How to Sanitize and Descale a GE Opal Ice Maker

Sanitizing a GE Opal Ice Maker

Unplug the machine and replace the water filter with the reservoir screen. Turn off your ice maker, unplug it from the wall, and remove the ice bin to expose the water reservoir. If you’re using the water filter, remove it from inside the reservoir. Then, attach the screened intake cap to the water reservoir. If your ice maker has a side tank, simply remove it from your machine while you clean. If you have any ice inside the bin, pour it into a bowl and stash it in your freezer while you clean.

Unhook the drain hoses and drain any water in the machine. Pull the ice maker over to your sink and turn it around to find the 2 drain hoses attached to the back. Then, unhook the top of both hoses and lay them in your sink. Simply remove the plugs from the ends of the hoses to allow any remaining water to drain out of your machine. Alternatively, set a bowl or bucket below your machine and lay the hoses inside to drain the water. Ensure you’re positioning the drain hoses below the ice maker, as you need gravity on your side to drain the water.

Attach the hoses and fill the reservoir with water and 1 tsp of bleach. Once the water is all drained, reattach the plugs and hook both drain hoses to the back of your machine. Simply fill the water reservoir to the max line with water (about 5 cups (1.2 L)). Then, add 1 tsp (5 ml) of bleach. During the cleaning cycle, the bleach solution runs through your machine to sanitize the parts and clear out any debris. Feel free to slide the ice bin back over the water reservoir or keep it removed from the machine. Note: It’s okay to use regular tap water or distilled water to clean out your machine.

Plug in your machine and start the clean cycle for your model. Plug the ice maker back into the outlet and turn it on. Then: If you have the model with a circular button on the front: Slide the switch on the back to “Cleaning.” Once the button illuminates yellow and starts pulsing, press it to start the clean cycle. If you have the model without a circular button on the front: Press and hold the “Clean” button on the front of the machine for 3 seconds. When the clean cycle starts, the “Cleaning” indicator lights up.

Drain your machine once the cleaning cycle is done. On machines with a button on the front, the light pulses around the button to indicate the cycle is finished. On machines without a button on the front, the “Cleaning” indicator turns off. Simply unhook the hoses, lay them in your sink, remove the plugs, and drain the bleach solution. Then, reattach the hoses. The cleaning cycle takes about 3 minutes to complete for both ice maker models.

Fill the water reservoir with water and run the cleaning cycle. To rinse the bleach solution out of your ice maker, fill the water reservoir with fresh water. Then, start the cleaning cycle again following the same steps for your model: either press the circular button on the front or hold down the “Clean” button. If you have the model with a circular button on the front: the button’s light splits into 4 quarters. As your machine moves through the rinse cycle, the quarters get brighter.

Drain the machine and run 2 more cleaning cycles with fresh water. When the cleaning cycle is finished, unhook the hoses to drain the water and then reattach them. Then, repeat the cleaning process 2 more times, using fresh water both times. This ensures the bleach solution is completely gone from your machine. Feel free to rinse out your machine more than 3 times if you think it needs it. Make sure you drain the water from your machine after the final cleaning cycle. If you have the model with a circular button on the front: Slide the switch on the back of your machine back to “Ice.”

Descaling a GE Opal Ice Maker

Unplug the ice maker and replace the water filter with the reservoir screen. Turn off your machine and unplug it from the outlet. Then, remove the ice bin. If you’re using a water filter in your machine, take it out of the water reservoir and replace it with the screened intake cap.

Disconnect the drain hoses and drain the water from your machine. Turn around your ice maker and look for the 2 drain hoses on the back of the machine. Simply disconnect them and lay them in your sink or a bowl. Then, pull off the cap to drain any excess water in your machine.

Reattach the hoses and fill the water reservoir with white vinegar. Put the cap back on the drain hoses and hook them onto your machine. Then, fill the water reservoir to the maximum line with white vinegar. Vinegar is made out of acetic acid, which is effective at dissolving limescale and other mineral deposits that can accumulate in your machine. Vinegar can also kill bacteria and mold. Alternatively, use GE’s cleaning solution to descale your machine.

Plug in the ice maker and start the cleaning cycle for your model. Plug in your machine and turn it on. Then, start up the cleaning process depending on your machine: If you have the model with a circular button on the front: Slide the switch on the back to “Cleaning.” Once the button illuminates yellow and starts pulsing, press it to start the clean cycle. If you have the model without a circular button on the front: Press the “Clean” button on the front of the machine for 3 seconds. When the clean cycle starts, the “Cleaning” indicator lights up.

Run the clea cycle 2 more times, then let the vinegar sit for 18 hours. It takes 3 minutes for the cleaning cycle to finish on both ice maker models. Once it’s done, simply start the cleaning cycle 2 more times. When the third cycle finishes, leave the vinegar to sit in the water reservoir for 18 hours. After the vinegar runs through your machine, it drains back into the water reservoir. Running the vinegar back through your machine 2 more times helps ensure all of the mineral buildup gets dissolved. You’ll know the cleaning cycle is finished on models with the circular button because the light pulses. On machines without the circular button, the “Cleaning” indicator disappears.

Leave a vinegar-soaked sponge in the ice chute overnight. While the vinegar is soaking in your machine, dampen a sponge or cloth with white vinegar. Then, place it inside the ice chute, which is where the ice dispenses into the ice bin. Just keep the sponge there overnight. This helps loosen and dissolve any mineral deposits inside the ice chute.

Wipe the sensors and walls with vinegar. Remove any mineral buildup and grime around the water reservoir and ice bin while you wait. Simply dampen a cloth with white vinegar and wipe down the sensors on either side of the ice chute. Then, wipe the walls of the reservoir. Remove any vinegar residue by wiping the sensors and walls with a clean, damp cloth.

Remove the sponge and drain the vinegar from your machine. Take the vinegar-soaked sponge out of the ice chute. Then, remove the drain hoses, set them in your sink, unplug the ends, and let the vinegar drain out of the reservoir. Reattach the drain hoses to your machine when you’re done draining the vinegar.

Fill the water reservoir with water and run the cleaning cycle. To rinse the vinegar out of your machine and any loosened debris, fill the water reservoir to the max fill line with water. Then, start the cleaning cycle again. Either press the circular button or press and hold the “Clean” button.

Drain the machine and run 2 more cleaning cycles with fresh water. Once the cleaning cycle is done, detach the hoses to drain the water and then reattach them. Then, run the cleaning cycle 2 more times, using fresh water both times. This helps ensure all of the vinegar is removed from inside your machine. If you have the model with a circular button on the front: Slide the rear switch back to “Ice.”

How Often to Sanitize and Descale a GE Opal Ice Maker

Sanitize your ice maker once per week. GE recommends that you sanitize your machine with the bleach solution every week. This gets rid of bacteria and ensures the ice tastes fresh. It also helps your machine last longer.

Descale your machine every few weeks, depending on water hardness. Water hardness refers to the amount of minerals present in your area’s tap water, which impacts how quickly mineral deposits build up inside your machine. Depending on your water hardness, you may need to clean your machine every few weeks or every few months. If your water is very hard (>10 grains per gallon (gpg)): Descale every 2 to 3 weeks. If your water is moderately hard (4-10 gpg): Descale every 1 to 2 months. If your water isn’t hard (0-4 gpg): Descale every 2 to 4 months. Test your water for hardness if you’re not sure whether your tap water is hard or soft. Tip: Use distilled water in your ice maker if you have hard water or don’t want to descale your machine as often. Distilled water is purified water that has no excess minerals.

Maintaining a Clean GE Opal Ice Maker

Wash the ice bin with soapy water once per week. Pull out the ice bin and dump any ice into a bowl and set it in your freezer. Then, fill your sink with warm water and a splash of dish soap. Wash out the inside and outside of the bin, rinse it off, and then dry it with a clean cloth.

Dry the drip tray every day. Water can accumulate on the drip tray underneath the machine, leading to mineral buildup. Every day, take a moment to wipe down the tray with a dry cloth to remove any water.

Clean the drip tray with soapy water each week. Pull out the drip tray from underneath your ice maker. Then, mix warm water with a bit of dish soap and wet a cloth with the soapy water. Wipe down the front and back of the drip tray and rinse it off with water. Simply dry it off with a cloth when you’re done.

Wipe the exterior of the ice maker with soapy water once per week. Add warm water and a bit of dish soap to a bowl. Then, wet a soft cloth in the soapy water and squeeze out the excess moisture. Simply wipe down the exterior of your machine to remove any dust and debris. Then, use a dry cloth to dry it off. If your machine has stainless steel parts, wipe them down with a stainless steel cleaner and a soft cloth, if you prefer.

Wash the side tank with soapy water each week. If your machine has a side tank, fill it with warm water and a splash of dish soap. Use a cloth or sponge to scrub the inside and outside of the machine. Then, use the soapy water to wipe the tank’s cap and valve. Simply rinse off the soapy water when you’re finished. If you notice mineral buildup inside the tank, wipe down the inside of the tank with 2 quarts (1.9 L) of water mixed with 2 quarts (1.9 L) of vinegar. Then, drain the solution through the tank’s drain hoses.