How to Clean an Ice Maker: Maker Steps and Cleaning Agents Compared
Whirlpool, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Frigidaire and Samsung each publish ice-maker care advice. They overlap on the routine and split on bleach, vinegar and timing. This page sets their own words side by side.
KILIG H01S Portable Ice Maker12 kg per 24 hours, 9 bullet ice cubes in 6 to 10 minutes₹8,000Amazon, 8 Nov 2026★ 4.0Check price ↗
EUHOMY Countertop Ice Cube Maker20.4 kg per day, 24 cubes in 13 minutes₹17,000Amazon, 8 Nov 2026★ 4.0Check price ↗
Frigidaire 26 Lbs per Day Portable Ice MakerPortable compact ice making machine, stainless₹22,600Amazon, 8 Nov 2026★ 4.3Check price ↗
Antarctic Star Countertop Ice Maker26 lbs per day, fastest 6 minute ice₹22,900Amazon, 8 Nov 2026★ 4.2Check price ↗Quick answer: switch off or unplug, empty the ice, hand wash the bin and removable parts in warm water and mild soap, dry everything, then throw out the first few batches of new ice. Each step comes from at least one of the Whirlpool, KitchenAid and GE pages we read. Bleach is the split: KitchenAid gives a bleach mix for refrigerator ice makers, Whirlpool a far weaker one for its freestanding unit, and LG’s Canada page says no bleach.
We read 20 maker web pages from six brands, on 1 October 2026. None is an owner’s manual, so your manual outranks everything below. Refrigerator ice makers and built-in “freestanding” undercounter units are kept apart.
What you need
Warm water, a washcloth or soft cloth, mild soap, a bucket or sink for the old ice (Whirlpool’s 2022 blog) and a toothbrush for tight spots (KitchenAid’s 2022 blog). For a freestanding unit, Whirlpool’s product-help page says: “You will need to use one 16-ounce (473 mL) bottle of approved ice maker cleaner.”
How to clean an ice maker in a refrigerator
- Cut the power. Whirlpool’s 2022 blog: “Before cleaning your ice maker, be sure to turn off the unit and disconnect the refrigerator’s power supply.” GE’s 2018 press release: “Unplug your appliance before cleaning the ice mechanism.” KitchenAid says you can also turn off the ice maker “if it has a latch or switch.”
- Empty the ice. Whirlpool: “Empty the remaining ice into a bucket or sink”, then melt any ice frozen to the bin with warm water and a washcloth. For GE Arctica side-by-side models, GE warns: “Do not place your fingers out of the opening at the bottom front part of the bucket where the crusher blades are.”
- Wash the parts by hand. KitchenAid: “Hand wash removable parts with warm water, mild soap and a washcloth or sponge. Do not place any of the items in the dishwasher.” Whirlpool wipes the bin using “a warm washcloth and an approved ice machine cleaner”. KitchenAid suggests a toothbrush for dirty or hard-to-reach spots.
- Dry the chute. GE (2018): “To prevent ice buildup after cleaning, make sure the chute is completely dry.”
- Reassemble dry. LG’s Canada help page: “Reassemble all parts only when completely dry.”
- Discard the first ice. KitchenAid: “Run the ice maker and throw out the first 2-3 batches to make sure there is no lingering taste or odors.”
For the dispenser, GE’s 2018 press release says to wipe behind the glass cradle “with vinegar and water or a mild soap and water solution”, and to “soak the area with undiluted vinegar” for dispenser-tray deposits.
How to clean a freestanding ice maker with a Clean cycle
These steps are from Whirlpool’s freestanding ice maker product-help page (modified 3 September 2026), with the power-off step from its 2022 blog. They do not apply to a refrigerator ice maker.
- Turn the unit off. “Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the ice to fall into the storage bin. Remove all ice from the storage bin.”
- “Pour one bottle of solution into the water pan. Fill the bottle twice with tap water and pour it into the water pan.”
- Run the clean cycle. “When the indicator light turns green (approximately 70 minutes), the cleaning cycle is complete.”
- Wash the interior parts, bin, door gasket and ice scoop with mild soap and warm water, rinse, clean the same parts with the dilute bleach solution below, and rinse again.
Whirlpool recommends affresh cleaner, part W11179302; affresh is owned by Whirlpool Corporation. GE’s standalone-unit support page names cleaner by model (WX08X42870 for the Monogram ZDIS15 and the UNC15 Gourmet Clear; WX01X40745 for the UNC15 Nugget) and says: “Do not follow the instructions on the cleaner bottle.” It says to follow the owner’s manual instead.
What each maker says to clean with
| Agent | Allowed or prescribed | Limited or forbidden |
|---|---|---|
| Bleach | KitchenAid 2022 blog (refrigerator): ½ cup per gallon of water. Whirlpool product help (freestanding): one tablespoon (15 mL) per gallon (3.8 L) of warm water | LG Canada: “Do not use bleach, harsh chemicals, or abrasive tools.” |
| Vinegar | Whirlpool 2022 blog: half water, half distilled white vinegar, as a substitute. GE 2018: on dispenser parts | KitchenAid 2022 blog: some refrigerators should not be cleaned with it; check your manual |
| Approved ice machine cleaner | Whirlpool (affresh, same owner); GE, by model | GE, for the standalone models it lists: follow the manual, not the bottle |
| Mild soap and warm water | KitchenAid, GE, Whirlpool product help; Frigidaire care guide: “soap and warm water mixture” for bins | No limit on the pages we read |
| Baking soda | GE 2018: “about 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 quart of water”, soft-touch dispenser pad only | KitchenAid lists it as optional, with no steps |
The bleach split
KitchenAid: “To disinfect your ice maker, mix ½ cup of bleach with one gallon of water. Dampen a clean cloth with the mixture and wipe the interior. Wipe once again with clean water before completely drying the ice maker.”
Whirlpool’s freestanding page uses one tablespoon per gallon. Half a cup is eight tablespoons, so KitchenAid’s mix carries about eight times as much bleach per gallon. Both brands belong to Whirlpool Corporation, but the figures are written for different products, so do not average them. LG’s Canada page forbids bleach, and we read no LG US ice-maker cleaning procedure. We are not picking a winner: follow the document for your machine.
The vinegar split
Whirlpool’s 2022 blog calls an approved ice machine cleaner “most recommended”, but says “a homemade half and half solution of water and distilled white vinegar can be used as a substitute when cleaning your ice maker at home.” KitchenAid’s 2022 blog: “While typically a natural cleaning agent, some refrigerators should not be cleaned with vinegar or vinegar-based products. To see if you can use vinegar on your refrigerator, consult your owner’s manual.”
How often to clean it
| Maker and document | Product | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| KitchenAid 2022 blog | Refrigerator | “every six months or so”, more often with heavy use |
| Whirlpool product help | Freestanding | Cleaning Cycle light, or “9 months have elapsed”; “as often as every 6 months if you begin to see buildup” |
| affresh blog (Whirlpool, 2023) | Freestanding | “at least twice a year” |
| GE support | Standalone | “about every six months”; on most models an indicator lights at 5 months, flashes at 6 |
| LG Canada | Refrigerator | “must be cleaned regularly”, no interval |
Whirlpool’s two pages differ for the same product type; the product-help page is the newer one. KitchenAid also suggests cleaning the ice maker when you clean the refrigerator or replace the water filter. Samsung’s six-month line covers a deep clean of the whole refrigerator, not the ice maker.
Water filter: every brand whose refrigerator-filter statement we read says six months: Whirlpool’s everydrop FAQ, Samsung US, LG US (January 2026 article), Frigidaire, GE (2018) and KitchenAid. GE’s 2018 release: “A clogged water filter can restrict water flow to the icemaker and impact overall performance.” Whirlpool’s freestanding unit has its own filter, every 3 to 9 months per its maintenance page.
If the problem is still there
- Cloudy ice. Whirlpool’s 2022 blog: “If you find that your ice cubes have been coming out looking cloudy, it may be time to clean the unit.”
- Ice tastes of the fridge. KitchenAid: “Odors from the fridge and freezer can transfer taste to the ice cubes”. It says to clean out the refrigerator first. Frigidaire’s taste and odour guide says to discard old ice and cover food.
- Frozen bucket. Samsung’s troubleshooting page: “do not use force to remove it, or use anything such as a hair dryer to defrost it.”
- Freestanding unit makes thin or no ice. Whirlpool: “If the drain cap is loose, water will empty from the water pan, and you will have either thin ice or no ice.”
- Solution drained mid-cycle. Whirlpool: “If the cleaning solution drains from the water pan, you should run the clean cycle again.”
Mistakes the makers warn against
- The dishwasher. GE (2018), KitchenAid, Whirlpool’s freestanding page and Frigidaire’s care guide all say to keep the parts out of it. Whirlpool says its plastic parts “cannot withstand temperatures above 145°F (63°C).”
- Defrosting it yourself. Samsung: “Do not attempt to defrost your ice maker, as this may damage the ice maker. Your ice maker has an automatic defrost function.”
- Stiff brushes. The affresh blog: “It is not recommended to use stiff or sharp-edged brushes as this can scratch the icemaker interior.”
- Taking it apart. LG Canada: “Only qualified LG service personnel should disassemble or repair internal ice maker mechanisms.”
Whirlpool’s product-help page also bans vinegar-based cleaners, but on the stainless exterior finish only, not inside the ice maker.
What we could not verify
- Samsung and LG US: no ice-maker cleaning procedure in the Samsung US or LG US pages we read.
- Maytag, Bosch, Kenmore: no refrigerator ice-maker cleaning page among the documents we read.
- Owner’s manuals: none for a refrigerator ice maker was obtained.
- Bleach against vinegar for mold, and any soap brand: no maker page we read covers either.
- Self-clean: no self-clean cycle for a refrigerator ice maker in the documents we read. The Clean cycles above are on freestanding units and use a cleaner.
- Age: Whirlpool’s ice-maker blog and KitchenAid’s blog date from 2022, the affresh blog from 2023, GE’s press release from 2018.
FAQ
How do you clean an ice maker?
Switch off, empty the ice, hand wash the bin and parts in warm water and mild soap, dry, reassemble and discard the first batches. A freestanding unit adds approved cleaner in the water pan and a Clean cycle.
Can I use vinegar to clean my ice maker?
Whirlpool’s 2022 blog allows a half and half water and distilled white vinegar mix as a substitute for approved cleaner. KitchenAid says some refrigerators should not be cleaned with vinegar, so check your manual first.
Is it safe to use bleach to clean an ice maker?
The makers disagree. KitchenAid gives ½ cup per gallon for a refrigerator ice maker; Whirlpool gives one tablespoon per gallon for its freestanding unit; LG’s Canada page says no bleach. Follow your model’s instructions.
How often should you clean your ice maker?
KitchenAid says every six months or so for a refrigerator ice maker. For freestanding units, Whirlpool says 9 months or when the light comes on; GE says about every six months.
Is mold in ice makers harmful?
No maker page we read says whether mold in ice is harmful. The nearest line is LG US’s January 2026 water-filter article, about the filter, not the ice maker: an unchanged filter “can even become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold, reintroducing harmful elements into your water supply.” For a moldy bin, Whirlpool’s 2022 blog says “you can remove the bin from the unit and use a washcloth and approved ice machine cleaner or homemade water and vinegar solution to wipe away the residue.”
Related reading on HomeVerdicts: cleaning a coffee maker with white vinegar · how we research
