Ice mold
June 20, 2022 11:55 AM   Subscribe

I have a countertop ice maker. It does well in that it makes ice. However...

... after about 4 days, it develops slime in the tank. I assume that this is a mold or something like that and thus not healthy. So I have to clean it, more often than I would like.

Is there a way to prevent this slime?
Is there a machine of some other design that would not have this growth, or at least much less of it?
posted by falsedmitri to Home & Garden (5 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
you are 100% not supposed to leave water in the tank. i use mine about every week to week and a half, and after my ice bin is full in the freezer, i empty the ice maker and let it dry thoroughly. once every few runs i run the clean cycle with vinegar. it looks like yours does not have a clean cycle, but you can fill it up with vinegar and let it soak for a bit.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 12:22 PM on June 20, 2022


I have the exact same ikich model.
Yes, drain the water when you don't use it. Ideally every day but no more than 48 hours. Then it gets gross. And believe me, i am a slob!
I placed the machine so that i only need to slide it forward a little bit, so that the drain plug on the bottom is jutting out over the counter, open the drain plug and drain the water into a jug and water plants with it or whatever. Then dry the inside with paper towels (more hygenic than cloth, unless freshly laundered).

In retrospect, it would have been better to buy a machine with a removable water tank.
posted by 15L06 at 12:44 PM on June 20, 2022 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: @15L06: Thanks. I think I may be in the market for a machine with a removable water tank. What does "self-cleaning' mean" for these machines?
posted by falsedmitri at 12:47 PM on June 20, 2022


The removable Side Tank makes it much more expensive.

Re self cleaning, i read that this a programme, available in the machine, but don't know how it works tbh.
posted by 15L06 at 1:38 PM on June 20, 2022


i have an igloo one and it has a self-cleaning mode which basically runs your vinegar solution through the machine without activating the cooling/ice making function.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 1:54 PM on June 20, 2022


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