So yeah, last Tuesday I was staring at my aligner cleaner machine looking nasty with all that cloudy gunk inside. Figured it was time to clean the damn thing properly for once. Here's exactly what I did:

My Gross Discovery Moment

First I unplugged the stupid thing - safety first, right? Almost dropped it carrying to the sink too. Saw this white crusty ring around the tank edges and floaty bits swimming in there. Smelled like death's armpit when I stuck my nose close. Ugh.

Scrubbing Like My Life Depended On It

Dumped all the funky water out then grabbed stuff from under my sink:
What I used:

• Plain white vinegar (that cheap giant bottle)
• Baking soda
• Old toothbrush (gross but perfect)
• Regular dish soap

Poured vinegar until it covered the gross bits - about halfway full. Let that sit for 10 minutes while I scrolled TikTok. Then dumped in two big spoonfuls of baking soda. Holy bubbles Batman! That fizzed up like a science fair volcano. Started scrubbing with the toothbrush while it was still bubbling. Those crusty bits came off like magic.

Rinse And Repeat (Literally)

Washed the whole tank with soapy water twice because vinegar smell sticks like crazy. Kept rinsing until the water ran clear with zero bubbles. Checked every nook with my phone flashlight - especially under the metal plate thingy where gunk hides. Found black speckles there! Went back with toothbrush round two.

The Victory Lap

Wiped everything dry with paper towels. Plugged it back in and ran just plain water through a full cycle. Stared at it like a hawk checking for leftover floaties. Nothing! Smelled like absolutely nothing afterwards. Felt like a damn superhero who just beat nasty bacteria monsters.

Took me maybe 15 minutes total? Now I do this vinegar splash every Friday after work. Still shocks me how such basic crap works better than expensive cleaners. Moral of the story: stop overcomplicating shit and just clean your machines people!