Although you have scheduled time at your working place for having a meal, but you won’t get a chance to have it right in time always. Because most of the time your job commitment doesn’t allow you to get a time for recess in schedule time. In that case, you have to keep your meal fresh for a little longer time. You don’t have to think too much about this if you’re at your home. Because you own a refrigerator there to take care of your food, but in your working place it is not possible to keep a full-size refrigerator for yourself. Now, what would you do to solve the matter? There is only one thing ideal for this purpose. That is a mini-fridge.
What is a Mini Fridge?
The Mini fridge is a small version of a refrigerator usually found in a hotel room, office, college dorm, and apartments. It is an energy-saving appliance mainly used to keep a small amount of foods. This mini-fridge also used for beer, wine, alcohol and also for beverages even drinking water. You may find this appliance to a place where you have minimum space to accommodate. If you arrange a small party at your place where you need ice cubes for soft or hard drinks then you must install a mini-fridge there.
Needs of Defrosting Mini Fridge
In recent times, the advanced technology offers you ‘frost-free’ fridges which prevent the frost from being accumulated. But the older fridges require defrosting regularly as you find the accumulation of frost on the sides or the walls. These stored ices not only occupy the space inside but it also prevents the mini- fridge to work properly.
Besides, in every fridge is it mini or large is equipped with vents which help cold air to flow everywhere inside the fridge. But if the vents are blocked by thick ice then it must be defrosted early to keep the function going on properly.
Although, you cannot store too much food items in a mini-fridge, still you want to keep them in perfect condition so that you can have them whenever you want. Therefore, you need to defrost the fridge to get the best service out of that.
Moreover, only proper maintenance can keep your mini-fridge by cleaning up spills and discarding expired items from any bacterial growth and bad odors.
The Procedure for How to Defrost a Mini Fridge
After following the needs of defrosting now it is time to find out the ways of defrosting your mini-fridge to keep its working status so that it comes useful for you to store some kind of snacks and drinks in it. Let’s have a look.
Defrost Automatically Using Defrost Button
The Defrosting process can be done in two ways- automatically or manually. Some advanced mini fridges models come with defrost push button found on the user control panel. When you see the accumulation of ice on the sides or walls inside the fridge is ¼”, evacuate all the items from the fridge, keep the drip pan at the place and press the defrost button.
Usually, it takes a few hours to melt all the ices and once the job is over the mini-fridge would start automatically. All you need to empty the dip pan and wipe down inside the mini fridge if needed.
Defrost Manually
Using a defrost button is the simplest way for this job. But every fridge especially the older ones that come without defrost button need to be cleaned up manually. Here are some steps to be followed.
Evacuate the Items of Mini Fridge
First of all, you need to remove all the food items from your mini-fridge. Especially, the freezer compartment should be emptied. All the non-expired items should be kept in another freezer while the expired foods are refused.
Clean the Dripping Water from the Fridge
Now disconnect the fridge from the power supply and a thick towel would be laid at the bottom inside. Make sure the towel must be extended across the front outside to catch the dripping water and the ice cubes. After that, move the mini-fridge to a place where the dripping water won’t make any damage to the floor.
Keep the Door Open
If your mini fridge got iced, then you should keep the door of the fridge open for the whole night to allow it to get defrosted itself. In this way, the ice cubes should have started melting away and you can easily pull the pieces away. You can use a hairdryer if you find the ice cubes little tough to come out.
Wipe and Clean Properly
Next morning, it is time for the main event. Firstly, wipe out the moisture from all the surface of the mini-fridge. Then take warm and soapy water and clean the total interiors including racks, trays, and shelves to remove stains and bad odors. After that, take a damp rag or a piece of a soft cloth and rinse the whole mini-fridge using any cleaning agent of your choice. Let it dry completely.
Rearrange the Mini Fridge
Once your job is done, plug in the mini-fridge and get back all the food items which you had drawn out previously once the temperature inside has cooled. Finally, you need to adjust the temperature level inside that suits your foods.
Important Tips Should be Followed
Isn’t it easy to follow? Yes, anyone of you can manage this job all but yourself. Although, the procedure is easy enough to handle, still you need some tips that help you to perform the job more convincingly.
- If you really want to start defrosting your mini-fridge, always try to choose a sunny and warm day. It helps you to complete your job more quickly and of course more perfectly.
- Try to repeat the defrosting of your mini-fridge about every three months to keep the condition of the appliance well.
- Dust is a thing that can hamper the normal function of your mini-fridge, even shorten its life. So you have to keep your mini-fridge dust-free for extended life of it.
- If you want to keep your mini-fridge free from bad odors, then you have to keep an open box of baking soda which can absorb the odors and keep your mini-fridge fresh as always.
A Few Things Should be Avoided
If the above said things may ensure you for a better job, then you also have some factors that should be avoided while doing the job. They are-
- Never use any metal utensil to remove the ice or frost from the mini-fridge. This may create a puncture on the wall and makes you go for costly repair work or an unwanted replacement.
- Don’t start storing immediately just after defrosting. Make sure the inside of your appliance is completely dried.
- Avoid using a cleaner that is mixed with some hard particles as it can draw scratches on the exterior surface of your mini-fridge.
Conclusion
Everything that you possess is close to your heart, no matter if it is a living or non-living thing. But to keep a thing in proper order needs your attention and only proper maintenance can make it possible. Therefore, just follow the articles and enjoy your mini-fridge frost-free and ready for your duty quite efficiently.
John DiBella is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, a cooking enthuthiast and a writer. When he’s not writing blogs about home kitchenware, he enjoys hiking, camping, sailing and cooking.