Ice makers are super helpful kitchen equipment that may be used at home but are mostly used in commercial places like restaurants and bars. Like all other food-related equipment, maintaining its hygiene is of the utmost importance.
Unclean ice makers may churn out ice that smells or tastes weird, is different in appearance, or ice that melts too fast. So, how do you clean a Frigidaire Countertop Ice Maker? Let’s walk through the entire process of cleaning an ice maker:
How to Clean Frigidaire Countertop Ice Maker
- Unplug the Frigidaire ice maker
This one is a no-brainer. You will obviously need to unplug your Frigidaire ice maker before you can start cleaning it. Rather than just powering it off, it is much safer to unplug it from the socket entirely. This ensures that both you and the ice maker remain safe till the end of the process.
- Drain out the water
Before we get to the actual cleaning parts, you will need to drain the Frigidaire ice maker of any water it may have. Ensure the water tray is in its vertical position behind the Evaporator Fingers.
If that is not the case, you will have to lightly push the water tray back such that all the water drains into the Water Reservoir. Now, you can unplug the drain and let all the water out.
You will want to be near a sink or keep a bucket close for this part– lest you spill water all over the surface. Also remember that after unplugging the Frigidaire ice maker, you have to let it cool down to room temperature.
- Cleanse the ice maker
Now, we get to cleaning the ice maker. Once you have drained the Frigidaire countertop ice maker, put the plug back in. You can use cleaning solutions for this purpose. Mix the cleaning solution and the water in appropriate ratios, as must be specified on the solution bottle.
Then add this mixture to the water reservoir of the ice maker. Tip: You may also use a mixture of lemon water and vinegar instead of a cleaning solution. However, we recommend using the cleaning solution to ensure the job is done well.
Now, turn on your Frigidaire ice maker. Run the cycle, and wait for a few minutes. When the ice maker starts producing ice, throw it away in the sink.
This will ensure that all parts of your ice-making unit are cleaned properly, so the more times you run the ice-making cycle, the better! Repeat the same process a few more times.
Note: Don’t completely empty the water reservoir. Save some of it so that you can use it for cleaning later.
- Remove the ice bin
Your Frigidaire ice maker will have an ice basket, you need to remove this. While it is out of the ice maker, it is a good chance to thoroughly wash and scrub and wash the ice bin.
If you don’t fancy having to scrub the ice bin you can simply leave it to soak in a soapy water bath for a while and then rinse it off. That should do the trick. Then you can get to cleaning the rest of the ice maker, and leave the ice bin to dry in the meanwhile.
- Scrub, scrub, scrub!
For this part, you will need to turn off the Frigidaire ice maker again (to ensure safety, of course). With the leftover cleaning solution in the water reservoir of the countertop ice maker and using cleaning rags or cloths of your choice, scrub the entirety of the unit.
There may be places that are difficult to reach with a cloth, so for that, you should use a bottle spray. Turn its knob to such a setting, a sharp shot of water sprays out. Other than that, you can use one of those bottle cleaning brushes to get into those hard-to-reach areas.
Hack: If both of these things are unavailable, you can simply tie your cleaning rag around an old used toothbrush or stick, secure it with a rubber band, and try scrubbing the ice maker with it.
- Drain
Next, drain the water again. It will be done similarly to how it was done before in the previous steps (as instructed above). We are basically trying to rid the ice making unit of all the soapy water. Don’t forget to go near a sink or to use a bucket for this step!
- Rinse
With the drain plug still removed, rinse the Frigidaire ice-making unit with clean water from the tap. You can do this by simply placing the ice maker in your sin and running the tap over it. It is even better if you have some sort of hose or a removable tap for this part.
You must thoroughly rinse the ice-making unit with clean water and do it several times. This is important because if you don’t rinse all the cleaning solution, it will get mixed with the water the next time you make ice.
Not only will your ice taste like soap, but this can also prove to be a great health hazard.
- Dry the ice maker
Although you can leave the ice-maker to dry by itself, it is better to dry it with a cloth yourself. This is because, sometimes, debris or small pieces may get stuck in the drain, in the water reservoir, or in any of the nooks of the Frigidaire ice maker.
It is only possible to get them out by wiping the unit with a cloth. So, using a dry and clean cloth, wipe the ice maker’s interior as well as its exterior.
- Make ice and throw it away… Again
To be on the safe side, it is a good idea to run an ice cycle (or two?) again. Just to ensure all the cleaning solution is gone, for good!
The ice should not be used; rather, you should dump it in the sink like all the previous cycles you ran to get rid of the soapy solution. Remember, you will need to drain the water once you are done running the ice-making cycle for the last time.
- Make ice, for real this time!
Now that you know that all the cleaning liquid has been washed away, you can fill your ice maker unit’s reservoir with fresh water. You can finally enjoy ice– made from a super clean Frigidaire countertop ice maker!
How often should you clean your Frigidaire ice maker?
It is advised to clean your ice maker once every six months, which means twice a year (at the very least). However, depending on the make of your model, your ice-making unit may require deep cleaning every three months or so.