Ice is defined as food by the FDA so it needs to be handled in the same way as other food products and the equipment used with ice, including ice makers, ice bins and ice and water dispensers need to be maintained, cleaned and sanitized the same way that you care for other commercial kitchen equipment with direct food contact. Any part of an ice machine where there is contact with water has potential to develop scale, slime or mold and this will contaminate your ice with a risk of causing illness among inmates and staff.
Fortunately, cleaning your ice machine is easy, as long as you follow the manufacturer’s recommended processes. This quick guide can get you started and lead you through the process.
1. Completely empty all the ice from the ice bin so it doesn’t get contaminated with cleaning solution.
2. Begin the automatic cleaning cycle on your ice machine.
3. Add the appropriate cleaning chemicals per the manufacturer’s operation manual.
4. Allow for the cleaning cycle to be completed which generally runs about 20 minutes.
5. Disconnect the power to the ice machine before you proceed with cleaning the components.
6. Remove the internal ice machine components, clean with soap and warm water and sanitize.
7. Wash all food zone areas of the ice machine and bin or dispenser with soap and water and a nylon brush or cloth. The food zone areas of the commercial ice machine include the side walls, base which is specifically the area above the trough, the plastic parts of the evaporator including the top, bottom, sides and finally the ice bin or ice dispenser.
8. After you’ve washed everything, you need to thoroughly rinse all of this with clean water.
9. With disinfectant, you should now sanitize all the exterior surfaces of the ice making equipment.
10. Finally, use a vacuum cleaner and soft brush to remove any dust or debris from the condenser coils.
Quick Tip: This is a great time to check your water filter. If you have hard water or mineral rich water, your ice filter will need to be changed more frequently than if you have water with less mineral content.
Cleaning and sanitizing your ice machine, keeps your ice making equipment operating efficiently so that you aren’t using excess energy, and ice will be clean and safe, minimizing any potential risk of illness caused by contaminated ice. Schedule cleaning for your ice maker at least once every six months following the manufacturer’s documented cleaning instructions as standard operating procedure.
