Empty the fridge and freezer completely: To defrost them, they must be empty; therefore, you will need to remove all the food from them. To ensure you don’t lose any food, we recommend planning the day you’ll defrost your fridge and freezer, thus avoiding overfilling them in the days leading up to the defrost. Also, get some freezer bags and freezer bags (the kind readily available at the supermarket): collect the food inside them so that it stays at the right temperature and doesn’t experience dangerous temperature fluctuations. In more serious cases, the ice may have “held” food packages or bottles hostage: in this case, you will need to wait until the defrosting process has begun to “free” them.
Turn off the refrigerator: Once emptied, the refrigerator should be turned off. To do this, you can unplug it or simply set the thermostat to zero. As a precaution, remove the shelves from the inside of the refrigerator and place rags at the bottom of the interior and on the floor in front of the appliance: these will stop any leaks.
Speed up the process: Once you’ve emptied and turned off the refrigerator, the ice inside will begin to melt. To speed up the process, you can place a bowl of hot water and vinegar inside the refrigerator and freezer: the steam will act and the ice will melt more easily. Alternatively, you can dab the ice on the bottom of the refrigerator with rags soaked in hot water or sprinkle coarse salt on the ice and let it sit before removing it with a spatula.
Clean the shelves and interior: While the ice is melting, you can use this time to clean and sanitize the drawers, shelves, and interior surfaces of the refrigerator and freezer. You don’t necessarily need to use chemicals to do this; a solution of warm water, vinegar, and baking soda will do.
Removing the ice: Most of the ice will have melted at this point, and you can dry the water with dish towels. However, in more critical cases, you may need to manually remove any remaining ice. To remove the ice, it’s important not to use knives or iron spatulas, which can damage the appliance’s interior. It’s better to use a special plastic ice scraper.