Cleaning Water Dispensers

Have you ever noticed how you can find water dispensers in just about every single office across the country? For whatever reason, water dispensers are an extremely popular item to have in the office, as well as in some homes. However, something that many people forget is that these items, no matter how low maintenance they are, do occasionally require some cleaning measures. Cleaning water dispensers not only helps ensure that the water remains tasting great, it also helps prevent any nasty illnesses from forming. All you really need to do is follow these simple procedures, and you will ensure that your water coolers remain in the best possible condition.

• Check your options. Prior to doing any cleaning, make sure that you know all of your options. This means that you need to be aware if you actually own the unit yourself, or not. If you do not, then you really should leave the cleaning to the professionals. This means that you can simply call the company that you got the unit from and have them come and do the cleaning. If you do own the unit, then you can do your own cleaning.
• Prepare the tools. Before you begin cleaning, make sure that you begin to gather all the materials that you will need. This will include things like a scrub brush, sponge, buckets, and the cleaning solution. A simple cleaning solution can be made by adding 1 tablespoon of bleach to every gallon of water that you use. Once you have created the cleaning solution in a bucket set it aside and proceed to the next step.
• Unplug the cooler. Most water dispensers and coolers are electrified in some manner. Whenever working with an electrified item, most particularly around water, make sure that you remove the electricity if you can. In this case, that means you unplug the cooler.
• Clean the outside and inside. Remove the water bottle, or disconnect the water source from the cooler. Once you have done that, begin using the cleaning solution to clean both the outside and inside of the water dispenser. Pour the cleaning solution through the water dispenser three or four times to make sure that you get the very interior parts of the dispenser clean. Wash the exterior of the dispenser as you normally would.
• Rise out and off. Using a bucket full of clean water, begin rinsing out the inside of the water cooler. This will help ensure that you remove any residue of the bleach you used. You may want to run the clean water through the system at least two or three times to ensure that you do a thorough job, using clean water each time. Repeat the process on the exterior of the water cooler as well.
• Don't forget the drip tray. If your water dispenser has a drip tray, be sure that you clean it as well. Since most drip trays are also removable, it may be easier to simply remove the tray and run it through a dishwasher once or twice.
• Reassemble. Once you have finished cleaning the water dispenser, reassemble everything. Run some water through the system and carefully take a sip to ensure you have removed all traces of bleach. After you have made sure that you removed all of the bleach, plug the cooler back in, and use it like you normally would.