Alright, so lemme tell you about the ice machine situation I tackled. A real deep dive into cleaning a Manitowoc ice machine, step-by-step. Buckle up!

Getting Started: Prep Work is Key

• First things first, unplug that beast! Safety first, always. No need to be playing with electricity and water at the same time.
• Next, I shut off the water supply. Found the valve, gave it a good turn. No more water flowing in while I'm messing around inside.
• Cleared out all the ice from the bin. Used a clean scoop and chucked it all into a big container. Didn't want any old, dirty ice getting mixed back in later.
• Took out all the removable parts. The water curtain, the distribution tube, the water trough – everything that could come out, came out.

The Cleaning Process: Diving In Deep

• Mixed up the cleaning solution. I used Manitowoc's ice machine cleaner, followed the instructions on the bottle. Gotta get the ratio right!
• Poured the solution into the water trough. Made sure it was evenly distributed.
• Started the cleaning cycle. Manitowoc machines usually have a specific cleaning cycle setting. Found it on the control panel and hit "go".
• Let it run. This is the waiting game. The machine basically washes itself with the cleaning solution. Took about 30-45 minutes, I think.
• Scrubbed the removable parts. While the machine was doing its thing, I scrubbed all the parts I took out earlier. Used a soft brush and the same cleaning solution. Got all the scale and grime off. Rinsed 'em real good.

Rinsing and Sanitizing: Making it Sparkle

• Drained the cleaning solution. The machine did this automatically at the end of the cleaning cycle.
• Started the rinse cycle. Another cycle on the control panel, this time just with water. Rinsed everything thoroughly.
• Sanitized the machine. Mixed up a sanitizing solution (again, following the instructions on the bottle). Wiped down all the interior surfaces with it.
• Rinsed AGAIN! You can never be too careful. I ran another rinse cycle just to make sure all traces of the sanitizing solution were gone.

Putting It All Back Together: Almost Done!

• Reassembled the parts. Water curtain, distribution tube, water trough – put everything back where it belonged. Made sure everything was seated properly.
• Turned the water supply back on. Slowly, just in case. Checked for leaks.
• Plugged the machine back in. Power on!
• Let it run a few cycles. Just to make sure everything was working properly and the ice was coming out clean. Dumped the first batch of ice, just to be safe.

And that's it! Clean ice machine. Took a couple of hours, but totally worth it. Keeps the ice tasting good and the machine running smoothly. Don't skip out on this chore, folks!