Talking About Baking

Posted on: 13 July 2016

An ice maker is not really a necessity, but it is certainly a convenience in any kitchen. If you have the luxury of owning an ice maker, the last thing you want is for it to produce ice that smells or tastes funky. The question is – why does this happen and what can you do about it?

Problem One: The Water Filtration System Is Dirty

The only solution to this problem is to replace the filter. Ideally, you should replace this filter every six months. If your family uses the ice machine a lot, you may want to consider replacing the filter more often. It is also a good idea to read the manual that came with the unit to see if it recommends how often the filter needs to be changed.

Problem Two: The Ice Bin Is Dirty

The ice bin, the container which holds the ice, can become dirty over time. If the container holding the ice becomes dirty or moldy, it is going to make the ice taste and smell dirty or moldy too. Naturally, cleaning the ice bin is the solution to this problem. You can do this by removing the ice bin from the unit and washing it. If you are concerned about the ice tasting soapy after you wash it – just use vinegar and hot water.

You want to make sure the ice bin is completely dry before you re-install it. If you put it in before it dries, the lingering water is just going to freeze all over the bin. While this might not seem like a big deal, the extra ice on and around the bin could make it more difficult to get it back out at a later time.

Problem Three: The Old Food

When was the last time you cleaned out the fridge? Is it possible you have old leftovers lingering in Tupperware in the back? Taking everything out of the fridge, throwing away spoiled and expired food, and giving the fridge a good wipe down can help with funky tastes and smells in your ice. As an added measure, you can purchase a box of baking soda, open it, and stick it in your fridge. This way the baking soda will absorb the smell of some of the food in your fridge instead of the ice.

As you can see, a large reason why ice coming out of the ice maker tastes and smells bad is because something needs to be cleaned and/or replaced. If you go through the measures of cleaning and replacing everything only to find you still have a problem, reach out to a professional to help find the cause in order to determine the best solution.