Let me tell you about my smelly ice nightmare

Noticed this nasty funk coming from my Ice-O-Matic last Tuesday after work. Poured some bourbon over ice and got a whiff of straight-up locker room smell. Thought: this ain't normal. Did the sniff test - yup, ice smelled like wet dog.

Step one: total shutdown mode

Unplugged the beast immediately. Emptied the whole ice bin into my sink - chunks clattering everywhere. Saw this nasty slimy film coating the bin walls. Grabbed my shop vac and sucked out all standing water from the reservoir. Felt like a janitor but whatever works.

Getting medieval with the gunk

Mixed up my cleaning cocktail:

• White vinegar (whole gallon jug)
• Hot water from the tap (steaming hot)
• Four squirts of Dawn dish soap

Soaked all removable parts overnight in my bathtub because why not? Scrubbed every nook with a toothbrush reserved for nasty jobs. That green mold in the corners? Scraped it out with a butter knife wrapped in paper towels.

Pro tip: wear gloves unless you wanna smell like pickled death for days.

The main event

Poured my vinegar mix into the reservoir until it sloshed over. Let the machine run for two full cycles - listened to that nasty brown water drain out. Refilled and reran three more times with clean water, staring at the drain hose like a hawk until it ran clear.

The finish line

Dried everything with old t-shirts until bone dry. Plugged her back in and waited like a kid on Christmas morning. First batch smelled clean! Tasted clean too - no weird aftertaste. Whole process took five hours including beer breaks.

Lesson learned: That slime builds up quicker than you think. Marking my calendar to clean this sucker every three months now. Because nobody wants stinky ice ruining good whiskey.