A Guide to Clean the Whirlpool Refrigerator Water Dispenser
The Whirlpool refrigerator water dispenser is essential for staying hydrated. Unknown to many, this handy device can collect and accumulate dirt and bacteria, affecting the quality and flow of water.
As a result, your water might start coming out slower than usual from the dispenser or have a different taste.
Most people often overlook something when considering how dirty their refrigerator’s water dispenser is.
Despite being one of those parts you hardly think about, your fridge water dispenser is also home to mold and other microorganisms.
Fortunately, there are various ways from which you can get rid of all the dirt and bacteria in your fridge water dispenser so you can finally enjoy cold and refreshing water whenever you want.
What is the simplest way to clean up this mess? One good suggestion is to use a chemical-free method; distilled vinegar.
Besides being an essential ingredient in kitchen recipes or salad dressings, vinegar can also clean your Whirlpool refrigerator water dispenser to restore the original taste of purified water.
To clean your fridge water dispenser, one must first understand why it becomes dirty in the first place.
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How Does a Whirlpool Refrigerator Water Dispenser Get Dirty?
Mold and bacteria surround us literally. The air is full of microorganisms like yeast and other living bacteria that are healthy bacteria.
However, things start to falter when these bacteria get out of whack. When this happens in places like your fridge’s water dispenser, that’s where these bacteria begin to grow.
A common reason for it is cross-contamination. The opening of the water bottle you drink from and fingers accidentally touching the opening of your dispenser are just a few examples of things that can lead to bacteria getting into the water lines.
Make sure no one touches anything other than the dispenser itself, then clean that area with non-toxic cleaning products like vinegar daily.
And even if nobody has touched anything, bacterial spores can still get into the waterline. Because of this, you should give your dispenser a nice deep clean every few weeks or months.
A toothbrush and glass of vinegar will help you clean the water dispenser.
A Step-by-step Guide to Clean a Whirlpool Refrigerator Water Dispenser with Vinegar
Simple and distilled vinegar is an excellent way to clean your water dispenser without contaminating your water with harmful and dangerous cleaning chemicals.
First, consult your refrigerator’s owner’s manual for detailed information on properly emptying the ice dispenser and accessing the refrigerator’s water lines.
If you’ve lost a manual or don’t have it, you can easily download it from Ownermanual.co. Here you can get the user manuals of various home appliances, electronics, and cars.
For cleaning, you will need white vinegar, cleaning rags, and a scrubbing brush such as a toothbrush.
Step One: Shut off the water supply
The first step is to shut down the water supply to your Whirlpool refrigerator water dispenser so you may flush the whole system with vinegar.
Make sure that you have turned off the valve properly. Next, remove the screw holding the copper tube in place. It will give you access to the end of the hose, where you can pour the white vinegar.
Step Two: Flush the system with white vinegar
As an effective cleaning agent, plain white vinegar is safe to consume. It means that if vinegar has left in your dispenser, it will not harm you if you drink it with the drinking water.
To flush the system, insert a small funnel into the open end of the copper pipe that goes to the dispenser. After attaching the funnel properly, pour some vinegar into the tube and let it flow into the water dispenser’s reservoir.
The vinegar will take some time to flow through the copper pipe. So if you support it with tape or in an upright position, ensure that the vinegar you have poured does not flow back out of the pipe.
Leave the vinegar to rest in the dispenser’s reservoir for about five minutes. Next, place a container under the water dispenser nozzle and press the button to dispense it. Make sure you hold the button until all the vinegar has drained from the dispenser.
Step Three: Scrub the nozzle
Using a toothbrush or other small, soft-bristled brush, gently rub the spout area with the hose’s visible parts. Dip the scrub brush in more vinegar to clean these areas properly. For even better cleaning, you could get a narrow brush specially designed for cleaning straws; it may partially enter the nozzle and hose.
Step Four: Rinse out the vinegar
After you have dispensed all of the vinegar from the dispenser reservoir, it is now time to reconnect the dispenser’s water supply by simply unscrewing the copper tubing. Don’t forget to turn the valve off to enable water to flow by the system again.
Place an empty basket under the nozzle and press the water button to cycle the system. This step will help remove any residual vinegar left in the system, leaving your water to taste crisp and fresh.
Step Five: Clean the outside surfaces
You must also clean the external part of your refrigerator’s water dispenser. Most dispensers have a locking button that prevents them from dispensing water or ice cubes unnecessarily.
Activate this locking button so you may clean the dispenser buttons without accidentally spilling ice or water on your floor.
Wipe all visible surfaces with a soft cloth or sponge dampened with vinegar and water.
Alternatively, you can spray the mixture onto the exterior parts of the dispenser and then wipe those surfaces down with a damp cloth.
Finally, wipe the surfaces with a clean cloth to remove the vinegar.
Water dispensers typically have a removable tray placed under the dispensing area to catch excess water. This compartment also needs to be cleaned thoroughly.
If dirt has accumulated, it should be soaked in a solution of vinegar and warm water for a few minutes to loosen the dirt.
Next, use a soft brush to scrub the tray and rinse thoroughly with clean water before replacing it in the dispenser.
Wrapping it up:
From the above, we can conclude that cleaning a Whirlpool refrigerator water dispenser is pretty simple.
Just follow the five steps above, and you will end up with a clean dispenser, dispensing fresh and clean water in no time!
You must clean your Whirlpool refrigerator water dispenser twice a year to avoid future issues.