How to Defrost a Small Fridge

The mini fridge is a great item to have in a dorm room, garage, camper or anywhere else you want to store food but have minimum space. As with any appliance you need to take the necessary steps to keep it in working order. Countless small fridges have been rendered useless by improper handling and care. A common way to insure your small fridge will end up at the dump is to defrost the wrong way. It would not only cause a mess but it just may ruin your small fridge.

Following the simple steps below will guarantee your defrosting adventure will be as easy as possible.

Plan a head. If possible plan at least twenty four hours before you need to have your small fridge defrosted.

Defrost setting. Some small fridges have an auto defrost setting. If you are one of the lucky ones who has this setting follow the steps in your instructional manual on how to use the defrost setting.

Unplug. Before you begin to defrost a small fridge make sure it is completely unplugged from the electrical outlet.

Empty it out. Remove all items from the fridge. If necessary you can keep them in a cooler filled with ice until you have your fridge up and running again.

Keep it open. Prop the door of the small fridge open so that air can circulate through. This will speed up the drying process.

Soak it up. Place several towels inside the fridge to soak up any moisture that may accumulate.

Play the waiting game. Leave the fridge overnight. Within twenty four hours it should be completely defrosted.

Get a little help. To speed up the defrost process use a hair dryer. Aim the hair dryer at the area you want defrosted. Move in a slow back and forth motion until the area is defrosted.

To chip or not to chip. One of the worse things you could do to your small fridge is to chip away at the ice. This may cause damage to the fridge structure. Instead be patient and let the ice melt naturally.

Add some oil. A neat trick to keep the ice from sticking securely to your small fridge is to rub a thin layer of vegetable oil or spray Pam to the metal parts that are located inside the fridge.

Defrosting a small fridge is rather simple if you take precautions and use the right steps.