How to Clean an Icemaker and Water Dispenser in Refrigerator Door

I love the convenience of ice cubes and cold water at my fingertips in the refrigerator door, but I discovered something disturbing could be lurking on the other side of the door. Black gunk and mold hide and thrive in the crevices of the ice and water dispensers because it’s not the easiest place to clean. Use these tips to clean the icemaker and water dispenser in the door of your refrigerator so you can enjoy fresh, clean ice and water without worry of illness-causing mold spores getting into your beverages.

Change the Filter

When in doubt, read the manufacturer’s instruction book to determine if the water filter can be cleaned or if it must be changed. Clean or change the refrigerator’s water filter often to prevent black gunk and mold from making their home in your icemaker, and ultimately your drinks.

White Vinegar Spray

Pour white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray those hard-to-reach cracks and crevices around the trap door of the icemaker (located in the inside of the refrigerator door) and let sit for five minutes. White vinegar kills many types of mold and is a safe disinfectant and cleaner to use around food (the entire refrigerator/freezer interior can be safely cleaned with white vinegar). Vinegar is also a deodorizer and will remove the freezer-burn taste and smell from inside the freezer if you’ll spray the ice bin (throw out old ice) and all other water dispenser components wipe them down with a clean, dry cloth.

Chop Sticks

To clean those hard-to-reach areas, dampen a micro-fiber cloth in white vinegar and wrap it around the end of a chop stick and use to poke around in small areas and remove the gunk and mold. If wrapping a whole micro-fiber cloth around the chop stick makes it too large to fit into the nooks and crannies, cut off an inch square piece from a new kitchen sponge and insert the pointed end of a chop stick into the sponge piece. Dampen the sponge piece with vinegar and use to clean the small internal components of the icemaker. Use a fresh piece of sponge dampened with clean water to rinse icemaker components if desired. Make a fresh batch of ice and toss it out to prevent a lingering vinegar odor or taste on the ice cubes.