How to Store an Ice Maker for the Season

The first time I put an ice maker away for winter, I did it the lazy way. I dumped the ice bin, wiped the outside, and slid the machine into a closet still half full of water. Six months later I pulled it out, ran a batch, and the ice smelled like a gym bag. That one shortcut cost me two evenings of scrubbing.

If you want to store an ice maker for the season without that unpleasant reunion, the whole trick comes down to one idea: get every drop of water out and keep the inside breathing. A machine that goes into a box wet is a machine that comes out smelling.

Here is the routine I use now on my GE Profile Opal and a Frigidaire EFIC237 that lives at our lake house for exactly this reason. It takes about an hour of hands-on time, most of which is just waiting for parts to dry.

Why moisture is the whole problem

An ice maker is a warm, dark, plastic box that holds standing water. Leave a few ounces in the reservoir, tuck it somewhere with no airflow, and you have built a small greenhouse for mold and that sour biofilm people call pink slime.

The smell you meet when you unpack a stored machine is not the plastic. It is what grew in the leftover water while you were not looking. Countertop makers like the Newair, Silonn, and Euhomy models hold anywhere from 40 to 80 ounces in the tank, and even a shot glass of forgotten water is enough to seed a problem.

Step 1: Deep clean before you store, not after

Cleaning a machine you are about to hide feels backwards, but this is the step that saves you. You want to store it clean and dry, so any gunk gets removed now while the machine is warm and easy to work on.

Run a full descale and sanitize cycle first. If you are not sure of the process, my full step-by-step guide to cleaning an ice maker walks through it, and if you prefer a pantry fix over a store-bought solution, the vinegar descaling method works fine for most machines.

1. Empty the ice bin and any leftover water completely.
2. Mix a cleaning solution (a 1:10 vinegar-to-water ratio, or a manufacturer cleaner) and run it through a full cycle.
3. Follow with two or three plain-water cycles so no cleaner taste lingers next season.
4. Wipe the bin, the scoop shelf, and any nozzles you can reach with a soft cloth.

Step 2: Drain every last drop

This is where most people leave water behind. Tipping the machine over the sink gets the obvious water, but reservoirs have low pockets and drain lines that hold an ounce or two you cannot see.

Find the drain plug. On the Opal it is a rubber cap on the underside; on most Frigidaire and Igloo portables it is a screw-out plug at the back or bottom. Pull it, tip the machine several directions over the sink, and let it sit draining for a few minutes. I go into more detail on the stubborn spots in this rundown on how to drain an ice maker completely.

• Reservoir tank emptied and tipped both ways
• Drain plug pulled and left open to air
• Ice bin bone dry, not just poured out
• Any visible water in the evaporator or nugget auger wiped away

Step 3: Remove and dry the filter

The water filter is the single most likely thing to ruin a stored machine. It is a wet sponge by design, so if you leave it in place and box everything up, it becomes the source of the smell you will fight later.

Pull the filter out. If it is near the end of its life anyway, throw it away and start next season fresh; our guide on when to replace your ice maker water filter covers the timing. If it still has life, set it somewhere dry and airy, or seal it in a bag in the fridge. Never store it damp inside the closed machine.

Step 4: Dry the inside for real

Draining gets the water out. Drying gets the film out. After the machine sits empty for an hour, wipe every surface you can reach with a clean microfiber cloth, then let it air out with the lid up for a full day before packing.

I usually leave mine open overnight on the counter. In humid climates, a small fan pointed into the bin speeds this up and gets into the corners a towel misses. Preventing that residual dampness is the same battle covered in our piece on how to prevent mold and smell in your ice maker, and it all starts with a truly dry interior.

Step 5: Prop the lid and store it upright

A closed lid on a machine that is not perfectly dry traps whatever moisture is left. So even after drying, I wedge the lid open a crack with a folded paper towel or a wine cork. Airflow is your friend for the entire storage stretch.

Store the unit upright, the way it runs. Laying it on its side or back can shift the compressor oil in models that have a sealed refrigeration system, like the Opal, and you are supposed to let those stand upright for 24 hours before running them again anyway. Upright storage skips that worry.

A dry machine with the lid cracked open will keep for years. A wet one with the lid shut will turn on you in a single season.

Where you store it matters

The spot does as much work as the prep. You want dry, stable temperature, and no pests.

The original box is ideal if you kept it, since the foam holds the machine upright and off any damp floor. If the box is long gone, a clean towel underneath and a loose sheet over the top keeps dust out without sealing moisture in.

The one mistake almost everyone makes

The single most common error is confusing empty with dry. People pour out the bin, feel satisfied, and pack a machine that still has water pooled in the reservoir and a soaked filter inside. Empty is a starting point. Dry is the goal.

The runner-up mistake is storing it in a freezing garage with water still in the lines. Water expands as it freezes, and a cracked reservoir or split pump is an expensive way to learn this. If freezing is even possible where you store it, drain obsessively and check with a flashlight for hidden water.

Waking it up next season

Bringing a well-stored machine back is easy. Reinstall a fresh filter, wipe out any dust, and run one full cleaning cycle before you trust the first batch of ice. Even a spotless machine benefits from a rinse cycle after months of sitting.

If you did the prep right, that first batch will taste clean. If you notice any off flavor, do not panic; a repeat cycle usually clears it, and using clean water helps too. The CDC has a plain explainer on keeping drinking water safe that is worth a skim if you rely on well or lake water at a seasonal place.

Making the call

Storing an ice maker well is not complicated, but it is unforgiving of shortcuts. Deep clean, drain until nothing drips, pull and dry the filter, air the inside out, crack the lid, and stand it upright somewhere dry. That is the entire job.

Do it once with intention and you buy yourself a machine that smells like nothing next season instead of a weekend of scrubbing. My gym-bag ice taught me the hard way so you do not have to. Spend the extra hour now, and future you will thank you the first hot afternoon you fill a glass.