Ice makers can get disgusting over time. I put my portable ice maker away for the winter and when I pulled it down from the shelf it was filled with dirt, grime, and even mold. It was a terrible sight.
I right away ran to my computer and looked up ways to clean your portable ice maker from mold, grime, and other disgusting dirt.
In this article, I want to highlight what I found on icemakergeeks.com, and how you can clean your portable ice maker this spring so that no one gets sick.
Make Sure Everything is Powered Down
Before you start cleaning your portable ice maker, make sure that your ice maker its powered down and that it’s unplugged. This will ensure that nothing gets damaged during the cleaning process.
Wash Down the Ice Maker Walls With a Cleaning Solution
Your next step is to wash down the walls of your portable ice maker with a cleaning solution. You want to make sure that the cleaning solution that you choose to clean your ice maker is a mild detergent. Nothing that will harm the ice maker and its sensors. You can purchase on Amazon great cleaning solutions that are made specifically for ice makers.
If you have mold growing inside the ice maker then you are going to want to use a mold killer solution. You can also purchase these on Amazon.
Some people will use a little bit of vinegar, water and some lemon juice to wash down the walls of the ice maker. These are all natural ingredients that will not harm your ice maker or you.
Rinse Your Ice Maker
Once you have washed your ice maker down, making sure that you have all everywhere cleaned, you need to rinse your your ice maker down. At my house, we have a pull out tap and so I pull out the plug in the ice maker and then continually pour water inside the ice maker letting it drain into the sink.
You cannot skip this step or you ice maker and ice will taste like your cleaning solution. Make sure that your unit is rinsed thoroughly and that all the dirt, grime and mold is gone.
Set Everything Back Up
Now that your ice maker is clean, you’re ready to put everything back together. I would assume that you removed the ice tray so that you could get to the ice maker walls easier. You can put the ice bin back in the unit, plug it back in and fill the water reservoir back with water.
You are now ready to make ice once again.
I would let the ice cycle go through a few times and just throw the ice out. It’s better to make sure that your ice is clean from the cleaning solution before you start using the ice.
Conclusion
Make sure that you repeat these steps at least once a month to keep your ice maker working great and your ice clean and healthy.
Sometimes hard water can build up inside your portable ice maker, so you want to make sure that you keep your ice maker clean to prevent this from happening and damaging your ice maker.
If you have any questions or comments you can leave them below. For a more in-depth look at cleaning your portable ice maker, then you can check out the article on betterhomeliving.com here.
Cheers.
