With Christmas and the festive season not far away, this is the best time to free up some freezer space and get organised. But what condition is it in? Can you close it easily? Or is it overflowing with excess food and frost? Whatever your freezer situation might be, we've got the best tips on how to clean, tidy and make full use of everything it can offer.

Do you rely on your freezer for your batch cooked weeknight dinners? Is it for storing bargain cuts of meat and fish you've bought in bulk? Think about what you use your freezer for and make an organisational plan accordingly. There's no point in investing money in containers and freezer bags if all you use it for is stacking containers with ready-made meals.

If you're in the market for a new appliance, think about how you're going to use it and what type of storage works for you. A free-standing chest freezer that you can store in your garage is great if you love bargain buys in bulk, a fridge freezer with drawers will come in handy if you plan on storing a lot of oddly-shaped ingredients, while a freezer with open shelves is best for storing stacked containers of batch cooked meals.

Take time to have a proper read through foods that you can and can't freeze – it's most likely that you've been freezing something that can't be frozen or are wasting food that could be frozen to be used later. It's also worthwhile discovering what foods you should always have in your freezer and how to best freeze different foods.

We're sorry but all those unlabelled containers with mysterious soups, nondescript pasta and meat you didn't know you had must go. If you're set on organising your freezer, there's no point doing it while you still have things you don't need or won't eat stashed away. Make a plan to use it up and have a fresh start. You can find some smart ideas about how to waste less food and use up leftovers here. 

More often than not our freezers are not working as efficiently as they could be. Check your freezer temperature is set correctly – ideally it should be -18ºC (0ºF). When defrosting and deep-cleaning your freezer, make sure to dust the fridge coils as the back, as the dust build up can contribute to your fridge and freezer struggling to maintain the correct temperature inside.

You can save a lot of space, especially in smaller freezers, if you freeze your sauces, stews and casseroles in bags rather than containers. Simply fill the bags with 1-2 portions and lay flat on the kitchen counter to get rid of the excess air. Then lay flat in the freezer, one on top of the other.

Avoid massive frozen clumps of berries by lying them flat and freezing them in a single layer. Not only will you save space in your freezer drawer, but it'll also be easier to take out a few berries at a time if you don't need the whole bag.

Freezing your cooked meals, chopped herbs or raw meat to preserve it for longer doesn't mean it'll stay good forever, so make sure you date it before you freeze it. Ground meats (minced beef for example) shouldn't be stored for longer than four months; poultry, beef, pork and lamb will last for up to a year, soups will be good for two to three months and other cooked meals should be consumed within three months.

There's nothing more annoying than freezer burn (when your stored items become covered in a layer of crystallised ice) however, most of the time it's our own fault. Whether you've used freezer bags, kitchen foil or cling film (plastic wrap), make sure you remove as much air from around the food as you possibly can. If you're freezing in containers, fill them up to the top and when you're putting back half-used bags of garden peas or chips, make sure the bag is tightly sealed.

When you've chucked a bag of parmesan rind, a leftover bagel and a bag of fresh breadcrumbs in the freezer, it's easy to forget you have it. Instead of forever forgetting a lonely slice of bread, invest in a freezer-friendly container where you can collect all the random bags with leftover bits and pieces.

Another solution for storing small quantities of chopped herbs or breadcrumbs are magnetic containers. They don't use up valuable shelf space as you can just stick them to the side of the freezer or the freezer door. It also makes it easier to grab a pinch of frozen herbs when needed without having to rake through the rest of your freezer's contents.

It'll be easier to find what you're looking for if you've got a designated space for everything. Store all the meats separately, have a drawer for ready meals and one for bags of fruit and veg. It doesn't matter what the system is if you know what it is and follow it.

Containers will help you organise oddly-shaped foods to save space in your freezer. You can also label your containers, so you know exactly where to find things like stock scraps, ice packs and raw cookie dough.

It might be tempting to freeze a whole bag of chicken thighs in one go but it's unlikely you'll need to use all of them at the same time. Once they freeze together, it's also nearly impossible to separate just one or two pieces without damaging the meat, if at all. Instead take the time to pack and freeze in usable portions, meaning you're more likely to use it in time and it won't be forgotten in your freezer forever.

A tub of ice cream, frozen solid, with a layer of freezer burn is among some of the most annoying things, however, it can be easily avoided. If you store foods with a high fat content, like ice cream, near the door where the temperature fluctuates a lot, you run the risk of it melting a little and freezing again every time you open the freezer door. The back of your freezer is a much better place for ice cream.

An airtight freezer bag or tightly-wrapped cling film (plastic wrap) will also help to prevent freezer burn, meaning your ice cream is always soft and ready to eat.

You'll not only avoid freezer burn but vacuum sealed bags will save as much space as possible. If you tend to use your freezer a lot, this will also make it easier to see what's inside the bags.

An unlikely item in the freezer, plastic magazine holders are actually great for storing your flat-packed sauces. It'll be easier to see what you have and won't create a mess once you take a bag out. 

If you've got a big freezer, it's hard to keep track of food you have and how long it's been in there. Start a document or a notebook with an inventory, outlining what you have, how much of it and when you need to use it by. This will save you from having to open your freezer unnecessarily just to browse around and will help you be more organised and use everything on time.

Many freezer foods, like ready-made pastry, come not only in a plastic bag but also a bulky cardboard box. Get rid of the box before putting it in the freezer to save space and write the cooking instructions on the remaining packaging, if you need to. You can do the same with frozen pizza and individually-wrapped pieces of meat and fish.

If your freezer comes with shelves instead of drawers, see if you can adjust the height to make the space work for you. You can also usually get rid of a shelf or two completely and use containers instead if you find that easier.

If you've had enough of floppy frozen food bags, here's another solution for you – reuse old milk containers. Simply pour small frozen veg, like garden peas, corn and vegetable mix, into milk containers. They're easier to stack and store than bags and they're also a breeze to use.

It's much easier to keep your freezer organised when it's also clean. Make sure you wipe up any spillages and consider lining your shelves with plastic mats for an easier clean up.

Contrary to your fridge, where too much food can make your fridge warmer, your freezer will work better if it's full and it'll save energy keeping the food frozen too. When you open the freezer door, the cold air escapes and the freezer has to work twice as hard to bring the temperature back down. If your freezer is tightly packed, there's less space for air.

It's even easier to lose track of what you've stored in a chest freezer, however, there's a very simple hack to help you sort through all the frozen meat, fruit and veg. Get a few canvas bags and organise your frozen foods into categories. That way you'll know which bag to get when you're looking for your frozen pork chops or banana slices.

For even more organisation, measure your chest freezer and get a few plastic baskets, stacking them in two levels. Get the right sized baskets for the upper level and you'll be able to slide them across from one side to the other.

If your freezer has door shelves, they're probably not very deep making them a bit impractical. A wire basket with taller sides can help you make more space in your door shelves, just remember that this is the place where the temperature fluctuates the most so make sure the food is wrapped and packed in tightly. 

If using an ice cube tray to make your own ice cubes keep them covered up. If you don't the ice cubes will take on any smells circulating in your freezer which will then spoil the taste. Once your ice cubes are ready you can store them in an air-tight freezer bag. That way they won't freeze together in big clumps either.

Discover 30 ways how to make the most of your ice cube tray.

It's only normal that over time ice will build up in your freezer but you shouldn't ignore it – defrosting needs to be done on a regular basis ideally every six months to a year. To prevent the ice from building up once you've defrosted it, make sure you don't leave the freezer door open for too long and don't open it too often. Decide what you need, open the door and get it, not the other way around.

You've defrosted your freezer, decluttered, cleaned and organised it but there's one thing you most likely haven't done – wiped the rubber seal round the door of the freezer. This is where mould is most likely to grow as it's the place where the temperature fluctuates the most in your freezer and mouldy rubber seal leads to a dirty, smelly freezer. A simple soap water solution will do the trick, just be sure to wipe the rubber dry. 

Now read 25 surprising ways your freezer can make your life easier.