Fountain Dispenser Cleaning 101: Advice and a Free Poster

Simple, basic things can greatly impact sales and success. Take cleanliness, for example. Routine cleaning of fountain dispensers is vital to operating a stellar beverage program.

Establishing a training program and a regular cleaning routine provides consistent drink quality – even with crew turnover.

"Implementing thorough sanitary practices leaves a good impression with guests," says Therron Foley, director of the Foodservice Quality Group, Coca-Cola North America. "And, a solid routine ensures your dispenser pours quality tasting beverages every time."

Dispenser cleaning is quick and easy – the process takes less than 15 minutes to complete. Just follow the protocol established by the equipment manufacturer, which The Coca-Cola Company endorses: wash your hands, mix the cleaning solution; remove nozzles and diffusers and soak them in the sanitizing solution; brush nozzles and diffusers and then air dry; wipe down the machine. And you're done!

The following steps, coupled with Coca-Cola products, deliver a great-tasting drink on a consistent basis:

Daily: Clean the dispensing valves

• Wash hands
• Remove nozzles and diffusers from the dispensing valves and clean them with a special nozzle brush and chlorine-based sanitizer solution; soak nozzles and diffusers in the sanitizer solution for about 3 minutes; replace after they dry
• Clean underneath dispensing valves with the sanitizer solution and a dedicated brush; dry with a clean towel
• Wash the drip pan
• Wipe down the entire surface of the dispenser
• Empty the ice bin and clean the sides of its interior
• Clean the ice chute

Weekly: Clean the syrup connectors

• Wash hands
• Disconnect the syrup line from bag-in-box (BIB) units; shake out any remaining liquid
• Soak the connectors in the sanitizer solution for about a minute
• Shake BIB connector to remove any excess sanitizer and reconnect each connector to the corresponding BIB

Monthly: Clean the inside of the ice bins

• Wash hands
• Unplug the ice maker; scrub the inside of the ice bin and chute with a nylon brush and the sanitizer solution
• Wash the condenser fins with a dedicated hard brush; clean the air filters, if they are used
• Check the water filters to make sure they are current
• Maintain the valve and syrup line product labels

To keep your operation on track, The Coca-Cola Company offers a Dispenser Cleaning Poster for reference and a Daily Sanitizing Log sheet to document your maintenance schedule. A complete list of resources and guidelines to optimize your dispensing program can be found at Foodservice Quality.

Download your free crew dispenser cleaning posters now!
Dispenser Cleaning
Dispenser Sanitizer Log