How to Spring Clean Your Freezer

Beautiful Spring weather have you itching to clean? Don't look past your freezer! With temperatures warming up above freezing, but not too hot, now's the perfect time to unpack your freezer, defrost it, and start fresh for the summer.

Here are some helpful tips to consider when doing so:

When should I defrost the freezer? Pick a cool day to do so when the freezer inventory is relatively low. You want it to be cool enough that the food you take out of the freezer is not at risk of spoiling.

Where do I put the food from my freezer? Have another freezer or coolers ready. If you don't have enough additional freezer or cooler space for the food in the freezer to be defrosted, ask a friend or neighbor if you can borrow theirs. It's important to keep the food safely stored below 32 degrees to stay frozen and not risk any thaw of the food.

How do I keep the food frozen in a cooler? You can use gel packs that you receive with your home delivery order to help keep the items cold in the coolers while you defrost your freezer. Make sure you freeze them ahead of time!

How do I defrost the freezer? Defrost your freezer according to manufacturer instructions. Most often this includes emptying the freezer, unplugging it, propping the door open, and letting it thaw on its own.

Is this a familiar sight? It may be time to defrost your freezer. This icy build up causes inefficiency and takes up valuable storage space in your freezer.

What supplies do I need to defrost the freezer? Have plenty of towels and buckets on hand so you can remove ice chunks that start to thaw out and wipe up the water that pools. If you have a shop vac, you can use a wet filter to vacuum the water out of it. This is especially helpful for chest freezers that are hard to reach into!

What do I do while the freezer is thawing? Go through your food and get rid of any outdated, freezer burned, unwanted items.

How do I clean the freezer after it's defrosted? After the freezer is defrosted, use a simple cleaning solution of vinegar and water to wipe out and disinfect your freezer. If there are any dirty spots, you can use a little hot soapy water to wipe them down before disinfecting.

When can I put my food back in the freezer? Once everything is wiped down, you can plug your freezer back in and start to add your food back in. Take advantage of this opportunity to reorganize things if your freezer has gotten a little jumbled up since you last thawed it.

As you go through things, take note of what you need more of and what you don't to minimize food waste in the future.

Why should you thaw your freezer?

Ice build up in the freezer reduces storage space, freezer efficiency, and increases operating costs, so it's important to clear it out from time to time. Cleaning it out also gives you the chance to clear out any accumulated food/dirt particles.

It's also a great chance to go through your food, eat up what's old, make room for new, and discard what's not good anymore.