Consumer Reports experts help you get rid of the smelly ice in your freezer!

When you're hot and thirsty, nothing beats a nice big drink with ice. But if your ice has gone bad, well, that's another story.

Like many of us, Consumer Reports home editor Dan Wroclawski has dealt with smelly ice.

“This usually happens when ice has been sitting in your ice maker or ice bin for several weeks or even over a month, and it’s had a long time to absorb the smells of the food that's in your fridge,” said Wroclawski.

But there may be another culprit - your refrigerator!

“This is more common in older refrigerators with one cooling system where cold air passes between the freezer and fresh food compartments, making it easier for
your ice to get smelly,” he added.

The first thing you should do—dump your entire ice bin.

“If some of it smells, likely all of it smells,” Wroclawski said.

Next, to clean your ice bin—

“Check the manufacturer's instructions. You might be able to put it in the top rack of your dishwasher," he continued. "If you have to hand-wash it, usually baking soda and warm water will do the trick.”

Then, boxes of baking soda should be placed near the icemaker to absorb food odors.

If you don’t have an icemaker, baking soda can also help keep odors from creeping into your ice cube tray.

Speaking of those trays… it might be time to try something new, especially if you’re using silicone molds, which can absorb odors.

This plastic tray from Rubbermaid is a good option. The same goes for this tray with a lid from OXO.

Once your ice smells nice again, treat yourself to a frosty frozen beverage.

These blenders from Oster and NutriBullet aced Consumer Reports' icy drink test.

Speaking of cocktails, some refrigerators now have specialty ice makers that can make ice spheres or nugget ice for your favorite beverage. No matter what shape or size, you'll want to follow the same guidelines to keep that ice tasting good.

Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.

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