How is an ice maker cleaned?
An ice maker is now an essential kitchen appliance, as it can be used to serve a range of cold dishes in addition to providing fresh ice for summertime refreshing drinks. Your ice maker still needs to be cleaned even if you only use fresh, clean water to make ice.
Why is cleaning an ice maker necessary?
First of all, according to the FDA, ice is considered a food, so you should handle and store it similarly to other items. It is imperative that you clean and maintain your machine properly, regardless of the type—whether it is a countertop, built-in, or refrigerator kind. Any component that comes into touch with water could grow mold, slime, or scale. Even worse, it might harbor potentially fatal bacteria. As a result, cleaning your ice maker is really essential to maintaining your health. In addition, regular maintenance keeps the ice machine from wearing down prematurely and keeps it operating efficiently.
Indications that your ice maker requires cleaning:
-The ice that the ice maker produces tastes weird or has an unpleasant odor.
-The ice cubes are either unfinished or smaller than they need to be.
-The ice becomes unclear or hazy (unless specifically designed in this manner).
It appears that there is mold or mildew in the ice chute or machine.
How is an ice maker cleaned?
- Drain the water and unplug the ice machine.
To prevent any potentially hazardous situations, it is advised to unplug the ice machine. Thus, you must unplug the machine's plug from the electrical outlet before beginning any further steps. You can also take out and set aside any filters you have added to your machine.
- Scrub the apparatus.
Your ice machine may be cleaned using a homemade vinegar and warm water solution. Fill a spray bottle with water and white vinegar, then start working. You can use your homemade solution to completely soak your ice maker and then use a damp cloth to wipe away any debris that may have gotten into the crevices.
- Empty Ice Basket
In the ice basket, a lot of random detritus tends to gather over time. As a result, you must remove the ice basket and give it a thorough cleaning using warm water and soap. Following that, you must wait for the ice cube to dry entirely. Since vinegar is effective at deodorizing in addition to aiding in the destruction of mold and mildew, it is also advised in this case.
- Examine your ice maker.
Reassemble the ice maker and turn it on once every component of the machine has been thoroughly cleaned and dried. After using your ice maker two or three times, you can throw away the ice cubes. Because vinegar is used in the first round of ice cubes, it's acceptable if they taste a little strange at first. This flavor will go away in the succeeding batches.
Your ice maker will be able to create clean, clear ice cubes without any weird flavor after all of these steps. Cleaning the ice maker's water tank once a week and the entire unit once every six months is advised. However, you're still doing better than most people even if you only clean your ice maker once a year.
