If your freezer is starting to look like it needs defrosting, but itās full of food, and youāve nowhere else to store it, you will probably be looking for a way to get the job done quickly. Some claim that using a hairdryer can cut the time it takes down to 10 minutes! But is it safe?
Is It Safe to Use a Hairdryer to Defrost a Freezer?
While using a hairdryer to defrost your freezer isnāt recommended, it can be done if you do it carefully. Remember you are using electrical equipment around water, and don’t let the hots parts of the hairdryer touch the freezer walls. You could also be invalidating any guarantee that came with your freezer.
Dangers of Using a Hairdryer to Defrost a Freezer
Using a hairdryer to defrost a freezer should instantly ring alarm bells in your head. There are a number of clear dangers in doing so.
Electricity and Water Don’t Mix!
We all know that water and electricity are a dangerous mix. Water itself isnāt the issue ā itās the impurities in the water, such as trace amounts of minerals and dust, which will conduct electricity.
This means that if water gets into the hairdryer and you are holding the appliance with a wet hand, electricity could pass through you on its way to the ground, giving you an electric shock.
To avoid this, take basic safety precautions, such as making sure the cable and plug are well away from the melting ice and ensuring water doesnāt drip onto the appliance. You should also make sure your hands are dry and that you are not standing in a puddle of water.
If water does get into the hairdryer, it could become dangerous to use, so if this happens, unplug it and put it somewhere safe to dry, such as an airing cupboard.
Using the hairdryer while it is wet inside could not just damage it but could put you at risk of a potentially fatal electric shock.
Damage to the Freezer
Another potential risk is that you may damage the freezer.
Ensure the hot parts of the hairdryer, such as the front of the nozzle, donāt come into contact with the coils or the sides of the freezer, as this excessive heat may cause damage.
You also need to ensure you donāt direct the hot air from the hairdryer at one place for a prolonged period, as this build-up of heat could cause damage. If you damage the freezer in this way, you will invalidate the warranty on your freezer.
If you melt the plastic, it could look unsightly, but the damage could also mean the freezer works less efficiently. If you damage the coils of the freezer, it may make the freezer less effective or may stop the freezer from working at all.
Tips for Using a Hairdryer to Defrost a Freezer
If you decide to use a hairdryer to speed up the defrosting process, a lot of the steps you will need to take are the same as defrosting a freezer the traditional way.
Remove Food
As you will be getting the job done quickly, it shouldnāt matter too much how you store the food while you get it done. If thereās space in your fridge, you could pop it in there, or you could use cool boxes to help keep things frozen
However, if you use a hairdryer, you will likely get the job done in less than 20 minutes, which is less time than it takes many people to get frozen food home from the supermarket, so you could just put the food in boxes, as itās unlikely to defrost unless itās a very hot day.
Unplug the Freezer
The next step is to switch off your freezer and unplug it. Be careful where you put the plug, as you donāt want it to end up in a puddle. Many freezers have a socket to put the plug in during transit, but if yours doesnāt, you could simply tape the plug to the top of the freezer.
Make sure youāve got plenty of towels on hand to soak up the melting ice. Itās a good idea to put one on the floor in front of the freezer and a couple inside it.
Defrost
Now you can get to work with the hairdryer. Aim the warm air at a small section at a time, taking care not to let it overheat.
If it is only a thin layer of frost, this should come away quickly. If the ice is thick, you will probably find that this will come off in chunks, so use a plastic implement, such as a spatula or a car ice scraper, to encourage it to fall off.
Itās a good idea to start at the bottom and work your way up, as heat rises, so you are likely to find that by the time you get to the top, a lot of the ice has already started to melt.
Clean Up
When all the ice is melted, simply wipe away all the water, then close the freezer, plug it back in and switch it on.
While it will take a while to get back to its usual temperature, you can put your frozen food back into it straight away, and in fact, this will help it to cool down more quickly.
Safer Ways to Defrost a Freezer
The safest way to defrost a freezer is to simply switch it off and leave it with the door open, letting nature take its cause, but this can take from three to 24 hours.
If youāre looking for a way to get the defrosting job done more quickly but donāt want to risk the hairdryer method, a more well-known and popular method is to put bowls of boiling water on the shelves of the freezer so that the steam melts the ice.
Related FAQs
Do you still have questions about using a hairdryer to defrost your freezer? Then see if these FAQs out:
This depends on how frosted up the freezer is. It could take as little as 10 minutes for a little build-up to defrost or over 30 minutes for larger chunk of ice to melt.
