Water chillers and dispensers are everywhere. Not only are they now a permanent fixture in most Australian homes, they are also seen in offices, malls, gyms, schools, cafeterias and other public places.
One of the most common water chiller and dispenser models use 5 gallon water bottles placed securely above the appliance. Since these bottles are constantly used, they would require cleaning too. If you only refill these bottles then here are three basic kitchen ingredients that you can use to clean and sanitize them.
White Vinegar
Clear vinegar also works but is a lot more potent than white, so you might need water to saturate it with for cleaning use. However, with white vinegar just apply it on a wet rag and wipe the whole unit, whether a water chiller or filter. Concentrate on the dispenser taps and tray and area where the water gallon is inserted.
Take four cups of hot water and mix with the same amount of vinegar inside the bottle. Shake the bottle and leave it out for 20 minutes before installing the gallon on to the dispenser. Release all the water and vinegar solution through the taps then remove the bottle from the dispenser. Fill it up with hot water again then dispense all the water through the taps.
Finally, wipe down the whole dispenser with a plain wet rag to remove all traces of vinegar.
Bleach
Basically do the same procedure above except use 1 gallon of hot water, 1 tsp of liquid dishwashing detergent and 2 tbsp. of laundry bleach. You may also add another rinsing of cold water to be sure that you’ve washed off all bleach and soap smell from your 5 gallon bottle and water dispenser.
Remember, don’t put too much bleach on that rag, as it’s still a chemical solution. And since that is the case, do use rubber gloves when cleaning your dispenser with bleach.
Baking Soda
This is used along with vinegar so it is quite potent. However, it’s also very safe to use since both ingredients are ecologically friendly.
Clean out the dispenser’s body the same way as you would with the vinegar solution, but put in four cups of vinegar. Add 1/4 cup baking soda then add water until the bottle is a quarter full. Shake the gallon to make sure every internal surface has been covered with the baking powder and vinegar solution. Keep the liquid inside the bottle for a good 20 minutes before rinsing it out completely with water.
These are three simple ingredients to make sure that your water dispenser can keep your drinking water clean and safe. Of course, you can also request these sort of cleaning and maintenance services from your water dispenser source or water suppliers.