Mini-fridges were once only found in studio apartments and dorm rooms for college students rather than a full-size refrigerator. But virtually everyone uses mini-fridges in their home, in an RV, boat, or one they bring along when they go camping in their cars.
Even though we all adore the practicality and small size of a mini-fridge, we rarely clean or maintain it. Instead, we should plan ahead and defrost them every three months. Then, they’ll work effectively and have the largest amount of space, not a chunk of ice and frost buildup.
It appears too much work to defrost a deep freezer is a significant contributing factor to why you may often be short on time before a trip, and you need to know how to defrost a mini fridge fast. In our guide, you can learn all you need about defrosting mini fridge freezer compartments the right ways and the fast ways.
By the end, no matter what size the mini fridge ice build-up, you’ll be able to melt it in the shortest time so you can chill all your soda drinks, have plenty of ice trays full of ice cubes, and freeze your leftover food. (Learn How To Use Brake Cleaner Without Removing Tire)
What is a Frost-free Freezer?
This phrase has been used numerous times during our lives. Freezers typically come in two types: frost-free and manual defrost.
What do they mean?
Manual Defrost: Manual defrost refrigerators are common, and you’ll spot these as they have a thick coating of ice in the freezer box. Such accumulation needs you to go through the entire defrosting process, ice removal, and cleaning every few months.
Frost Free: A freezer with built-in technology to prevent ice particle accumulation (ice buildup) is referred to as a frost-free freezer.
Frost-free don’t suffer this and are easy to clean and maintain.
Nowadays, most people favor frost-free products as defrosting is automatic, and excess water can be drained off via tube or into a plastic container where it evaporates.
Best Way to Defrost a Freezer
Removing the thick layer of ice from your manual defrosting freezer every few months is crucial.
Otherwise, your freezer’s functionality suffers, and you lack storage space beside a few ice cubes in the freezer compartment.
You’ll know it’s time to defrost when everything is covered in frost.
Despite how labor-intensive it appears, defrosting refrigerators is straightforward.
Before Defrosting Freezer:
The following steps should be followed to remove ice buildup from a mini fridge easily:
To empty the freezer, try to eat everything over the week. Then, find another refrigerator to keep raw meat or fish until the cleaning is finished.
It takes a few hours to clean your freezer, including defrosting time, and raw foods can thaw enough to the point you shouldn’t re-freeze them. (Read Do Fans Reduce Humidity)
What You Need:
- Hot water (other forms of heat can be used effectively)
- Spatula
- Baking sheet
- Old rug/towels
- Dishcloths
Here’s one of the best ways how to defrost a mini fridge freezer:
1. Unplug Freezer:
The freezer appliance needs to be turned off first. Some refrigerators merely feature an on/off button that controls the freezer and refrigerator.
You will need to unplug the entire thing for those. If you have time, a mini fridge freezer defrosts when left like this for a few hours.
Note: if you leave your mini fridge appliance alone as the fridge defrosts, you can find you have a large puddle of water on the floor where the ice has melted.
Also, you need somewhere to keep all the food that could go off, and leave you with bad smells or grow mold if you forget.
2. Place Towels:
Lay out some used towels and fabrics at the base of your freezer before you begin to defrost. In case of a spill, we suggest setting up a towel or paper towels in front of your refrigerator.
There will be a lot of water and moisture when you thaw your mini fridge freezer. While paper towels soak up quickly, a full-size towel may be better because of the moisture and water that could end up on the floor.
To catch the ice and additional water, you can place a baking tray or something similar as your towel.
3. Remove Freezer Shelves:
Remove the mini fridge shelves and all other removable components from the freezer if you want to get rid of the ice more quickly.
It’s crucial to leave the mini fridge door open so that warm, fresh air may enter.
The drawers can be taken out as well. It’s a good time to soak them in warm soapy water so that you may wash them thoroughly afterward.
The growing ice could lead some shelves to become stuck. You can remove it after 10 minutes of letting it sit in that position with the door open. (Learn How To Thaw Frozen Plastic Water Pipes Underground)
4. Use A Scraper:
After taking out every component from the mini fridge freezer, remove the thin film of frost by scraping it off with a plastic spatula.
Even though you won’t be able to get rid of all the ice from the interior like this, it can be among the fastest ways how to defrost a mini fridge.
You can also use a proper ice scraper explicitly made to be freezer safe. Use caution when using anything sharp because it can damage the lining of your mini fridge freezer.
5. Use Hot Water:
If you want the defrosting process to go quicker, boil around half a gallon of water until hot.
Following that, pour it into a big bowl and put the bowl in the freezer, and close the door. After letting it sit for a while, you’ll see that the ice has started melting.
This method of defrosting is straightforward and practical. In addition, the water can be regularly changed as it cools.
6. Use A Hairdryer:
Use a hairdryer or blow dryer to melt the ice using hot air if this isn’t quick enough.
Ensure you maintain a six-inch distance between the freezer’s lining and the hairdryer. Otherwise, it can damage the surface.
If you are extremely cautious, this approach can work fantastically, although you need to be careful as water and electricity don’t mix, and you’ll have lots of both as your freezer is defrosted using a hairdryer
How to defrost a mini fridge is easy with the steps above, and once you clean up all the water on the floor with your towel, you can turn on the power again, or you can spend the time wisely and clean out your entire mini fridge cooler.
Defrost a Mini Fridge Before Leaving for Break
If you are at college or your fridge isn’t at home, you must go through the entire defrosting and fridge cleaning in a couple of hours without the mess.
This is the best way to deal with mini-fridges after eating all the food that could go off, or you don’t have time to stick around and wait.
1. Plan Ahead
To prevent a mess when you return to your accommodation after winter break, defrost your mini fridge around 24 to 48 hours before you depart.
Remember that a larger refrigerator will take longer to defrost thoroughly.
Any leftover food in your refrigerator and freezer must be thrown out, donated, or consumed the day before leaving.
Ensure that everything is removed, including the ice trays. Nothing should be left inside since the freezer defrosts and sits outside; it will develop mold or mildew.
Top tip: For coffee lovers, if you can’t live without your coffee creamer, grab some creamer capsules, as these don’t need to be refrigerated.
2. Unplug Your Mini Fridge
This step should be self-explanatory as it won’t defrost as fast when running as it will without power because the temperature beneath the ice won’t drop. Next, pull the plug from the socket and keep it on the side.
3. Lay An Old Towel Around or Under Your Fridge
When you’re defrosting your mini fridge, this can be a vital step. Pick an old towel and throw your mini fridge on top of the towel.
You’ll want the towel to absorb excess water as your fridge defrosts.
Ensure your towel covers all the bottom of your fridge and extends around the fridge so you don’t damage your room or floor. (Read What Happens If My Drive Shaft Breaks While Driving)
4. Prop open Your Fridge Door
You may have an open box freezer compartment that has or doesn’t have a door.
Prop open your fridge door and freezer door if there is one.
The air temperature from your room speeds up the mini fridge defrosting process. Leave the doors open over the entire defrosting process and while you clean later.
How to Clean a Mini Fridge
Once the defrosting time is complete, the freezer and refrigerator need to be cleaned so none of the food will get contaminated, or you need to stop smells inside your fridge.
What You Need:
- Dishwashing liquid
- Baking soda
- Clean cloths
- Towels
How to clean your mini-fridge:
1. Empty Fridge:
Take out all the milk, sauce bottles, and food from the refrigerator. Checking which food products have expired or perished at this time is a good idea. Only keep the fresh ones and throw the rest away.
2. Remove Shelves or Drawers:
Take out every shelf and drawer from the refrigerator. Then, to weaken the filth and grease, soak them in warm water with soap.
Wipe the interior walls of the refrigerator with a sponge or rag. If there are any stubborn stains, use soap.
3. Use Baking Soda:
Pour some baking soda on a dish and sit it inside your refrigerator for around four hours, or you can leave a box in there all the time if you have the space.
4. Clean the Outside
When you’re finished, wipe the exterior of the refrigerator with a moist cloth as well.
The fridge’s outside should ideally be cleaned once each week. Unfortunately, as they frequently rest against walls, refrigerators collect dust.
5. Let It Completely Dry:
Before replacing the components and compartments in the refrigerator, let everything completely dry out.
Plug in and wait until it starts to cool before filling it with food.
