Chest freezer cleaning and care instructions

Exterior

Clean all exterior surfaces with a mix of warm water and liquid dishwashing detergent, and a soft cloth. If necessary, clean the lid gasket and the recessed handle with an old toothbrush, warm water and liquid dishwashing detergent.

Cabinet surround

• To maximise operating efficiency regularly vacuum the flooring around your appliance.
• Cleaning behind the appliance is required once or twice a year. More frequent cleaning may be necessary for dusty homes or those with pets shedding hair.
• To do this switch off and unplug the appliance and pull the appliance out from the wall.
• Vacuum the flooring behind your appliance to remove dust accumulation. Use a dry lintfree cloth to clean the appliance walls and surrounding cabinetry.
• After cleaning, plug in and switch on. Push the appliance into position.

Interior

• It is important to keep the interior of the freezer clean to help prevent food from becoming contaminated during storage.
• The amount and types of food stored determines how often cleaning should be carried out.
• Remove the baskets from the freezer. Wash in warm water and detergent; rinse in clean water and dry before replacing.
• Wipe over the interior surfaces with warm water and liquid dishwashing detergent. Alternatively you can use 1tsp baking soda dissolved in 500ml of warm water. Rinse with clean water. Use a toothbrush for the lid gasket.
• To help remove “old stale freezer” smells add a few drops of vanilla essence or vinegar to the water before cleaning.
• Do not use harsh, abrasive cloths on any part of the appliance.

Many commercially available cleaning products contain solvents that may attack the plastic components of your appliance and cause them to crack. It is important to use only warm water and a small amount of liquid dishwashing detergent on any components inside and outside your appliance. Avoid using anti-bacterial cleaning products on either the interior or exterior of the cabinet as they may cause rusting of metal components and cracking of plastic components.

• Frost forms faster on the top edge of the freezer compartment in climates of high humidity as this is the area of first contact to the warm moist air when the lid is open.
• Your chest freezer is designed with a flexible lid seal to keep warm air out of the freezer. Sometimes immediately after closing your chest freezer, you may notice the lid is difficult to re-open. This is normal. Wait a few minutes and try again.

It is recommended that your freezer be defrosted when the frost is greater than 6mm thick using the plastic scraper provided.

Defrosting your chest freezer

1. Remove all frozen food and wrap it in several layers of paper. Place in a refrigerator or a cool environment, eg insulated bin.
2. Switch the power off at the wall.
3. Remove the drain plug from the inside of the freezer.
4. Place a shallow tray beneath the outer drain plug. Pull out the drain plug. This will let the water flow out into the tray. Pour approximately 1L of warm water down the drain to clear it of possible residual ice.

Monitor the tray under the drain to avoid overflow. While defrosting, leave the freezer lid open. If you wish to reduce the defrosting time, place containers of hot water in the freezer and close the lid.

5. Use the plastic scraper supplied or a plastic spatula to remove any loose ice.
6. Empty out the tray of water. Wipe out the defrosted freezer. Use a mix of 500ml water with 1tsp of baking soda or a small amount of liquid dishwashing detergent and warm water. Rinse with clean water and dry.
7. Carefully clean the drain. Replace the internal and external drain plugs.
8. Switch the freezer on. Close the lid and leave running for 15 minutes before replacing the frozen food.

DO NOT use knives or any other sharp instrument to remove the ice as the freezer surface may become irreversibly damaged. DO NOT use harsh abrasive cloths and cleaners, or highly perfumed strong smelling cleaners or solvents on either the interior or exterior of the freezer.

Your appliance is designed to operate for many years without the need for frequent service checks. However, if your appliance is malfunctioning, have it attended to by your Fisher & Paykel trained and supported service technician as soon as possible. All electrical repairs must be carried out by an adequately trained service technician or qualified electrician.