How to Declutter Your Freezer!

If your freezer is filled with unlabelled containers and bags and you’re having trouble identifying these frozen parcels, you should declutter your freezer! Take a look at our tips to make the most out of your freezer and how to keep it organized!

The freezer is a cold and desolate place that’s home to forgotten, icy food. Our goal in this article is to show you how to declutter your freezer, remove all unusable food, and salvage the rest. Let’s get started!

Defrosting

Many modern freezer’s don’t require defrosting, but they use up to 35% more energy than the manual defrost models. The auto defrost cycle sucks all the moisture out of frozen food and can affect food quality. You need to defrost manual freezers when the ice reaches 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick.

Defrosting Do’s:

1) Unplug the Machine: Always turn off the power to the freezer before defrosting.

2) Empty the Freezer: Remove all food and store it in ice chests while you are defrosting the freezer.

3) Melt the Ice: You can leave the freezer door open and wait for the ice to melt, or add heat to speed up the process. First make sure you have an old towel on the floor to catch dripping water. Use pans filled with warm water to melt the ice, or use a blow dryer.

4) Clean Up: When you’ve removed the ice, scrub the freezer with a paste made out of baking soda and water. The baking soda will absorb any odors and remove food spills. Don’t forget to wash the shelves and freezer baskets in warm, soapy water. Make sure they’re completely dry before putting them back in your freezer.

5) Plug it Back In: Close the freezer door and plug it in. Let the freezer run for 15 minutes before putting the frozen food back in.

Defrosting Don’ts:

1) Be Gentle: Don’t use ice picks or knives to remove the ice. A slip can cause injuries to you and the freezer.

2) Safety: If you’re using a hair dryer to melt the ice, be cautious about electric shock. Don’t stand in puddled water or allow the water to drip onto the hair dryer.

3) No Suds: Don’t use soapy water to clean the freezer. Soap is hard to rinse, and a soapy residue can affect the taste of your food.

Organizing

1) Add Labels: Adding labels to your frozen food is key in keeping your freezer organized. Label each package with the food’s name, number of servings, and the date it was added to the freezer. Use a permanent marker to write the labels.

2) Date Everything: To manage your frozen food properly, you need to make sure they’re fresh. Always write a date on every package you add to the freezer. Rotate food so that new food is behind older packages.

3) Organize by Category: If you have a large freezer, you should organize it by category. Casseroles should be in one area of the freezer, beef steaks and roasts in another, and turkey and chicken at the bottom of the basket where they’re easy to grab.

4) Use Freezer Baskets: Baskets with a flat bottom can support floppy freezer bags and organize freezer contents. Put all vegetables in one basket, bread in the other, etc.

5) Square Containers: When freezing soup, use rectangular or square containers. They will fit together easier and take up less space than cylindrical shapes.

6) Rotate: Always use older products first, and keep newer food behind older ones.

Photos: The Happy Housewife, A Life Less Digital, The Glamourous Housewife, Say What You Need to Say Blog.