Preparation

• Remove all of your food from the refrigerator. The Whirlpool refrigerator usually has several shelves and drawers to empty. This is important because when you defrost a refrigerator, you are going to be turning it off completely. Eat the food or dispose of it, or move it to another refrigerator while you defrost your Whirlpool refrigerator. Do not leave anything perishable in the refrigerator while it defrosts.
  
  

Whirlpool Defrost

• Use the Whirlpool Defrost button to defrost the refrigerator. Most models have this button near the temperature control unit, but on some, the button is found in the back. Read your instruction manual to find where the button is. Press it and move away from the refrigerator. The defrost button will bring the temperature in the refrigerator up gradually, meaning there will be little to no leakage. Most models of Whirlpool refrigerators, made after 1999, are capable of defrosting completely on their own, with no help from you.
  
  

Manually Defrost a Whirlpool Refrigerator

• Defrost a Whirlpool refrigerator that does not have a defrost button and that does not have any noticeable ice buildup by simply turning off the refrigerator and unplugging it from the wall. Prop open the door to the refrigerator and watch for it to achieve room temperature. Lay a towel on the floor underneath the door of the refrigerator to catch any water or condensation that might come out of the refrigerator while you defrost it. Clean the inside of the refrigerator once it is completely at room temperature and close the door.
  
  Defrost a refrigerator that has an ice buildup in the Whirlpool refrigeratorr itself or in the freezer by first turning the temperature on the fridge and freezer to a setting that is about two levels warmer than it has been. After three hours, use a knife or sharp stick to chip away at the ice, which should be softer. Remove the ice in this way and place it into the sink. Turn the refrigerator and freezer two more levels warmer. Repeat the process in about three hours. Then, turn the refrigerator completely off. Lay towels down on the floor because the condensation will seep out of the refrigerator as it defrosts. Monitor the refrigerator every hour and remove wet patches, chunks of ice or debris as you see them.