Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Ick..(ahem)..Ice Maker!

I have started a new game on Facebook called "What is it?". This is a game where I post some picture that is either an extreme closeup or one that is taken from an unusual angle. Then anyone who wants to take a guess at the identity of the picture posts his/her guess. Some of these pictures are relatively easy to guess while others take a bit longer and occasionally I have to post hints. This posting of pictures has taken my photography in a new direction. I am now constantly on the lookout for things that might not be readily recognizable. The game is not just for the "guessers" but for the "poster" as well. This afternoon, I walked into the kitchen and was inspired! I went to the refrigerator and flipped on the small light in the door near the ice dispenser. Ahhh..a possible "What is it?" picture! I knelt on the floor and peered up at the ice dispenser..Yep!..this could definitely be a poser! I could take a picture of the inner workings of the dispenser chute. Unless a person is mighty short or under four years old, he/she probably never sees the underside of this part of a refrigerator. This shot might prove to be quite the conundrum to my players. Little did I know that the shot was going to be a conundrum to me as well! Anyone who does photography or even owns a camera knows that with most models, you have to be at least three feet away from anything that is to be photographed. Now think about it..the ice dispenser is in the door of the freezer about waist high. This was going to be a mite difficult.


I knelt on the floor..no good..so down I went..flat on my back. I stared up at the ice dispenser. Ugh! What a nasty looking place! When I clean my kitchen, I never think to position my self on the floor looking up at the bottom of things. So..consequently..this has never been cleaned! The ice dispenser was an "ick dispenser"! My grandmother used to have a saying "Out of sight..out of mind." Obviously, this refers to my house cleaning regime! I eyed the chute again.. yep ..definitely a big ugh! There, lining most parts of the dispenser, was mold..black, icky mold! Ewww! I had heard of how Black Mold is a health hazard so I knew that this had to be cleaned! In walked...Hubby!


To make a long story short..I had no idea that the ice dispenser could be so readily dismantled! He pulled off the bottom tray, removed the front cover, unhooked some funny looking wires, and yanked off the plastic, chute guard. He spritzed the whole area with a cleanser containing bleach and wiped, scrubbed and scoured the area. Then he dried the entire unit and started replacing parts. This turned into a job lasting about thirty minutes. While all of this was occurring, I held a light so he could see just where all of the ick was located. I was careful to spotlight even the most remotest corners for him to clean. Oh..and I also handed him things! "Here..try this washcloth!" .. "Do you need this scrub brush?" .. "Here is a dry cloth!" I must admit that my help was totally essential in this difficult endeavor!


Finally, the ice dispenser was no longer an ick dispenser. It was clean! It gleamed brightly as if to say.."I won't give you some horrible disease now..only ice!" Good job, Hubby! Just a note..learn from my experience..check all of the unusual places before you think your house is clean. Unless, you are a compulsive cleaner..chances are there are places in your house that might be ick dispensers as well..or at least I hope some of you have places like this. I hope it is not just at my house! Ewwww!

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