Article: Clearing out your freezer as much as you can will make the process go easier. In the week or so leading up to defrosting your freezer, try to cook and eat what you can. Plus, it's a good way to use up food that may be on the edge of getting too old. If you can, ask a neighbor if you can move some food to their freezer for a little while. Your next best option is to stick it in a cooler surrounded by ice or frozen cooling packs. If all else fails, wrap it up with cooling packs in a blanket and set it in a cool part of your home. It's a good idea to unplug it completely if you can, as you don't want to be standing in water while working around the appliance. If it's a freezer/refrigerator combination, the refrigerator food should be fine for 1-2 hours as long as you leave the door closed. Some freezers have a switch you can use to turn off the freezer instead of unplugging it. There's going to be lots of water as you defrost your freezer, so it's best to just be prepared. Put several layers of towels on the floor, gathered around the base of the freezer. Put baking trays on top of the towels but under the edge of the freezer to catch extra water. Some freezers have a drainage hose on the bottom of the freezer that will help carry the water away. If yours has one, put the end in a low basin or bucket so the water can drain out into it. You also might want to place shims under the front feet of the freezer to help encourage the water to flow toward the drain.

What is a summary?
Eat as much food as you can ahead of time. Move the food in the freezer to a cool location. Turn the freezer off and/or unplug it. Place old towels and baking trays around the bottom of the freezer. Find the drainage hose if yours has one and place the end in a bucket.