GREENSBORO, N.C. — Ugh. What. Is. That. Taste? Could it be the fish you have thawing in your fridge? Or the freshly cut up onions you put in the freezer?
The ice from your ice maker could easily take on the smells and tastes of whatever you have in there. Fishy soda or garlicky water is gross.
But before you write off your ice maker and start buying ice or think of unp-lugging your fridge and cleaning the tubing, start with the easiest fix.
Clean the ice tray with a mix of baking soda and warm water. Then put baking soda boxes in the freezer as close to the ice maker as possible and in the fridge.
If that helps, great! It was an easy fix, right? If not, you will want to look at your fridge manual to see how to clean the tubes.
Consumer Reports gives you a step by step video of how to clean the evaporators. Here's a bit of article so you can see what is included:
Clean the Evaporator
If there’s a lasting funk that just won’t go away, chances are the refrigerator smells have permeated the evaporator coil, which produces cold air for the fridge and freezer. The coil, along with the fan that distributes the air, are typically located on the back wall of the freezer.
In the video above, we show you how to clean the evaporator on a top-freezer refrigerator. Start by removing the screws that anchor the panel. Next disconnect the plug for the electronic controls and icemaker. Remove and wash the panel. Use a spray bottle to apply warm soapy water to the coils, capturing the dirty water runoff with an old rag; repeat the process with fresh water to rinse. Allow the coil to air dry completely before replacing the panel.