If you own a commercial ice maker, keeping it clean should be a priority. Regularly cleaning a Manitowoc ice machine improves efficiency and ensures you have clean ice to serve your customers.
Business owners often decide to hire qualified ice machine technicians to carry out the recommended deep cleaning. Whether you own a Scotsman ice machine or a Hoshizaki ice machine, all ice makers need a deep and thorough cleaning. Three steps are involved in thoroughly cleaning commercial ice appliances:
- Step 1: Getting rid of all mineral deposits and buildup (descaling)
- Step 2: Using chemicals to eradicate microorganisms like viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Any leftover algae, mold, or slime should be eliminated throughout this procedure. (disinfecting)
- Step 3: Lower chemical concentrations are used during sanitization to reduce bacterial counts to levels that meet federally mandated health requirements. (sanitizing)
Manitowoc recommends biannual cleaning of their ice makers. To keep your machine safe and guarantee that it keeps producing ice, we advise engaging an ice machine expert to undertake this process. Let’s get into it!
The Solutions Used In Cleaning A Manitowoc Ice Machine
Using a diluted mixture of bleach with water is one of the best ways to clean your ice dispenser. The bleach used needs to have an EPA registration number that certifies that it can be used on surfaces in contact with food, such as those found on ice makers.
The bleach you’re using is diluted depending on whether you need to disinfect or sanitize the equipment. The dilution rate also depends on the kind of bleach you’re using. Avoid combining bleach and other cleansers. The mixture may produce toxic, dangerous vapors that may affect the respiratory system.
Descaling: A descaler can be used to carry out descaling. Scale can develop and hinder the productivity of the machine’s water reservoir, evaporator, and tubes.
Disinfection: The disinfectant solution needs to be washed away because it contains more bleach. Combine 1 gallon of water and 6 ounces of bleach to make the disinfection solution.
Sanitization: Add 1 gallon of water to 2 tablespoons of bleach to make a sanitization solution. You don’t need to rinse it immediately as it is less diluted than the disinfection solution.
Cleaning The Ice Maker
If you see any white buildup on your commercial ice maker, that’s limescale. When this accumulates, descaling is necessary to eliminate it. The deep cleaning process should start with decalcifying, then disinfecting and sanitizing.
- The water reservoir (WR) can fill with water by switching the ice maker to clean mode.
- Next, you’ll add the descaling solution into the WR.
- The ice maker will begin a wash and rinsing cycle. This will leave the WR empty.
- Dismantle the parts of the water circuit. Bring the components to the sink and give them a deep cleaning by brushing, rinsing, and splashing them with a spray bottle containing a 50/50 mixture of water and descaler.
- Reassemble the parts once you’re done cleaning them.
It’s better to leave a heavy-duty task like this up to the professionals at LA Ice Machine. We offer a comprehensive ice machine rental program that includes an ice machine, bin, and water filters. Whether you need ice machines for a hospital, restaurant, corporate office, or hotel in Los Angeles, we can help you out! Reach out to us to learn all about our services.
