Best Practices for Safe Grocery Store Ice Machines

Grocery Store Beverage Dispenser Rules

The rules below should be posted near every beverage dispenser and ice machine.

For Your Safety, Please Follow These Rules:

• Sanitize your hands before and after using this machine.
• Do not dump any beverage into the tray unless it came from this dispenser. Do not put food of any kind in the tray.
• Do not refill used cups. Use a new or clean cup every time.

Grocery Store Ice Bin Rules

Bacteria likes to grow in dark, damp places. That means food store ice bins are the perfect germ habitat. There are two ways to reduce bacteria in the ice bin: have the ice bin thoroughly cleaned and prevent contaminants from entering the ice bin in the first place.

We’ll discuss cleaning later on. The following rules are critical in helping limit the contaminants that enter the ice bin, especially viaice machine accessories. Train all employees on these rules, and consider posting them near or on the ice maker. Make sure the necessary accessory storage options are available (such as hooks for ice transport buckets, scoop holder, etc.).

For Employee and Customer Safety, Please Follow These Rules

• Do not leave scoop in the ice at any time. Store scoop in holder or in designated spot.
• Do not leave ice shovels inside the ice bin.
• Always sanitize hands before scooping ice from the bin.
• Wear a mask when scooping ice from the bin.
• Never eat or drink while scooping ice from the bin.
• Always shut the bin door after use.
• Do not stack ice transport buckets. Hang them or store off the ground on a shelf.
• Never scoop ice with the bucket, a glass, a pitcher, or with another container. Only remove ice with the scoop.

Cleaning Grocery Store Ice Machines

There are two levels of ice machine cleaning: regular cleaning and deep cleaning. Deep cleaning is a thorough process performed by an ice machine technician and involves the interior and exterior of the ice machine and bin.

Ice machine manufacturers recommend at least two deep cleans per year. More deep cleanings may be needed in environments with lots of airborne toxins, such as flour or dust. Does your grocery store produce its own bread? An expert ice machine technician can tell you if flour is building up quickly in the ice machine and if additional deep cleans are required.

Regular cleaning for grocery store ice machines involves wiping down, disinfecting, and sanitizing any parts of the unit, dispensers, and bin that come into contact with humans. Follow the steps below to perform regular cleaning that will reduce germs and the risk of contamination from your grocery store’s ice maker.

Regular Cleaning Instructions

Ice makers and dispensers should be cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized on a regular basis in addition to deep cleaning. Utilize a food-grade bleach or other EPA-approved cleaning solution. You will need to mix it with water. Check the label to find the dilution rates for disinfecting and sanitizing. Mix up a solution of each.

For beverage dispensers, at least once per week, apply solutions on all areas where beverages could potentially splash. See the instructions below for which solution to begin with.

Solutions can be sprayed or wiped on the exterior of ice bins and ice machines as well, especially focusing on high-touch areas like ice bin doors.

1. Apply the disinfecting solution and leave it on for at least 10 minutes. Continue to spray or wipe on disinfectant as needed to ensure the surface is wet for the whole time. Then thoroughly rinse away the solution with water.

1. Next, spray on sanitizing solution. Continue to spray or apply the sanitizer to ensure a two-minute wet contact time. No need to rinse this one, let it air dry on the surface.

1. Frequently pour un-diluted cleaning solution (e.g. bleach) down the ice dispenser drain. This may be needed daily or weekly depending on how well users adhere to the policy of not dumping other beverages or food in the drain.

Invest in Customer and Employee Safety

Managing an ice machine involves even more than keeping it safe from contaminants. Ice makers are expensive to buy and difficult to keep running optimally. Problems with an ice maker in a grocery store or busy rest stop can upset customers and stall business.

Grocery store, food store, and market owners who subscribe to Easy Ice know their ice makers – and their customers – are safe and secure in the hands of Ice Machine Experts. We install top-quality ice machines, and then we provide all maintenance, repairs, and deep cleans moving forward. We even provide back-up ice to our customers if their machine is down for any reason.

If you’re considering buying a grocery store ice maker, contact Easy Ice by calling866-327-9423orfilling out the contact form here.