Defrosting the Freezer

I walked into one of our work kitchens today to find one of our Directors, knife in hand, 'defrosting' the work fridge.

Commenting on the fact that a knife, even a semi blunt one, will perforate the freezer, I have decided to do some research on the best methods to defrost a freezer and even how to prevent it frosting up in the future.

In researching the said ‘clogged freezer’ problem I found there are not many ways to sort (not sure my Dad would approve of the blow dryer coz of electricity and water so close to together)

Hot Water Method
Take a pan and fill it with water, get it nice and hot on the stove or use a bowl in the microwave. Place the hot water inside the freezer and close the door. After about 5 minutes remove the pan or bowl and reheat then put it back in the freezer. Continue until ice is melted.
I personally hate the hot water method of defrosting the freezer. I find that the ice under the hot water melts first and the pan or bowl sticks to the ice as it cools off. It’s annoying to come back every 5 minutes and it doesn’t seem to help the ice melt that much faster.

Fan MethodSet up a fan outside the freezer with the freezer door propped open so that air circulates faster. More air flow will help the ice to melt faster.
However, you might not have a fan that you can angle properly and if your thawing a unit above a refrigerator it might not be worth the effort.

Blow Drier Defrosting MethodLets think about this for a second. The goal is to turn ice into water. Blow driers and water are not a good combo. This is not the safest method. It is not recommended for safety reasons.
That said I’ll admit I’ve tried it. At first glance it doesn’t seem to do much. But what happens is the heat goes to the back and then up.
So after awhile the ice on the top will defrost away from the freezer, however with thick ice you most likely won’t see this. Instead large pieces of ice just start to break off the top.
In my experience this method along with the scrapper method and lots of towels is the fastest way to defrost the freezer.

Scrapper MethodScraping the ice is probably the most common way of speeding up the process of defrosting the freezer. But we have to make sure to do it safely. And that, my friend, means no sharp objects.
There are two reasons for this. First you could hurt yourself. Second you can scrape or puncture the cabinet of your freezer. Well, it doesn’t sound like a big deal, puncturing the stuff behind the freezer cabinet could cause a leak and make your whole freezer useless. It’s not worth the risk.
A dull object, like a plastic spatula or spoon, works better. Think of it less as ‘scrapping’ and more as ‘assisting’ large chucks of ice to come out before they melt.
This method works well with the blow drier because as the ice starts to defrost off the wall or ceiling you can get the spatula under that and take out larger chunks.

Wooden Spatula Method (did sound the same as the scrapper method)

Whilst the freezer is completely empty, use the wooden spatula to gently scrape the sides, top and bottom of the freezer, but don't force anything that won't come away, and do not use anything metal for this job, and particularly nothing sharp like a knife, as you might pierce the delicate plastic walls (regrettably I speak from experience , which is why I had to buy a new fridge).

Preventing Frost in the Future

Once your freezer is completely defrosted, there are a few actions you can take to prevent this problem from developing as quickly again in the future. First, wash all the walls and shelving in a mix of water and baking soda. This will not only clean up the last of the ice, but also leave your freezer smelling fresh. Then, dip a cloth in a small amount of vegetable oil and brush it along all the surfaces of the freezer. This will prevent ice from reforming for much longer.

Tired and Sad

Today I said goodbye to my Auntie.

I know she is in a better place and I feel her service was one of both dignity and hope.

I do feel better for having found out why she died. 

It's funny how things take on a huge importance, no one seemed to know how she died, she went to hospital with Osteoarthritis and died.  There was awhile I felt only my sister and I were concerned to find out why and how she had died. 

She was a troubled soul who hid away when life was hard.

I see parts of her in myself, so much so that as I had found things tough lately I had been hiding myself.

Coming back to the land of the living and stopped hiding from my friends, pretending all is well when really I am crying inside.

The best tribute I can give to my Auntie is that I will try very hard, to stand firm and not shrink ad become less than I am.

Rest easy now, you are home.

What is going on?

I got a phone call at work...."Have you had a call from you parents, No? Are you sitting down, your Auntie is dead"

I wait for the rest of the day for my Mother to call me, but she doesn't.

As soon as I get home I start trying to phone my parents, finally I give up at 9pm.

Going to work early I finally get my Mother....Yes my Auntie is dead, no they don't know how she died, she was admitted to hospital with Osteoarthritis and now she is dead.

My parents went on holidays for a week today, the funeral has been put off till they get back, and no they didn't have time to even find a photo of my Auntie Margaret before they left...

What is going on?? 

This was not an evil person that had abused their children this was a person that had serious mental issues, so much so she had been treated with electroshock therapy before they closed it down.  

She deserved our support and love.  I had a photo of her with my sister and I from when we were about 10, it is now on my mantel.  There is something deep inside me that wont allow me to let her pass without the respect everyone is due in death.

I know, as does my sister that she is now with God, her faith was childlike but Jesus said we only need the faith as small as a mustard seed.

Rest in peace Auntie Margaret, I will not forget you.