Vinegar and a soft brush will fix your nugget ice maker

Clean the ice mold and auger with a diluted vinegar solution and a soft brush—disassembly is only needed for the worst buildup.

Vinegar dissolves the mineral scale that makes that white crust, and it kills the slime that builds up in the corners. Mix about one part white vinegar to three parts water, dump it in the reservoir, and run a cleaning cycle if your machine has one. No cleaning cycle? Just let the solution sit in the mold for 15–20 minutes, then wipe down the auger and mold with a soft brush or cloth. Never use anything metal—you’ll scratch the plastic and give bacteria a place to hide.

For really caked-on gunk, unplug the machine and check if the auger assembly is removable. Most nugget ice makers have a twist-and-lift auger or a couple of screws holding it in. Take it out, soak it in the vinegar solution, scrub, rinse. While it’s out, wipe the inside of the mold with the same solution. Then reassemble and run a few rinse cycles with fresh water before making ice again.

The whole thing takes about 20 minutes. Do it every month or two, and your ice will taste better