Ice machine cleaning & sanitizing
Applies to: the periodic deep clean of an ice machine. Ice is a food — this is a food-safety-critical procedure, not a cosmetic wipe.
Target: per manufacturer — commonly every 3–6 months, more often in hot/humid conditions.
- Use a manufacturer-approved, nickel-safe ice-machine cleaner (descaler) and a separate ice-machine sanitizer.
- Wear clean gloves; have dedicated soft brushes and cloths kept only for the ice machine.
- Switch the machine to its cleaning/harvest-off mode per the manual, and plan for downtime.
- Empty all ice from the bin and discard it — never keep ice through a clean.
- Remove the washable parts (deflectors, water curtain, distribution tube) and wash them separately.
- Apply the ice-machine cleaner to the evaporator and interior to dissolve scale and mineral build-up per the label.
- Scrub away any pink or black slime — that is biofilm/mould and the whole reason this clean is food-safety-critical.
- Pink/black slime must be fully removed, not just wiped over.
- Rinse every surface thoroughly with clean water until no cleaner remains.
- Sanitize the interior and parts with the ice-machine sanitizer at label dilution, respecting the full contact time.
- Contact time is what makes it safe — do not rinse it off early.
- Air-dry, reassemble, restart the machine, and discard the first full batch of ice it produces.
- No pink or black slime, no scale, and no off odour anywhere inside.
- The first batch of ice after cleaning is discarded, never served.
- The clean is logged with the date; the next due date is scheduled.
A good water filter on the machine's supply slows scale and biofilm and stretches the interval between deep cleans. Ice picks up the flavour and safety of the machine it comes from — treat the ice machine like any other food-contact equipment.