You may have a frost-free fridge-freezer combination, but even so, at least twice a year you should check and remove any chunks of ice that may have built up at the back - and take the opportunity to give it a good clean at the same time.
Turn the fridge off and open the fridge and freezer doors, then remove all items and put them in a cool spot. It will only take 10 minutes and most things will survive. You could use some ice blocks and a cooler box for ice cream and other foods that spoil quickly.
While you might be wondering, why the ice build-up when it's supposed to be frost-free? Especially as the thermostat is set correctly and the door is kept closed - accept it's one of life's anomalies and it's better to maintain than invite an expensive repair bill.
It's a nasty job that most of us would rather avoid, but you do have to do a quick defrost every now and again to keep your fridge-freezer working efficiently.
So here is a quick defrosting trick that only takes you about 10 minutes tops to remove the ice. The trick is to use your hair dryer!
Here are quick steps to defrost your fridge:
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Turn the fridge off and open the fridge and freezer doors, then remove all items and put them in a cool spot. It will only take 10 minutes and most things will survive. You could use some ice blocks and a cooler box for ice cream and other foods that spoil quickly.
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Pull the shelves away from the back - or remove them - it's an ideal time to give them a good wash and scrubbing down.
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Use a hair dryer to melt around the outside of the ice block. The idea is to soften around the edge so that it can be chipped off in one piece, and not have pools of water running everywhere.
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Then use a plastic spatula, it must be plastic, to chip from the edge. Don't chip off bits, but rather try and remove the block as a whole.
- Wipe dry with a clean cloth and replace the shelves.
Safety first!
Do not use a hair dryer that has a frayed cord. Keep the appliance away from direct contact with water.
Do not use metal utensils to remove the ice or frost from a fridge. This may easily puncture the casing and result in expensive repairs or replacement of the fridge.
Article courtesy of www.homedzine.co.za
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