If you think of the dirtiest places in a typical commercial kitchen, the interior of the ice machine doesn’t usually come to mind. However, your ice machine can end up as a receptacle for dirt, insects, rodents, and even toxic bacteria if you don’t get it regularly cleaned. Here are three types of unwelcome visitors that sometimes show up in ice machines.
1. Cockroaches and Other Pesky Insects
Nobody ever wants to see cockroaches, ants or other insect pests in their ice machine. You won’t usually find these critters inside your machine because they don’t fare well in freezing conditions. However, you may find them crawling on the outside of the machine. To keep bugs away, clean any food particles and spills off your machine as soon as you notice them.
2. Rats and Mice
Nothing is scarier than finding a rodent in your ice machine because seeing one is a signal that you probably have an open pathway to your kitchen for other mice and rats to take advantage of. Even if you only see rat or mouse droppings around your machine, you need to act as if you have a potential infestation on your hands. That means sweeping away any food sources on the nearby ground, checking all the kitchen walls for holes and possibly setting some traps.
3. Mildew and Bacteria
Bacteria and mildew grow best in wet environments, so it’s important to regularly clean your ice machine. You should get your machine’s interior cleaned by a professional at least twice a year and have the exterior cleaned at least once a month.
If you’ve noticed one or more of the intruders mentioned above lurking inside your ice machine, then it’s a good idea to hire a maintenance technician before one of your customers gets sick. For more information on our commercial refrigeration services, call The A/C Guys today.
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