Check out our step-by-step guide on how to clean a water dispenser in a fridge...
Have you ever wondered if your water dispenser in the fridge needs cleaning? Just like anything that you use, your fridge water dispenser is something that you have to regularly clean. If you don’t, then you might be drinking dirty water and surely, you don’t want that.
Did you know that grime can accumulate in the dispenser? If this is the first time you’re hearing it, it must be a shock for you. Even if it’s just clean drinking water flowing through it, there are still particles that stay in the tubing or the dispenser. However, the tray is usually the area with more grime because it’s more exposed.
So how do you clean a water dispenser on the fridge? Here are the steps to do just that.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning a Fridge Water Dispenser
What will you need? Lucky for you, you don’t need to buy special cleaners. In fact, you might want to steer clear of those because the chemicals from the cleansers might contaminate your drinking water. For this type of cleaning, you’ll only need plain white vinegar. Just in case there are remnants in the dispenser, it won’t be poisonous. If anything, it will just be a little sour.
Disconnect the Water
Before you even start cleaning the dispenser, you have to disconnect the water supply to your dispenser first. No, you don’t have to turn off the whole fridge, just the valve that controls the water flow. Turn the valve off and loosen the screw that connects the valve to the dispenser. Once you remove the screw, you can pour vinegar into it leading to the water reservoir.
Wash with Vinegar
Plain white vinegar has a lot of antibacterial benefits which is why it’s a great household cleaning aid. What’s great about it is that it’s edible, so even if you leave a few drops of vinegar in the tube, it won’t be harmful to you. Nonetheless, you have to make sure that there’s no vinegar left or else you’ll be drinking sour water.
Get a funnel and place it at one end of the tube. Pour 2-3 cups of vinegar into the tube so that it goes to the water reservoir. You will be letting the vinegar stay both in the tube and the reservoir so it cleans out all the grime and dirt left in it. Once you pour the vinegar, cover the other end of the tube so the vinegar doesn’t come out of the water reservoir just yet. You can use scotch tape for this.
Drain the Vinegar
After five minutes is up, drain it by pouring water into the tube. This will flush out the vinegar scent and taste that lingered in the reservoir. Remove the scotch tape at the other end and place water through the funnel. 3-4 cups of water will do.
Clean the Nozzle
Next up is the nozzle. To clean it, you’ll need to use an old toothbrush. Even if it’s old, make sure that the toothbrush is clean, too. Using the brush, scrub the nozzle and other parts around it. If you can reach the tubing, clean it also. In fact, if you can scrub all the other internal parts with the toothbrush, it’s best to do so to ensure that no grime is left in the whole of the dispenser. You can soak the bristles with vinegar and re-soak it with water once you’re done scrubbing.
Reconnect the Water
By now, you’re done with cleaning all the internal components. If you’re sure that you’ve washed off the vinegar, you can now reconnect the water. Get the screw you took off a while ago and screw it back onto the tubing. Screw it on tightly to ensure that water doesn’t escape. Turn on the valve and let the water flow again. You can also run clean water through it just to ensure that there’s no vinegar residue.
Clean the Outside
Don’t forget the outside of the dispenser. Even if all you might care about is how clean the inside of the dispenser is for safety purposes, you should still wash the outer parts. Why? Well, it’s really for cleanliness’ sake and to ensure that no other dirty particles get inside of the dispenser.
Some dispensers are detachable so you can easily clean the outer components. If yours isn’t, then you can just clean it from where it is. You’ll need the same things - water and vinegar. What you have to do is use a cloth, dip it with vinegar and then wipe it all over the surface. If you have a spray bottle, you can use it as well so it’s a lot easier to put the solution all over the dispenser.
Gently wipe it off using a cloth and then wipe it all again with a clean cloth soaked in pure water. This removes the vinegar solution.
Wash the Tray
Lastly, you need to wash the tray. For some fridge water dispensers, they come with detachable trays. If yours can be removed, make sure to clean it with soap and water. The first thing you have to do is remove the tray and wash it in the sink the same way you would wash a plate or a drinking glass. Use a sponge to clean the edges of the tray.
If your tray has grime in the corners, you can use the vinegar and water solution and pour it all over the tray. Let it soak for a few minutes just to loosen the grime that got stuck. If the sponge can reach it, drain the vinegar solution and use water to scrub the grime off. You can also use a toothbrush to ensure that you reach the other parts.
Cleaning a fridge water dispenser is pretty easy. You don’t even need to buy extra cleaning materials. Everything you need is usually always available in your home, so there’s no excuse not to regularly clean the dispenser. Ideally, cleaning the dispenser once or twice a month is enough.