Ice maker machine has to be cleaned on a regular basis. That information is pretty obvious, but the ‘how’ part can be confusing. Read the following article on how to clean ice maker machine with ease…
If you have a refrigerator that has an in-built ice making option, you know that it has to be cleaned properly. In order to ensure hygienic ice from the machine, you have to keep it properly maintained, cleaned, and sanitized. Basically, these grounds aren’t just followed because you want to keep yourself and your family safe, but it is also the law. The proper food safety standards have to be adhered to; which means, you have to clean your refrigerator’s ice maker machine on a regular basis.
I know we’re talking about cleaning the machine regularly, but sometimes it isn’t possible. Perhaps you have been away from home for a long time or haven’t gotten the chance to get around cleaning it. Now whether or not you have used the machine, there are certain signs that the machine will give for you to notice an issue.
Whenever the machine is not cleaned for a while or hasn’t been used for a long period of time, it will start to produce cloudy, soft, or smaller (than usual) ice. This is a clear indication that the machine needs to be cleaned on the double or you could be looking at your ice maker failing to work properly. In the following section, you will learn how the machine can be cleaned with homemade cleaning items.
How to Clean Ice Maker at Home
Many a time, deposits of ice and mineral inside the ice maker can cause the machine to not function properly. So, why take a risk of having a non-working machine in your hands? Instead, take some time out of your busy schedule and get cleaning. But before you begin…
- First of all, above the storage tray, there’s a power bar that you need to lift.
- After that, unplug the refrigerator. You really don’t want the power on while cleaning the machine.
- Once you do so, the refrigerator and freezer will begin to defrost. Let it.
- What happens next is that the big blocks of ice will melt completely, giving you the empty machine for cleaning.
- Take the ice storage tray out and then dump the water (melted ice) out of it. Properly wash and clean the tray with dishwashing liquid and warm water.
- Homemade Cleaner #1 – To clean the machine from the inside, use vinegar. Follow the cleaning instructions provided for your refrigerator’s ice maker. However, instead of using the commercial cleaner that they recommend, use vinegar. There won’t be any health concerns by using vinegar to clean the machine. All you need to do is, after you start the machine, don’t use the first set of ice which is made after the cleaning process.
- Homemade Cleaner #2 – The next cleaner, besides vinegar, that can be used to clean the machine is lemon juice. What you want to do here is place the storage tray back in its place and turn the machine back on (hence the entire refrigerator). Then, add lemon juice and water inside the quart reservoir (read manual for location). Let the mixture clean the machine from the inside for about half an hour and then turn refrigerator off. Drain the mixture out of the reservoir and add only water in. Repeat the cycle again and drain the water out.
- Homemade Cleaner #3 – The next cleaning agent that we recommend is quaternary ammonium. Don’t use bleach as it is not recommended. Follow the instructions mentioned below for cleaning with vinegar. You can easily find quaternary ammonium at a home improvement store.
- After you have cleaned the ice maker system from the inside, you need to remove the water lines of the machine. Use hot water to clean them thoroughly. Make sure that you use only hot water and no dishwashing liquid.
- Rinse the water lines properly and install them back in their places. Next, place the ice storage tray back in its place; make sure it’s completely dry.
- Plug the refrigerator back in and lower the power bar to use the ice machine.
Wasn’t cleaning the ice machine easy? The next time you want to clean the machine, you’ll know how the entire process is done and it won’t take a long time either. Always make sure that the quality of the ice is to the mark and if you find any issues with the machine, don’t wait to call customer support center.