Simbirsk Holodthe fridge without mysteries: a home reference

An independent reference about household fridges. We are not a workshop or a service, and we are not connected with the former website on this domain; we take no orders and do no repairs.

Practical

Practical articles

The first article in this section covers defrosting and cleaning a home fridge. It is one of the few care jobs you can almost always do yourself, without touching the electrics or opening the cabinet. Below are the preparation, the steps with hypothetical examples, common mistakes and a check of the result. If your model has a No Frost system, look at the manual first: it may not need a full defrost at all.

Ice in the freezer melts on its own if you leave it alone. The biggest danger in defrosting is impatience: a knife, a screwdriver or a hot hairdryer can damage in a minute something that would have lasted for years.

— Editor's note

Before you start

  • Find the manual for your model and read the section on care and defrosting.
  • Pick a day when there is not much food in the compartments and you have a few free hours.
  • Get a cool bag or a sturdy box with ice packs ready for the food.
  • Have cloths, a sponge, towels and a bowl or tray for the meltwater to hand.
  • Use a mild, non-abrasive cleaner and warm water; solvents and gritty powders are not suitable.

  1. Unplug the fridge

    Switch the appliance off with its control if it has that option, and always pull the plug out of the socket. Never wash or wipe the compartments while the power is on, even if it seems the water cannot reach the electrics.

    Hypothetical example: the socket is hidden behind the cabinet. Rather than pulling the fridge by its cable, carefully move it out by holding the cabinet, then unplug it by hand.

  2. Empty the compartments

    Take the food out and pack it straight into the cool bag: frozen items together and tightly packed so they stay cold longer. Anything doubtful is better thrown away now than put back into a clean compartment.

    Hypothetical example: the freezer holds bags of berries and minced meat. They go at the bottom of the bag, with cheese and cold cuts from the fridge compartment on top.

  3. Remove the shelves and drawers

    Take out the removable shelves, drawers and trays. Let glass shelves warm up a little at room temperature before washing them in warm water, so they are not exposed to a sudden temperature change.

    Hypothetical example: a cold glass shelf is first leaned against the wall on a towel and only washed once it no longer feels icy to the touch.

  4. Let the ice melt

    Leave the doors open, lay down towels and put a tray under the freezer. You can speed things up with a bowl of warm water inside the compartment. Do not chip the ice with a knife or point a hot hairdryer at the walls: that can easily damage the plastic or the tubes inside.

    Hypothetical example: the freezer has a thick crust of ice. The owner puts a pan of warm water on a shelf, closes the door and after a while simply lifts out the loosened slabs by hand.

  5. Wash the compartments and the seal

    Wipe the walls, shelves and doors with warm water and a mild cleaner. Give the folds of the door seal extra attention: crumbs and moisture collect there and cause odours. If you have a drip defrost system, carefully clean the drain hole in the back wall the way your manual describes.

    Hypothetical example: dark spots are visible in a fold of the seal. They are carefully cleaned out with a soft brush and wiped dry, without turning the rubber inside out.

  6. Dry everything thoroughly

    Wipe the walls and shelves with a dry cloth and leave the doors ajar so the moisture can escape. Any water left behind will turn to frost as soon as you switch on, and half your work will be wasted.

    Hypothetical example: after washing, a small puddle remains at the bottom by the back wall. It is soaked up with a towel and the compartment is aired before the shelves go back in.

  7. Switch on and wait for it to cool

    Put the shelves and drawers back, close the doors and switch the fridge on. Set the control to the position the manual recommends. Load the food only once the compartments have cooled down; how long that takes is also stated in your model's manual.

    Hypothetical example: the manual says to wait before loading. While the compartment cools, the food stays in the bag with the ice packs.

  8. Check the result

    Once the compartments have cooled, put a thermometer in a glass of water and look at the reading a few hours later. The fridge compartment is often recommended to be around +4 °C, the freezer around −18 °C. If the readings are far from these guide values, adjust the control and check again.

    Hypothetical example: the thermometer on the middle shelf reads well above +5 °C. The control is moved slightly towards colder and the measurement is repeated the next day.

Common mistakes

  • Washing the compartments without unplugging the fridge.
  • Chipping ice with a knife, a screwdriver or other sharp objects.
  • Drying the compartments with a hot hairdryer or placing a heater nearby.
  • Using abrasive powders and solvents that scratch the plastic and damage the seal.
  • Leaving food out on the counter without cooling while you defrost.
  • Switching the fridge on with wet walls and filling it with food straight away.
  • Forgetting the drain hole and the meltwater tray on drip defrost models.

Other options

  • If your model has a No Frost system, a full defrost is usually unnecessary: regular cleaning as described in the manual is enough.
  • If ice builds up very quickly, defrosting only postpones the problem: check the door seal and how the door closes first.
  • If it is physically hard for you to empty and clean the fridge, ask family or friends for help; a repair service is not usually needed for this kind of job.

Check yourself at the end

  • The fridge was unplugged for the whole time it was being cleaned.
  • The ice melted on its own, without knives, screwdrivers or a hairdryer.
  • Shelves, drawers and walls were washed with a mild cleaner and wiped dry.
  • The folds of the seal are clean and the door closes tightly.
  • The drain hole is clear, if you have a drip defrost system.
  • The food stayed in the bag with ice packs the whole time.
  • Food was loaded only after the compartments had cooled.
  • The thermometer shows readings close to the recommended values.

Catalogue of articles for English-speaking readers

This is where separate practical articles about the home fridge and freezer will appear, written for English-speaking readers: on everyday care, storing food safely, saving energy, moving house and getting rid of an old appliance responsibly. We describe the steps and the general principles and always leave exact figures to your model's manual.

What the editors are working on

  • Leftovers and batch cooking: cooling and storing them in the fridge
  • Reading an energy label: what the rating and annual figure mean
  • A fridge in the garage or utility room: what to keep in mind
  • Going on holiday: leaving the fridge on or switching it off

Editorial rules

  • Articles in this catalogue are written separately for each language version and are not translations.
  • Some articles link to third-party websites, including gaming services; we do not control their content, prices or terms.
  • We do not publish advertising for repair services, appliances or parts, rankings, prices or reviews.
  • Questions

    Short answers on temperature, noises and ice, calling a technician, moving and disposal.

  • Collections

    Reading paths: a new fridge, going away from home, a breakdown and what to do first.

  • Reference

    Terms in plain words: condenser, refrigerant, No Frost, energy labels.

Sources

  • User manuals from household fridge manufacturers
  • Food safety guidance on safe storage

Information is current as of the date of preparation. Fridge models differ, so check your model's manual for exact temperature settings, the defrosting procedure, which positions are allowed during transport and how long to wait before switching on. This reference explains general principles and does not replace advice from a qualified technician.