Kat, sorry to hear about your plane. If it is any help, I'm five up on you now.

First, don't crank over the engine. The instructions to clean it upside down are good. Get a spray can of carb cleaner and blow the junk from around the carb, Don't blow into the carb though. Pull the back plate off and blow the carb cleaner through the crank flushing ot the carb from the back. Gently rock the crank back and forth while doing this and stop at the first sign of grit in the crank. Make sure you lube things up well before putting to cover back on. A good flush out with fresh fuel is a good way to finish up the clean out.

If you feel any grit when cranking it over after the clean out, or any at all moving the throttle, tear the carb down firat and then if you still have issues, tear down the enging. That is not likely necessary thought. As I said, I'm five up on you, including one into the pond. Only one needed cleaning in excess of what I described. Well a little more than cleaning. Photos below

Sorry again. Happens. The question is what did you learn from it. Every mishap has a lesson attached. What I learned a couple weeks back was 1. when setting up for landing in a strong down the runway wind, don't throttle back so much on the down wind leg. 2. when making the turn for final, don't go so far out.

3. when not following 1 & 2, don't turn down wind, you turn into a lawn dart at that point.

Don