Ice cubes are a simple pleasure in life. They’re inexpensive, easy to use and make your drinks taste better. But if you don’t take good care of your ice cube maker, it can cause some serious problems for you and your family.
Ice cubes with a bad odor or taste can ruin any drink and make the foods you store in your refrigerator smell funny. They can also lead to a buildup of bacteria and mold in your freezer which may result in health issues for you and your family. If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to clean out your ice maker:
1. Your Ice Cubes Have A Bad Odor
Ideally, the only smell in your freezer should be the clean, cold scent of frozen food. A bad odor can be a sign that something is wrong with your freezer, or it could mean that mold or bacteria has started growing on one of the ice cube trays.
This can cause your food to take on the same unpleasant odor. If this happens, take out all the food from your freezer and carefully check each item. Then wash down the inside of the freezer with a mixture of white vinegar and warm water.
Once everything is completely dry, put back any items that don’t have an off-putting smell. If you still detect a nasty odor after this deep cleaning, it’s time to replace your ice cubes.
2. Your Ice Cubes Are Smaller Than They Used To Be
This is usually caused by an accumulation of dirt and grime on the cooling coils that make up part of the refrigerant system inside your fridge or freezer. It’s important to keep these coils clean so they don’t clog up with dirt and grime over time which could cause them to stop working altogether!
3. Your Cubes Are Discolored
Your ice should be clear, but if you notice it has a yellowish tint, this could indicate that your water filter is no longer working. It’s recommended that you change your filter every six months. If you don’t have a water filter, you may want to install one so that your ice isn’t contaminated with impurities.
4. Your Ice Smells Like Fish
If your ice cubes smell like fish, it means that your freezer has a leaky seal. An open or loose door can cause this to happen, as well as a buildup of mold and mildew. To get rid of the fishy odor and clean the freezer, start by removing all the food in the unit and setting it somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight.
Then take out any removable parts such as shelves or drawers and scrub them with soap and warm water. Finally, wipe down all other surfaces with a solution of vinegar and warm water. Vinegar does an excellent job at killing bacteria and will help remove odors from inside your fridge.
5. Your ice smells like chemicals
One of the most common reasons to call a plumber is if your ice smells like chemicals. This usually happens because chemical compounds have built up in the plumbing system and are being transferred via your tap water into your ice cubes. If you notice that your ice cubes taste like chemicals or they smell strange, it may be time to call a plumber.
6. Your Ice Tastes Weird
Ice cubes should never taste funny. If you notice that your ice cubes taste strange, it may be time to replace them. The problem may be that there is something making its way into the water supply and ending up in your ice maker, causing it to produce less than ideal tasting ice. Once you have replaced the old ice cubes with new ones, you can turn on the water at the faucet and run it for a few minutes to flush out any residual contamination from the plumber work.
7. Dirty Looking Ice Cubes
If your ice cubes are looking dirty and cloudy, it is likely that your refrigerator’s water filter is dirty or clogged. This is an easy fix, as you can simply replace your refrigerator’s water filter. If changing the water filter doesn’t help, it is possible that your refrigerator’s condenser coils are dirty. These coils are usually located on the back of the fridge and should be cleaned at least once every six months.
8. The Ice Cubes Are Sticking Together
When this happens, it’s a sign of old age. Ice cubes that stick together like this aren’t as cold as they used to be and they take longer to melt. This will cause your drinks to get watered down quickly when you start drinking them because the ice will melt too slowly and create larger amounts of water in the drink than before.
9. Your Ice Cubes Are Starting To Smell
This is usually a sign that they’ve been sitting around too long, and should be replaced with new ones. If this happens often, it may mean there’s something wrong with how your fridge is keeping food fresh (or not keeping it fresh enough). You should contact an appliance repair professional to come take a look at what’s going on inside your fridge – maybe it needs some maintenance work done!
Conclusion
When your ice cubes have lost their ice cold punch, it is time to invest in new ones. A great way to choose the right ice maker for your kitchen is to research how to rate the perfect ice cube. It’s important to know that some ice cube trays are not meant to be shared.
