Extreme weather calls out for extreme measures and that’s exactly where an ice maker comes in. It is a wonderful appliance for summer and its smart size makes it an ideal pick to be placed on your countertop. With an ice maker, you don’t need to open your refrigerator all the time and you can have quick access to the ice just with a hand’s stretch. The supplies in the refrigerator stay fresh for a longer time and you don’t have to turn off the whole system to clean it over and over due to excessive freezing on the base. Which makes the countertop ice maker an extremely valuable addition to the kitchen. Every appliance requires cleaning every once in a while. It boosts the performance and optimizes the energy consumption. Otherwise, you’d keep using the appliance and paying higher bills for around-the-clock usage. Below you can find a series of passages to clean your ice maker all by yourself.
Unplug Your Portable Ice Maker
An ice maker is an appliance just like any other and it runs on electricity. That’s why it is very important that you disconnect the power before you even start cleaning it. Unplugging the power cord protects you from unwanted damage, puts your mind to ease and saves energy losses as well. It might seem like a simple job, but a lot of people do mistakes and sometimes face severe consequences afterwards. The reason for that is, that it is a common understanding that if you turn off the appliance from the switchboard it is enough, but that’s not what unplugging means. Because if somehow you turn it on by mistake and the cable is damaged, then you can get an electric shock and in worst cases, a fire can break out. So to avoid such conditions make sure you unplug the device before cleaning.
Drain the water out
If you are under the impression that the condensation and icing are going to happen and there won’t be excess water, then that’s not the right approach. Because whether you are making the ice in the refrigerator or in an icemaker a certain amount of water keeps collecting in the reservoir. Since it is wastewater it must be taken out because if it stays longer in the appliance it can start creating a smell inside, that you may feel in ice after reusing the appliance. So, if you don’t want to ruin the taste of drinks, then it is suggested to get it out immediately after use. The drain plug is usually located at the bottom or at the side or at the back of an ice maker. You can locate it quite easily, but if you can’t locate it, then consult the user manual.
Use a cleaning solution
Now that the water is out it is time to clean it up and dry it for the next usage. It may look like a simple appliance, but cooling down the whole party isn’t a simple job. Because if the traces of water or residue are left inside it would create an unwanted smell inside the appliance and there’s a possibility that you might feel it in the ice as well. That’s why it must be cleaned properly just like any other appliance. The easiest way to do it and avoid smells is by cleaning the ice maker with a cleaning solution. Just take any cleaning solution that is good with plastic cleaning. The solution is recommended because due to its physical form it can reach all corners hidden or visible quite easily.
Remove the basket and scrub it
Cleaning an ice maker can become a challenging job if you don’t remove excess water at the end of use. Because if the water stays inside for a long time it can start creating not only a smell but the whole surface might become slippery as well. When that happens simple cleaning methods won’t cut out. It would now require a good scrubbing after the cleaning liquid is poured. Before you do that make sure you have taken out the basket outside. Because if you don’t there’s no guarantee how much residue is left inside the ice maker. Once the basket is out clean the inner surface well with a scrubber, make sure the scrubber doesn’t scratch the surface. Afterward, scrub the base separately and dry it up for reuse.
Make Ice and throw away the ice and drain the water
Once the basket is taken out and the solution is inside, then it is time to run the ice maker and make the ice. When ready through it away and drain the water as well. This is done to make sure that even the traces of residue is taken out. You might be wondering why clean it so intensely when you can see it has a clean surface? Well if you would have experienced ice made from a dirty ice maker you’d that there’s a certain smell and it doesn’t go out that easily once start. Excessive cleaning is also important if you are shutting down your ice maker for a longer period, like at the end of the season. So, once you prepare the ice, throw away the ice and drain the water as well.
Rinse your portable ice maker
For the final touch now you have to rinse the ice maker. Rinsing is important even if it requires huge waste of water because otherwise the traces of the cleaning solution will not go out and create a smell of its own. So, if you don’t want your ice to taste like a cleaning solution you better rinse it properly. The best part of cleaning a countertop or portable ice maker is that it can be held in hand quite easily for optimal cleaning. Just imagine how bigger trouble it would be to clean up the ice maker if it is not portable. When the rising is complete, then check if your ice maker still has some traces of smell. If you are still feeling it, then the work isn’t don’t yet.
Repeat 3/4 times and dry well
For complete removal of the bacteria and smell from the ice maker, it might need to clean up repeatedly. That is usually required when you leave your ice maker unattended for a longer period. You may have to repeat the process 3 to 4 times to get rid of the smell and declare it’s clean. Finally, when you don’t sense any smell, it is time to dry it off before you put it back on the countertop. It is also recommended to dry the parts separately because the cleaning usually has a strong fragrance that may stick with the cleaner for a while, but if dried properly it goes away. Make sure you double-check it before reuse.
Above you’ve seen a series of processes to clean up an ice maker. It is essential that you follow the passages as listed above if you want to avoid any kind of smell and germs inside your ice maker. The reason why you need to clean it often is that it has a great deal of moisture all the time. The moisture attracts bacteria and before you know the ice maker would be run over by bacteria. Don’t worry though, because if you’ve followed the above passage correctly, you’d have fresh and healthy ice all the time.