I love my husband. My husband is amazing. I love my husband.
Some days that seems to be the only mantra I have to get me through the day, lol. Steve is an amazing man; one of the best I’ve ever known, but he’s also super forgetful some days. Every relationship is full of those tiny little quirks that drive the other partner insane. One of Steve’s happens to be his habit of sticking a can of Coke in the freezer; and then forgetting about it. Soda in the freezer equals a really magnificent mess when it’s left too long. It was one of those occasional soda explosions that forced me to learn how to clean a freezer easily.
As happens, we had one of those exploding soda cans not too long ago which got me thinking; I bet I’m not the only one who had to learn how to clean a freezer without defrosting it. When you’re cleaning your freezer, quick is the optimal word. If you aren’t paying attention though; you could easily find yourself spreading whatever made the mess – in my case Coke – and having it freeze on you.
How to Clean a Freezer
Nice, huh? Sometimes I would swear he does it just to remind me that I need to re-organize our smaller freezer. Then I remember he usually can’t remember what he had for breakfast and it’s probably legit. The bad news is that even a single can of Coke can make a really epic mess. The good news is that it’s actually super simple to clean a freezer no matter what you’re cleaning up.
How to Clean a Freezer without Defrosting
To clean your freezer after a minor – or major – explosion, you’ll need a few supplies. It’s as simple as a few reusable cleaning rags, a mixing bowl to collect frozen debris, some hot water and a hair dryer. Strange combo, right? I know. I don’t recommend using paper towels because frankly, they won’t hold up to melted ice or other icy liquids.
Start by removing any food from the freezer. If the packages are covered in soda or whatever went wrong in your fridge, clean them up. Pay special attention to any that are covered in blood from meat and make triple sure the package is still sealed. Play it safe and toss any that are not still fully sealed. Cross contamination can make your family sick and a few dollars worth of waste isn’t worth that risk.
Wipe out as much as you can easily. If you’re cleaning up exploded soda like I was, it is fairly easy to get the majority of it in just a couple of swipes. You will be left with a frozen film of gunk which is where the hot water comes in. Use a clean rag dampened with hot water to clean the bottom of the freezer.
How to Clean the Bottom of a Freezer
Now obviously using water in a freezer will cause it to freeze and the last thing you want is for a block of ice to be covering the bottom of your freezer. So, to clean the bottom of a freezer without defrosting it, turn the hair dryer on low. Use the hairdryer to melt the newly formed icy film into liquid droplets. Once they’re melted, use a clean rag to soak them up. Be careful not to wipe them since doing so will only create a new frozen film. Just use the rag to soak the melted droplets up.
I shouldn’t feel the need to say this, but I do; please don’t get the hair dryer wet. Electrocuting yourself just isn’t worth it.
Once you have everything cleaned, place your frozen food back into the freezer and call it a day! All in all, it should only take around 10 minutes for the entire process.
Hopefully the next time you have an exploded Coke in the freezer, this post can help you get it cleaned up quickly without too many issues.