Commercial kitchen equipment is expensive and needs maintenance to ensure a longer lifespan. Cleaning your ice maker regularly will keep it from breaking down and requiring ice dispenser repair.

The Reason For Clean Your Commercial Ice Maker Machine

Some business owners new to the food industry may ask why you need to clean an ice machine when all it requires is water and it makes ice out of it.

Ice makers do use water only, but there is a risk of bacterial contamination. An ice maker can be contaminated with germs like Norovirus, E-Coli, Hepatitis A, and others. Mold can also grow on ice dispensers that aren’t cleaned regularly.

Therefore, FDA instructs all business owners to clean the ice machine as per the manufacturer’s suggestions. It is usually 2-4 times a year. However, to keep yourself from trouble, you should carry an ice maker deep cleaning every 3 months.

Cleaning A Commercial Ice Maker

The instructions for cleaning your ice machine can be different so refer to the user manual. The general instructions for cleaning a commercial ice dispenser are below. You can easily perform them in your commercial kitchen or any cleaning area made of cleaning kitchen appliances.

Remove Ice From The Dispenser

You must remove ice from the bin of the ice maker before beginning the cleaning process. You can do this in two different ways.

When the harvest cycle is done and you see the ice falling from the evaporators, press the power switch. On the other hand, you can melt the ice by pressing the power switch.

Look For the “Wash” Button

Find the “wash” or “clean” on the ice dispenser and press it. The machine will flow water from the water dump valve and into the drain. Wait for one to three minutes so that the water trough is refilled and you see on the machine indicating to add chemicals.

Add The Cleaner

Once you see the indicator, pour in the cleaner. Ensure that the cleaner is as per the recommendations of the manufacturer.

Wait For 20-30 Minutes

After adding a cleaner, the ice maker will begin the cleaning cycle. It usually takes 20-30 minutes. When you can see that the cleaning cycle is complete, switch off the power to the ice dispenser. Take out its power cord from the outlet if possible.

Remove The Components Of The Machine

You should remove any components of the commercial ice maker that are removable. You should use the user manual to learn which parts can be taken out. Make sure you perform this process safely without damaging the components of the machine.

Prepare A Cleaning Solution

The manual of the machine may show you how much cleaner and water you need to use for the cleaning solution. Typically, the ratio is 1 gallon of water to 16 ounces of cleaner. If you can spot mineral buildup in your ice dispenser, you can increase the amount of cleaner.

Clean The Parts You Removed

Begin cleaning the removed parts of the appliance with water and the cleaning solution you made.

You will notice foaming because solutions tend to foam in the presence of scale and minerals buildups. You should wait for the foaming to be over. When this happens, use a soft-bristle brush or a sponge to gently clean the parts. Afterward, rinse them with water.

Clean The Machine

Now, you should give your attention to the machine and its food zone surfaces. Use water and the cleaning solution, for cleaning the bin and the food zone surfaces of the ice dispenser. Employ a soft brush or clean all the spots and areas of the machine well. When done, rinse all the parts of the ice maker with water.

Sanitizing A Commercial Ice Maker

You need to sanitize your ice machine after cleaning it to get rid of germs and bacteria from the machine.

Prepare your sanitizer by mixing it with warm water.
Sanitize the removed components.
Sanitize the ice machine.
Sanitize other surfaces of the machine as well.
Place the removed parts back into the ice dispenser.
Wait for 30 minutes
Plug in the ice maker’s power cord.
Let the water trough be refilled.
Make the machine perform automatic ice making
Observe two cycles of the machine
After the cleaning and sanitizing process, never use the first batch of ice made with the machine.

Conclusion

Your commercial ice maker requires cleaning and sanitizing for optimum performance. It also gets rid of scale, lime, and germs from the machine. Get help from a commercial ice maker repair expert if encounter any problems in the process. topac