Cleaning your machine

Frozen treats leave behind sugar, dairy and fruit, and all three get harder to shift the longer they sit. A few minutes of cleaning right after you finish keeps the next batch tasting fresh and stops a sticky film from building up in the small places you cannot see. Both machines follow the same rhythm: rinse first, wash the removable parts, wipe the base, and dry everything fully before it goes away.

Clean right away, every time

• Unplug the machine before you start cleaning.
• Take the parts off while any residue is still soft. Dairy and sugar harden as they dry, and a mix that rinses away in seconds now can need a long soak later.
• Rinse loose mix off the parts under warm running water as a first pass, then wash properly with soap.
• Use a soft sponge or a soft brush. Rough pads and harsh cleaners can scratch plastic, and scratched surfaces hold on to smells and stains.

Washing the CREAMi parts

1. Rinse the outer bowl lid under warm water to loosen anything stuck to it, then press the paddle latch on top of the lid to release the paddle. Letting the paddle drop straight into the sink keeps your fingers clear of its edges.
2. Wash the pint, the outer bowl, the lids and the paddle in warm soapy water. Use a dishwashing brush or a utensil with a handle for the paddle instead of holding a sponge against it in your hand.
3. Give the underside of the outer bowl lid extra attention. Mix hides under the paddle and around the latch. Run warm water through the paddle release lever so it flows out of the drain holes on either side, then stand the lid with the lever side facing down so every last drop can drain away.
4. If your lid has the dark grey rubber lip seal wrapped around the underside, peel it off and wash it along with the lid. Food and moisture collect under seals, so lift the seal and clean beneath it now and then even when it looks fine.
5. For the dishwasher, separate the paddle, the pint, the outer bowl and the lids, and place everything on the top rack. Leave the heated dry setting off.
6. Wipe the motor base with a clean damp cloth, including the spindle area under the control panel, where drips land between runs. Never immerse the base in water or hold it under a tap.

Washing the SLUSHi parts

Start with the rinse cycle, which does the loosening for you:

1. Dispense every last bit of the frozen drink, stop the current preset, and press the RINSE button.
2. Add warm water up to the max fill line of the vessel. The cycle churns the water around the vessel and the auger without cooling, washing the mix off both.
3. Set a large cup or bowl under the spout and dispense the rinse water. It comes out quickly, so be ready for it.
4. Press the RINSE button again to stop the cycle, then switch the machine off. The rinse is a head start rather than the whole job, so wash the parts properly afterwards.

Then take the machine apart:

1. Pull the bail handle forward, lift the vessel off, and tip it downward as you remove it so leftover liquid does not spill out of the back.
2. Slide the auger off the evaporator, then take out the condensation catch, the drip tray and the spout shroud. The cover of the drip tray lifts off on its own, and the tray itself often holds a small pool of drips worth emptying every time.
3. Wash every removable part in warm soapy water, or load them into the dishwasher. Everything except the motor base and the evaporator is dishwasher safe, and the heated dry setting should stay off here too.
4. Wipe the evaporator and the motor base with a warm damp cloth, and wipe underneath the evaporator as well, where drips gather out of sight.

Sticky spots and stubborn smells

Soaking beats scrubbing. Fill a pint or bowl with warm soapy water and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, and dried mix will lift away with a soft sponge. Avoid scraping the inside of a pint with metal spoons or knives, since scratches give future batches places to cling to.

For sticky film that soap alone leaves behind, make a paste of baking soda and water, spread it over the spot, wait a few minutes, then scrub gently and rinse well. For a lingering smell in a pint or a lid, soak the part in equal parts white vinegar and water for about 30 minutes before its usual soapy wash. A small brush, such as a straw brush, reaches the tight corners around lids, latches and the spout where residue likes to settle.

Dry fully before you put everything away

Let every part air dry completely before you rebuild the machine or store the parts. Putting parts together while they are still damp traps moisture in seals and crevices, and that trapped moisture is what causes musty smells later. Leave the CREAMi lid draining with the lever side down until it is dry inside, and make sure the cavity on top of the paddle is dry too. Wipe any water off the base and the evaporator. Finally, never store leftover drink inside the SLUSHi vessel. Empty it, wash it, dry it, and store the machine upright with its parts in place.