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There are plenty of spots we regularly clean in our kitchen, from the fridge’s crisper drawer to the splattered inside of the microwave. But an overlooked area, that often never gets any good scrubbing, is the ice maker.
It’s important to keep your ice maker sanitary, because ice can pick up grime and bacteria from dirty surfaces and pass that on to your drinks.
To start, you’ll need some sort of cleaner to get it to sparkle. “Most machine manufacturers recommend a specific brand of cleaner that works with their products, so this may be the best way to ensure proper cleaning,” says Sofia Norton, RD. “However, using vinegar is also an effective and eco-friendly way to clean your machine,” she says. So don’t feel like you have to buy special products, you probably have a bottle of vinegar already sitting in your pantry. “Vinegar’s acidity destroys mineral deposits, mold, and bacteria that are accumulating inside your machine and that can change the taste of ice and make it unsanitary,” says Norton.
As for how often to clean your ice maker, the manufacturers recommend cleaning your machine once or twice a year, depending on how often you’re using it and if you have hard water. “Frequent use means more dirt is accumulating inside your machine, while hard water leads to mineral deposits that can damage its components,” says Norton.
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