How to Maintain an Upright Freezer
- 1). Determine what you want from your upright freezer before opening it. Since it's attached to your refrigerator, the people in your household are more likely to open it several times a day, which wastes energy and lets warm air in. Encourage everyone in your household to avoid opening the freezer unless they know what they want.
- 2). Organize the food in your freezer every week or so, which will make it easier to put food away and for the people in your household to find the food they want after opening the freezer.
- 3). Go through the contents of your upright freezer once a month, and remove all the food products that are past their expiration dates or that appear to have freezer burn.
- 4). Defrost your freezer once every six months or when the frost buildup is half an inch or thicker. Remove all the contents, and turn off the freezer. Once the ice melts, use paper towels to soak up all the liquid, and clean out the inside of the freezer using a wash cloth and deodorizer. After you turn the freezer back on, wait until it reaches a minimum of 0 degrees Fahrenheit before putting in more food.
- 5). Check the temperature of your upright freezer at least once a year. Put a thermometer inside the freezer, and wait about 15 minutes. A temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below is fine. If the temperature is any higher, you should have your freezer checked out by a professional to diagnose and fix the problem.