My Annoying Scotsman Ice Machine Experience

Okay, so last Tuesday I'm making ice for my evening drink, right? Pour the whiskey, grab some ice cubes... and notice these weird little white flakes floating in my glass. Gross! Tasted kinda dusty too. Made me wonder when the heck I last cleaned this Scotsman machine sitting on my counter.

Turns out, I couldn't even remember. Probably way too long. Felt like an idiot. So, I dug out the manual – stuck way back in some kitchen drawer full of other forgotten things. Skimmed the cleaning section... something about "Scotsman Ice Machine Cleaner" specifically. Went online, ordered the stuff. Got it fast, thankfully.

Here's what I actually did, step by messy step:

• First, I turned the darn machine off. Unplugged it too. Safety first, I guess.
• Cleared out all the ice still sitting in the bin. Felt wasteful, but oh well.
• Mixed the cleaner with warm water like the bottle said. Used my measuring cup. Pretty simple ratio.
• Poured this mix slowly into the machine's water reservoir thingy. Smelled kinda chemical-ly, but not too bad.
• Turned the machine back on and started a cleaning cycle. You gotta start it manually on mine. Made some whirring sounds.
• Left it run for the full 20 minutes the cleaner instructions suggested. Took the dog out, checked the mail.
• Came back, drained the gross dirty water out of the reservoir. Wow. Water looked murky yellow, with some tiny black bits floating. Yuck! Really showed why cleaning matters.
• Rinsed everything super well with plain water. Did it a few times to get rid of any cleaner smell. That nasty vinegar stink needs to go!
• Let the whole thing air dry for a good hour. Wiped down the outside with a damp cloth too.
• Finally, plugged it back in and restarted the ice-making cycle. Made fresh ice for my next drink. Tasted clean again! Huge relief.

So, How Often Should You Do This?

That was the whole point of this hassle, wasn't it? How often do I need to suffer through cleaning it? My manual was annoyingly vague. Seriously? So I dug deeper online. Talked to a buddy who fixes appliances. Here's the deal I figured out:

• Using It Lightly? Like mostly weekends or just you? Every 6 months is probably fine. Less work.
• Using It Heavily? Got kids, parties, constantly filling pitchers? Or hard water area? Do it every 3 months. Way more junk builds up faster.
• Notice Anything Weird? Cloudy ice, slow making, weird taste or smell? Clean it right away, don't wait. Like I did this time.

The cleaner itself wasn't expensive. Maybe $10? Easy to find. Took me maybe 30 minutes active work, plus waiting around time. Honestly, the worst part was seeing that dirty water. Never skipping this again!

My big takeaway? Pick a schedule. Every 3 months feels right for our busy house. Setting a calendar reminder on my phone now. Gotta save my future whiskey from nasty floaties. Hope this helps someone else avoid that gross surprise!