How to Safely Clean and Store Seasonal Appliances (Like Ice Makers & Heaters)

We all appreciate the convenience these seasonal appliances provide. Your ice maker in the summer time keeps your drinks nice and frosty. Your space heater in winter is a lifesaving comfort item on those bitterly cold days. However, usually, when the season is wrapped up you just unplug it and forget it—until you open the box next season or you find your heater stopped working, or the ice maker smells weird.

At Testergate, we believe that ownership of high-quality products starts with the purchase and continues with care and maintenance. That’s why this guide is not so simple as giving your appliance a quick surface wipe and unplugging. We will show you the importance of cleaning and storing your seasonal appliances, so they not only work better and last longer, but are not a hassle next season.

✅ 1. Pause Before You Store: Unplug and Cool (or Drain)
The first and most the most common misstep? Did you allow your appliance to entirely turn off?

With heaters, there may still be some residual heat once you turn it off. So, go ahead and tip toe under the spray to clean, but let it sit for at least 30 minutes on the counter once you unplugged it.

If it’s an ice maker, you’re likely to still have some water in it.
Residual heat or moisture can hinder your cleaning processes and you may inadvertently cause partial damage to your appliance when you unintentionally rush the components by skipping this step.

💡 Testergate Tip: Always dry your hands after unplugging any appliance but especially around vent and electrical socket areas.

✅ 2. Don’t Just Wipe—Scrub Like You Mean It!
A light dusting will simply not go a long way. These appliances have been hard at work for months, and now it’s time to scrub them down.

🧊 For Ice Makers:

Remove trays, baskets or any parts that are removable.
Aim to clean the inside with a diluted solution of white vinegar and warm water (this helps break down mineral deposits or slime).
Rinse thoroughly and dry it with a soft microfiber cloth.
Don’t forget to clean the water line or the inlet if it applies.

🔥 For Heaters:

Use a soft-bristled paint brush or handheld vacuum to remove dust from vents, fan blades, and grills.
For ceramic or panel heaters, use a damp cloth on the outside (but don’t let moisture climb into the corners).
If you’ve ever encountered a toasty or burnt dust smell, that’s a sign you should clean this appliance more often next season.

⚠️ Why This Is Important:

Dust, grease, water, mold, and rust will start and infect machines—especially after being left in storage for months.

✅ 3. Sanitize Surfaces That Come Into Contact With Air or Water
For appliances that blow air or contain water, cleaning is not enough; you need to sanitize.

🧴 Some useful sanitizing methods:

Spray or wipe internal surfaces with a diluted vinegar solution (1:1 vinegar and water)
Let it sit for 5–10 minutes (to kill bacteria) and then rinse clean, or wipe the surface clean
Ensure there is no residual moisture in rubber seals or crevices to avoid mold growth

🧠 Testergate Insight:

Avoid using bleach unless specifically stated in your manual as safe to use.
Vinegar is milder and does the job without damaging plastics or metal.

✅ 4. Allow to Dry – Completely
It can feel like overkill, but it is not good to put any appliance away even slightly damp—this is the quickest way to ruin it.

🌬️ How to dry it completely:

Allow the appliance to sit for 12–24 hours with the lid open (if there is one)
Take off all removable parts and let them separately air dry
Employ a soft, dry cloth to reach into inside corners and tight spots

❗ Why:

Ridding the appliance of moisture is critical to avoid:

Mildew
Foul odors
Corrosion
The possibility of inviting unwanted pests like bugs or rodents

🧠 Testergate Tip:

Place a few silica gel packets inside the unit to absorb any remaining humidity before storing.

✅ 5. Protect the Cord
The control rope is ordinarily the foremost ignored and will frequently have the most prominent damage.

🔄 How to protect it:

With a free coil and secured with a delicate Velcro strap or bend tie
Never wrap strings tightly around appliances

⚠️ Testergate Tip:

Fire Risk: split or bowed plugs.
Continuously check your plug both some time recently it goes absent and some time recently the another utilize

✅ 6. Store Appropriately: Secured, Off the Floor, and Dry
What you’re putting away, and how you store them, matter.
Fair tossing your machine in a smelly cabinet or dusty carport is fair a formula for calamity.

✅ Ideal Conditions for Storage:

Dry, cool, steady temperature (don’t utilize a hot storage room or moist basement)
Covered with a breathable cloth or fitted cover, NOT plastic (it traps moisture)
Off of the floor—on a rack, raised platform, or canister with air holes

🧠 Testergate Suggestion:

It may be worth the exertion to label the storage container; and indeed pencil in a quick sticky note:
“cleaned on [date]. ready for [next season].”

✅ 7. Bonus: Conduct a Pre-Storage Inspection
Before you stash it away for the season, do one last examination

❓ Ask Yourself:

Does it smell clean and dry?
Are there any missing screws? Any loose buttons?
Is the power cord in a good state?
Are there any liquids inside? (Double check, especially ice makers or humidifiers.)

🧠 Testergate Tip:

Take a picture of what it looks like cleaned and packed.
When the new season comes, you’ll remember what “ready” looks like.

🧾 Final Thoughts from Testergate

Most seasonal appliances are expensive, and they typically do heavy lifting in little bursts. And whether it is blasting warm air on a snowy night, or filling your tumbler with clean ice on a hot afternoon, they deserve a bit of care when they hibernate.

Don’t just tuck away your ice maker or heater—do it properly.

At Testergate, we test, review and care for appliances as if they were our own—because they are. Others work for the positive benefits they can glean from review products, we understand that smart maintenance can keep products running longer, help you save money, and help you be a smarter owner.