosting it

To clean a freezer, move the food to a cooler with ice packs, take out the drawers and the ice bin, and wipe the inside with warm water and a little baking soda. Wash the drawers in the sink once they've warmed up, dry everything completely, and load the food back. Without a defrost, it takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

The steps below are for a freezer that's part of your refrigerator. For a chest or stand-alone freezer, check your manual first.

What do you need?

• A cooler and ice packs, or a couple of insulated bags
• Baking soda
• Dish soap
• Microfiber cloths and a soft sponge
• An old toothbrush
• Old towels, if you're defrosting
• A plastic spatula, if you're defrosting

Does your freezer need defrosting?

Many newer freezers are frost-free and only need a wipe-out. If you see a layer of ice on the walls or around the vents thicker than about a quarter inch, defrost it. Ice takes up space, makes the freezer work harder and traps smells.

How do you clean a freezer, step by step?

1. Empty it. Pack the food into the cooler with ice packs and close the lid. As you go, throw out anything freezer-burned, unlabeled and mysterious, or past the point you'd eat it.
2. Take out the parts. Pull the drawers, shelves, door bins and the ice bin. Set them aside to warm up to room temperature. Cold plastic and glass can crack in hot water.
3. Defrost, if you need to. Unplug the fridge, lay towels on the floor of the freezer and in front of it, and set a bowl of hot water inside with the door shut. Swap the water when it cools. As the ice loosens, ease it off with the plastic spatula. Don't chip at it with a knife or anything sharp; one slip can puncture the wall or a coolant line.
4. Wash the inside. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda into a quart of warm water. Wipe the walls, ceiling, floor and the inside of the door, top to bottom.
5. Work the frozen spills. Hold a warm, wet cloth on a sticky spot for a minute, then wipe. Repeat until it lifts.
6. Scrub the gasket. Run the toothbrush and the baking soda mix along the folds of the door seal, where crumbs and sticky drips hide. Wipe it dry.
7. Wash the parts. Once they've warmed up, wash the drawers, bins and ice bin in the sink with warm water and dish soap. Rinse and dry.
8. Dry everything. Any water left on the walls turns into frost as soon as the freezer gets cold again. Use a dry cloth on every surface.
9. Restart and reload. Plug it back in if you unplugged it, put the parts back and load the food. Group like with like and put the oldest food at the front so it gets used first.

How do you deal with the ice maker?

Empty the ice bin before you start, wash it with warm soapy water, and dry it fully. If your ice tastes or smells off, that's a sign the bin and the freezer need cleaning and something in there needs throwing out. For anything beyond the bin, like the ice maker itself or the water filter, follow your manual.

How long does it take?

About 30 to 45 minutes for a frost-free freezer. Add an hour or more for a defrost, depending on how much ice there is. Keep the cooler closed the whole time and the food stays cold.

How do you keep a freezer clean?

• Wipe spills as soon as you see them, before they freeze on.
• Store food in sealed containers or bags with the air pressed out. That cuts down on freezer burn and on smells.
• Label and date what goes in.
• Leave a little space around the vents so cold air can move.
• Keep an open box of baking soda on a shelf and swap it every couple of months.

The fridge below it needs its own clean. See how to clean a refrigerator.

Can you book someone to clean the freezer?

The inside of the freezer isn't part of the inside refrigerator add-on. On Standard, Deep and Move-In / Move-Out cleaning, the inside fridge add-on covers the refrigerator interior, the fridge must be emptied (and on Move-In / Move-Out, defrosted) before the cleaner arrives, and the freezer isn't included.

The outside of the refrigerator is wiped on every Standard House Cleaning visit, RoutineCare, and on Move-In / Move-Out Cleaning, CleanStart. On Deep Cleaning, PureRenewal, the top of the refrigerator is included too, where it can be reached.

FAQ

Do you have to unplug a freezer to clean it? Not for a quick wipe-out of a frost-free freezer. Unplug it if you need to defrost a layer of ice, or if your manual tells you to before cleaning.

What should you clean the inside of a freezer with? Warm water with a tablespoon of baking soda per quart, or a few drops of dish soap. Skip strong-smelling cleaners, because food stored in a closed freezer picks up scents.

How do you get rid of a bad smell in the freezer? Throw out anything spoiled or freezer-burned, then wash the walls, drawers and ice bin and dry them fully. An open box of baking soda on a shelf helps with what's left, and a smell in the ice usually means the ice bin needs washing too.

How often should you clean the freezer? A full clean two or three times a year is enough for many households, plus a quick wipe whenever something spills. Defrost sooner if ice builds up thicker than a quarter inch.

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