When I go away at Xmas for two weeks to visit family, I make sure to completely defrost my freezer. The food is given away to someone in my local Freecycle and the freezer is completely turned off for two of those weeks.
When I come home, it's time to give my freezer a good wash through then back on with the electric and a 'big shop' at my freezer food store.
But here's my little trick. To save the build up of ice: after I have washed and dried the insides of my freezer, I coat the walls and shelving runners with a good smearing of Glycerin. Glycerin is available cheaply in your local pharmacy.
No ice build up and I extend the life of my freezer as it's not working so hard. It purrs like a kitten all year long! =^..^=
Source: I think I got this from a book of hints and Tips called Trade Secrets.
Except for routine defrosting, I have never touched my freezers and both are over 40 years old, and still going strong. Also have a refrigerator given to us second hand for a wedding present. This fall we will be married 49 years.
I think part of being thrifty is doing the best you can with what you've got, and this seems to me to be a pretty good idea. Nobody loves cleaning out the freezer, and this ensures that it gets done at a convenient time and without throwing out good food. I just hope the glycerin is not sticky.
It doesn't seem very frugal to defrost freezer and give away things in the freezer ... only to have to shop when you get home in two weeks to replenish your freezer supply! You talk of ice build up, it sounds like you have an old freezer & should be replaced with a energy saving freezer. Just something to think about.
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