Alright so my ice machine started acting weird last week. Ice tasted kinda funky, smelled a bit off too. Figured it needed a proper clean, like deep clean. Problem was, I sure as heck didn’t wanna tackle that myself. Who’s got time for scrubbing mysterious gunk outta tiny parts? Not me.

The Hunt Begins

First thing I did was grab my phone. Tapped into Google real quick. Searched up exactly that: "best ice machine cleaning near me". You guys know how this goes. Google spits back a million places. Some had fancy ads, others looked kinda sketchy. I needed someone reliable, you know? Like, actually shows up and doesn’t just ghost you after taking the call.

Started clicking through the list. Called three places right off the bat.

• Place #1: Dude sounded half asleep. Couldn't give me a straight price, kept saying "it depends." Sketchy. Hard pass.
• Place #2: Lady was nice enough, but they couldn’t get someone out for like two weeks. My ice machine wasn’t gonna wait that long, trust me.
• Place #3: Guy answered, actually sounded professional! Asked me the model (had to dig that out), talked about sanitizing procedures. Promised someone could come next day. Price sounded fair too. Score!

The Waiting Game (And Vetting)

Booked the appointment with Place #3, but I ain't stupid. Name sounded familiar though. Suddenly remembered – my neighbor Mike used them last year for his fancy built-in fridge! Quick text to Mike: "Yo, these cleaners legit?" Mike texted back instantly: "Yeah dude! Good guys, showed up on time, did the job proper." Okay, that settled my nerves big time. Real neighbor review beats any shiny ad.

Morning of the appointment rolls around. Set a reminder. Kept checking the window. Tech dude showed up right on time. I kid you not, 10 AM sharp. Already a good sign. Had a van with their name and uniform shirt. Looked the part.

Getting It Done

Tech was quick and polite. Explained what he was gonna do:

1. Shut down the machine.
2. Took everything apart – bins, trays, the works.
3. Started scrubbing all the visible parts with this cleaner he brought.
4. Then hooked up this small pump thing with hoses to flush out the inside bits, the water lines and stuff. Important part!
5. Ran a sanitizer through the whole system.
6. Put it all back together nice and clean.

Took him about an hour. Chilled while he worked. Pointed at some minor spots when he was almost done, he fixed them up no problem.

Final bill? Exactly what the guy on the phone quoted. No nasty surprises. Paid the dude. He left a little sticker with their number and next service date reminder on the machine. Nice touch.

The Verdict

Fired the machine back up. Next batch of ice? Crystal clear, zero smell, tastes like... well, like frozen water should. Success! Totally worth finding a local service that actually shows up and does the job right.

Moral of the story? Don't just pick the first fancy listing. Call around. Check the vibe. See if they can actually show up soon. Ask real people! Google reviews are okay, but Mike telling me "they didn’t wreck my kitchen" means way more. Clean ice is happy ice.