Defrosting your fridge when you go away?

I usually go away for 3 - 4 weeks at a time. An empty fridge/freezer uses up more electricity than a full one. I empty everything out, and block the doors with tea towels so they stay open. I may try the tea bags as well.

No I've never defrosted my fridge when on holiday. Unfortunately my daughter's fridge broke down when they were on holiday a few weeks ago. They came home to a very wet smelly mouldy fridge. It was old so they now have a brand spanking new larder fridge/ freezer.

Mine is frost free but I always turn off as it's usually three weeks, for peace of mind.

When I was a student I did defrost and turn of the fridge before going home to my parents to work all summer.

Now I don't do so, as there is someone in every day while we are away to feed the cat.

I think they used to be switched off in the 50’s and 60’s in case they iced up when you were away, but today’s fridges drive themselves automatically so there’s no problem.

I note that some people put jars of jam and bottles of sauce in the fridge. Surely this is unnecessary?

Never defrosted any fridge....and only defrosted my chest freezer once in 35 years!!!! And that was when I was getting rid of it....and it was second-hand...man who took it away couldn’tbelieve it was still going strong...it was a ‘Bejam’ freezer...brought by my friend as ‘shop soiled’..cos it had a little dent in it!!! She reckons she had it 8 years and I had it in my garage for 35 years. Well done Bejam’s

As a tiny frosty from Teacheranne‘s post you can put tea bags in smelly shoes and they take the smell away. Do it with grandsons football boots all the time. He told me about this. by the way.
I don’t switch the fridge or freezer off when go away but am quite OCD about everything else.

I used to empty fridge and turn it off, not now just take everything out that will go go off.

bijou most products e.g. ketchup now have advice printed on the label that after opening it should be refrigerated.

Another case of manufacturers prtoecting themselves against litigious and stupid consumers.

I work as before; tomato and HP sauce, mustards, salad creams etc, live in the kitchen cupboard. All these products have been around for a century or more with little reformulation. Most households were without fridges until the 1960s. I do not remember massive food poisoning outbreaks because someone used a one year old unrefrigerated bottle of HP sauce.