Tips to clean and maintain your freezer

The typical American food freezer is likely to be overlooked when doing a routine kitchen cleaning. Perhaps it is because the logistics of cleaning the freezer are slightly more complex than other items on your cleaning regimen. Whatever the reason, cleaning your freezer is a practice that, when done once or twice a year, has the potential to lead to a cleaner living environment as well as greater cooling efficiency.

At Diamond Appliance, we help appliance owners in St. Louis, Overland, Kansas City, Independence, and surrounding communities keep their freezers running efficiently. Read on for our top tips for cleaning and maintaining your freezer:

Turn off the Freezer 

Before starting the cleaning process, it is a good idea to make sure that either the refrigerator unplugged or the temperature control in the freezer is turned off, whichever method is easier for you. Since you will be removing the contents of the freezer to clean, a freezer that stays on will be working extra hard to try and maintain the preset temperature. When cleaning agents are used in this cold temperature, their efficiency and overall utility is drastically reduced. Kill power to the freezer and wait long enough for it to warm up a bit. Keeping the door open will help expedite the process.

Allow Racks and Drawers to Warm Up

After turning off the freezer and moving the contents to a cooler or other secure temporary location, you may be tempted to jump right into removing and cleaning the storage components, but beware! You must allow the removable racks and drawers adequate time to warm up before cleaning. Since you will be using a hot cleaning solution (see below), the interaction with cold plastic components can cause cracking and splitting. While you wait for the parts to warm up, you can get started prepping the cleaning solution detailed in the next section.

Create a DIY Organic Cleaning Solution for Cheap

White vinegar is one of the cheapest and most effective cleaning agents you can use. Mix equal parts hot water and vinegar and transfer to a spray bottle. This solution is organic, disinfecting, antimicrobial, and best of all – cheap! Spray your freezer with this solution, paying special attention to particularly tough spots of accumulation.

Consider a Textured Sponge

While washcloths or paper towels can do the job, you will likely end up with a sore elbow from an extended period of scrubbing. Why not go easier on yourself (and your freezer) and try a textured sponge such as the Scrub Daddy? These sponges utilize a woven pattern of sponge material to create exponentially greater scrubbing power with less force and rotation. This pattern is designed such that every pass effectively scrubs the target area multiple times, instead of just once with a traditional cleaning cloth. Freezer stains are notoriously tough to deal with (think ice cream, popsicles, and that freezer-burned mass that fell out of the bag last year).  Using a textured sponge will make quick work of any spot or stain your freezer can throw at you.  Your elbows and wrists will thank you.

Allow Adequate Drying Time

Once you have applied your cleaning solution and scrubbed down the freezer, it is time to dry off the inside before returning the original contents. Use a paper towel or absorbent cloth to dry every nook and cranny of the freezer. Any water that is left undried has the potential to freeze and create efficiency-related issues inside your freezer down the line. Depending on your time constraints, consider using a fan to speed up the drying process and ensure a clean, even dry.  Once you have ensured that your freezer is adequately dried, it is time to move on to the final step of the cleaning process.

Place Contents in Freezer and Power On

Now that the freezer is cleaned, you can put its contents back in and turn the freezer back on.  Did you know that freezers work most efficiently when there is a good amount – not too much, not too little – inside the compartment? A relatively empty freezer needs to work harder to maintain a constant temperature, while a freezer that is too full runs the risk of having important sensors and other components blocked, thus impeding optimal performance. When a freezer is full just above half-way, the food actually acts as a cooling agent, thus helping the freezer maintain the target temperature without working too hard.

Together, these tips should help your freezer stay clean and fully operational. ] Taking the time to adequately clean your freezer once or twice a year will help keep the unit functioning at optimal efficiency. It also gives you the opportunity to review and discard contents that are simply taking up space and therefore potentially sacrificing performance.

At Diamond, we know our freezers. Proudly servicing Maytag freezers, KitchenAid freezers, Whirlpool freezers, and more. Give us a call to get started today!