Among the many home appliances we use daily, only a few are more practical and convenient than a water dispenser. If you own a water cooler, you’ll be familiar with the many benefits it offers. It’s the most cost-effective alternative to buying bottles of water.
As with everything else, it also needs a maintenance schedule. Water coolers develop moisture that needs cleaning. When there’s moisture, there’s the threat of infectious diseases and mold. Therefore, it’s vital to have a regular maintenance schedule for the water cooler. If cleaned and sanitized regularly, it will produce the same high quality of water for many years.
Things needed for cleaning:
Before you get down to cleaning the unit, there are a few basic supplies needed such as:
- A bucket (large)
- Distilled and boiled water (fresh)
- Unscented bleach
- A towel (lint)
Once you decide to clean the unit, the first thing to do is to unplug it from the mains. Only after removing the plug should you attempt to dismantle it. The risk of trying to dismantle it while it’s still plugged is you could get a severe electric shock.
- After that, remove the bottle attached to the top of the cooler, if you have a top loaded unit.
- Once the bottle is removed, ensure to drain every drop of water in a bucket using the faucet or dispenser tube.
- After every drop of water is removed from the reservoir, empty hot water into it, and leave it for around 30 minutes. Be careful when handling the hot water, so that you don’t get scalded.
Cleaning:
There are two options for cleaning the cooler – either a deep cleanse or a quick clean.
Deep Cleanse:
While this is more labor-intensive and time-consuming, it’s the best way to clean the cooler and make it as good as new.
- Start by disassembling the unit. After everything is separated (baffle, reservoir, and water guard), wipe every single component with the lint towels. Use a mixture of lukewarm water with a spoon of unscented bleach. Avoid using more than a spoon and use plenty of water.
- Ensure every single piece is thoroughly rinsed. Then, pour the same mixture in the reservoir and let it remain for approximately 10 minutes.
- Wash out the solution in the reservoir (fill it to the brim) using fresh, clean water, and drain it completely. In case you have a cooler both with hot and cold water options, do it through the cold faucet. Rinse the reservoir thrice to ensure every trace of the bleach is removed.
- After assembling the unit, attach a bottle at the top and drain 2-3 cups of water from both faucets. There should be no taste of the bleach solution. If there’s even a slight taste, rinse it again repeatedly until the taste disappears.
Quick Cleanse:
- This is a convenient and straightforward process. All you need is a bucket for draining away the water and hot water.
- First, unplug the unit.
- Place the tubes in the container, so that they could suck the hot water and empty the water in the other container.
- Repeat the process for half an hour.
For more such tips for taking care of your water cooler, visit Home FixWorld.
