How to Clean a Water Cooler
Did you know that water coolers can accumulate a lot of bacteria? That’s because it comes into contact with people’s hands and as you may know, different hands can carry a lot of germs and bacteria. It’s generally recommended to clean your water cooler every time you change the bottle or after every six months. Maintaining a clean water cooler system will also help keep your water cooler system in top working condition for a long time. Here’s how.
What You Need
A gallon of water
Unscented bleach
Hot water
Mild soap
A sponge
Cork stoppers
Paper towels
Clean rubber gloves
Safety glasses
Cleaning a Water Cooler
Prepare a bleach solution by mixing a tablespoon of unscented bleach with a gallon’s worth of water. This bleach solution can be used up to 30 days, so if you’re going to keep that amount around, label it accordingly in a large font and store it in a place where it won’t be mistaken for ordinary water.
Unplug the power cord. To keep the power cord from tripping people or getting wet by accident, roll it up and tape on one side of the water cooler.
Use warm water and mild dishwashing liquid to wash the exterior of the water cooler. You can use bleach, but don’t let it stay on the exterior for longer than two minutes as leaving it longer will cause plastic corrosion. Dry with lint-free paper towels.
Put on your rubber gloves and safety glasses.
Remove the empty bottle. Drain out the cold and hot water from their respective reservoirs. If ice has formed in the cold reservoir, speed up the process of melting by pouring a bit of hot water into the reservoir, and drain.
Remove the water guard and the baffle from inside the reservoir. Clean both with warm water and mild detergent. Set aside to dry.
Put on your rubber gloves and safety glasses. Make sure the hot tank is turned off.
Dip the sponge into the bleach solution and squeeze to get rid of excess water. Scrub the interior surfaces of the reservoir with the sponge. Let it stand for two to three minutes, but not more than five minutes, as the bleach solution can cause the plastic to corrode.
Wipe the baffle and the water guard with the bleach solution, and let it sit for around three minutes. Rinse very, very well with a gallon’s worth of clean water.
Drain some of the bleach solution from the reservoir and out the cold faucet. Put the drained bleach solution into a bucket where you can use it later for cleaning tiles or the driveway.
Fill the reservoir with fresh water and let the water completely drain via the cold faucet. Repeat this for around three or four times to ensure that the bleach solution has been completely washed away. If you’re worried about wasting water, just put the water in buckets and use them for mopping floors or tiles.
To clean your drip tray, lift off the the screen and tray. Wash them both in mild detergent and water. Let dry and place them back in.
Now it’s time to put a new bottle back on. Take off your safety glasses and gloves. Wash your hands thoroughly. Check the expiration date of the bottle if it has not been exceeded. Wipe the top and neck of the bottle with a bit of bleach solution. Remove the cap and place on the dispenser.
Fill one cup with cold water and another with hot water from the dispenser. Sip a little bit (don’t drink it) and check for any chlorine taste. If there are any, keep draining the water until you cannot detect it anymore.
Make sure that your plug is dry before plugging it back into an electric socket. It will take around 30 minutes for the hot and cold water temperature to set.