How to clean a freezer, with or without defrosting
To clean a freezer, empty it into a cooler with ice packs, throw out anything old or freezer-burned, take out the shelves and drawers to wash in warm soapy water, and wipe the walls and door seal with warm water and a little baking soda. Dry everything completely, then put the food back. If there's a thick layer of ice, defrost it first.
A short, cold job if you plan it. Do it the night before a big shop, when the freezer is emptiest.
What do you need?
- A cooler and ice packs, or a second freezer for the food
- Trash bags
- Warm water, dish soap and baking soda
- Microfiber cloths and a soft brush or old toothbrush
- Old towels
- A pan for hot water, if you're defrosting
Do you need to defrost first?
- Frost-free freezer: no. Clean it without unplugging, working fast and drying as you go.
- Manual-defrost or chest freezer with ice more than about a quarter inch thick: yes. Ice keeps the freezer from working well and hides spills.
How do you defrost a freezer?
- Move the food to a cooler.
- Unplug the freezer or switch it off.
- Prop the door open and lay towels on the floor and the bottom shelf.
- Set a pan of hot water on a shelf and close the door for a few minutes to speed things up. Swap in fresh hot water as it cools.
- Lift off loose sheets of ice by hand as they let go.
Never chip at the ice with a knife, a screwdriver or anything sharp. You can puncture the walls or the cooling lines.
How do you clean a freezer, step by step?
- Empty it. Everything goes in the cooler. Check dates as you go.
- Toss what's old. Freezer-burned food, mystery packages, anything you can't name.
- Wash the parts. Take out shelves and drawers and wash them in warm soapy water. Let glass shelves warm up to room temperature first so they don't crack.
- Wipe the inside. Use a cloth in warm water with a spoonful or two of baking soda, wrung out well. Do the ceiling, walls and floor, then the ice maker bin if you have one.
- Clean the door seal. Run the toothbrush and soapy water along the rubber gasket, where crumbs hide, and dry it.
- Dry everything. Water left behind turns to ice.
- Refill. Plug it back in, let it get cold, then put the food back, grouped so you can see it.
How do you get rid of freezer smells?
Find the source and toss it. Wash every surface with the baking soda water, and dry it well. Leave an open box of baking soda on a shelf and swap it every few months. Ice cubes that taste strange mean the smell got into the ice: empty the ice bin, wash it, and make fresh.
What about the outside?
Wipe the door and handle with warm soapy water, and dry. Stainless doors get wiped with the grain. The fridge guide covers the rest of the unit, including the coils underneath.
How do you keep it clean?
- Label and date everything you freeze.
- Do a quick clear-out before trash day each month.
- Wipe spills when they happen, before they freeze.
- Keep the door seal clean so it closes tight and frost doesn't build.
Our kitchen cleaning schedule puts the freezer on the calendar with everything else.
Want help with the kitchen?
Book Deep Cleaning online. If the freezer is a priority, ask about it when you book and put it in your booking notes.
FAQ
How do you clean a freezer without defrosting it? Empty it a shelf at a time into a cooler, wipe the shelves and walls with warm water and a little baking soda on a well-wrung cloth, and dry each spot right away so it doesn't freeze. It works for a frost-free freezer; heavy ice needs a full defrost.
How do you get a bad smell out of a freezer? Throw out the source, wash every surface with warm water and baking soda, and dry it well. Then leave an open box of baking soda on a shelf to absorb what's left.
How often should you clean the freezer? Toss old and freezer-burned food every month or two, and do a full empty-and-wash two or three times a year, or whenever something spills.
How do you defrost a freezer quickly? Unplug it, prop the door open, lay towels on the floor, and set a pan of hot water on a shelf to speed the melt. Never chip at the ice with a knife or anything sharp; it can puncture the walls.
Book a cleaning
Our service area: every Philadelphia neighborhood, plus the Pennsylvania suburbs within about 30 miles of Center City, in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties. Book online at phillyscleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.
