Ice maker is an inseparable appliance of living. Taking care and keeping your ice maker clean and fresh is significant for good health as well as its lifespan also. Knowing how to clean ice maker with vinegar will make the cleaning job easy.
Usually, a mix of water and vinegar is used to clean the ice maker. Vinegar removes dirt and grime easily and is safe to use compared to soap. It is also very handy and a food-grade component that never causes any health hazards.
Here, you’ll learn about how to clean portable ice maker with vinegar and how to clean a countertop ice maker. I’m also detailed here on how does an ice maker work and how much electricity does a portable ice maker use as well.
How to Clean Ice Maker with Vinegar Easily
Vinegar is a very common ingredient available in your storeroom. So that cleaning your ice maker using vinegar, you never need to go here and there. But, for the best output you required some tools below;
Tools You Required
To get prepared to clean your machine, let’s see the tools/ingredients you required;
- Good quality white vinegar.
- Hot water.
- A spray bottle.
- Sponge or paper towels.
- A soft toothbrush.
- Soft cloth.
- Lemon juice (optional.)
Make a Basic Cleaning Mixture
- Put 2 cups of white vinegar with 1 cup of warm water in a spray bottle.
- Also, put 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. It will remove the moldy odor.
- Spin the solution for a couple of minutes for a good mix.
- If there is any stubborn dirt or grime, full-power vinegar might be required first. Then, systematic cleanings with a thinned solution should do well.
How to Clean Portable Ice Maker with Vinegar
- Turn off the machine and disconnect it from the port.
- Remove the ice bin.
- Remove the external drain cap of the ice maker and drain out the water.
- Apply the vinegar mixture to all internal parts of your ice machine and left it for about 5-10 minutes for the best output.
- Using a soft toothbrush eliminates stubborn grime.
- Rub entirely to eliminate the vinegar mixture and dirt using a sponge or paper towel.
- Apply some fresh water more and more to remove the mixture or smell from the machine.
- Replace the ice bin and the external drain cap at their home.
- Fill up the ice maker with water, and then turn it on.
- Dump a couple of trays of ice.
- Again turn off the ice maker and drain the liquid.
- Return the exterior drain cap and refill the unit with water.
- Turn on the ice maker.
Remember, even an auto-cleaning portable ice-making machine could be benefited from a random guided cleaning job.
How to Clean a Commercial Ice Maker with Vinegar
- Turn off the machine and disconnect it from the port.
- Take out the ice from the bin.
- Apply the mixture to all the internal parts of the unit.
- Let it sit for around 5-10 minutes. If needed, re-apply the mixture.
- Leave it for more than 5-10 minutes for a better result.
- If you are cleaning an auto-cleaning featured commercial ice maker, let the mixture sit there for 5 minutes.
- If you are cleaning a manual-cleaning featured commercial ice maker, apply clean water inside the ice maker to eliminate dirt and the cleaning mixture.
- Using a fresh and soft towel, rub it to get dry.
- Turn the machine on and throw the first two trays of ice.
- You are all set and your ice maker is ready for use.
How to Clean the Refrigerators’ Ice Maker
- Push up the stick on the ice machine to your refrigerators inside tills so it stops touching uphill.
- The ice machine will turn off once it ends moving.
- Empty the ice in the bin and change the basin.
- Leave the ice for an hour to soften.
- Apply warm water to the ice trays to soften them faster.
- Using a fresh and soft cloth pat dry every unit of the ice tray.
- Apply the vinegar mixture to the ice machine and leave it there for 5-10 minutes.
- Using hot water eliminates the vinegar mixture from the ice tray. Do it until the solution and its smell are out.
- Replace the stick in its home of the refrigerator.
- Turn on the machine and dump the first bunch of ice.
Things to Do When Cleaning the Ice Maker
Any cleaning agents can be used if they won’t break or score your ice maker. But be sure that the ingredient is not made of rigid shells or nickel. A paper towel, soft toothbrush, sponge, and dry cloth are the best decisions.
Before you start the cleaning job turn off the ice maker, disconnect it from the wall socket and disconnect the water supply of the ice maker. Make sure inside the ice maker there is no remaining ice, water, or any other elements.
Moreover, take out the parts of the ice machine that also required washing. Now follow the below instructions;
- Clean thoroughly all the corners and crevices of the unit using a soft cleaning agent and a soft brush or sponge.
- Wash the machine to get rid of dust and the washing solution.
- With a fresh soft cloth rub down all surfaces of the ice maker.
- Let the machine open air until gets fully dry.
- Plugin the machine on and start again.
- Dump away the first group of ice.
- Your ice maker will deliver its best productivity for the next 4 to 6 months, for sure!
Keep In Mind
Usually, depending on the kind of ice-making machine you own the method of cleaning might vary. Several models come with an auto-cleaning feature. On the other hand, other ice makers required manual cleaning.
Likewise, cleaning a portable ice maker is a bit unlike an integral ice maker. The user’s guide is always the seamless info source on how to clean a countertop ice maker. Or else, you can follow the common thumb rules.
Protections Tips When Using Vinegar for Cleaning
How to clean portable ice maker with vinegar or how to clean a commercial ice maker with vinegar also embroils actions to avoid health hazards. While vinegar is an accepted by-product and a minor germ-killing agent, but, it also can cause accidents if not correctly used.
Remembering that;
- Stay away as it does not touched your eyes at the time of applying on the ice maker.
- Using a looking glass is not a bad idea when doing a cleaning job.
- However, if unwantedly it gets in your eyes, wash your eyes with running water for 5-10 minutes.
- Make sure that you are not mixing vinegar with bleach.
- Mixture of vinegar and bleaching power can produce poisonous chlorine gas.
- Liquid cleaners and drop-in commode cleaners have bleach and can be very destructive when mixed with vinegar.
How Does an Ice Maker Work?
Although it seems justly an artless mechanism, however, it is fairly a difficult procedure that involves several symbiotic steps. The ice maker has tons of stirring parts inside.
It means a not-working ice maker can be due to any number of wrecked tools. Here is how does an ice maker work;
Usually, the ice maker uses a motor, a water valve, and a heating component to finish the ice-making sequence. The sequence begins when a timer triggers the water valve. It blocks up the ice mold in between 5-8 seconds (ice molding time may vary from brand to brand.)
When the integral thermostat concludes that the ice has solid enough, it triggers the heating component. The heating component heats the molded ice to unstiffen the boundaries of the ice cubes.
Afterward, the motor whirls a rod with small arms that exposé the ice cubes out from the tray and into the loading bin. Simultaneously, the rod increases a shut-off arm, which stops the ice-making sequence from beginning over again. The shut-off arm falls back down when the ice gets into the bin.
The ice-making sequence will start over again if the shut-off arm doesn’t hit any ice. When it turns up touching the cold stuff, it stops the sequence till you give out extra ice. Though it truly depends on the model and brands also, usually the sequence takes about 1-2 hours.
How Much Electricity Does A Portable Ice Maker Use?
Still, portable ice-making machines are known to be more energy-consuming appliances, but they cost a smaller amount of energy compared to the refrigerator, commercial or under-counter ice-making units. Honestly, a portable ice maker that delivers piece of ice uses a little bit of extra energy compared to the systematic bullet ice maker.
Similarly, most portable ice makers consume the maximum energy when freezing the ice. As it has to use additional components to finish the ice-making course. The usual amps for a portable ice maker would be roughly 2.5 amps.
Wrapping Up
Knowing how to clean ice maker with vinegar is a truly easy task to do, isn’t it? To allow ice always clean and fresh you should be clean your ice maker at least once a month. These practices are also good for the lifespan of your loving ice maker.