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How to Get Rid of Slime in Ice Machines

Anyone who lived in Houston, Texas, between 1988 and 2007 and watched the 6 p.m. news on KTRK-TV will never forget the Friday evening "rat and roach report" of investigative journalist Marvin Zindler. He cited local restaurants for, among other hygiene transgressions, "Sliiiiiiiime in the ice machine!" Marvin has gone on to that Big TV Station in the Sky, but the problem he made famous -- or infamous -- continues. Left untreated, this pinkish goo that grows in your ice machine will eventually turn black. It's caused by yeast cells and mold spores that float around in the atmosphere and find their way to a cool, moist area, where they thrive and multiply. It's not toxic and won't make your customers sick, but it's ugly and can give your ice a nasty off-taste. The key to controlling this infestation is cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning.

Things You'll Need

  • Mild detergent
  • Sanitizer
  • Clean rags or paper towels
  • Cooler
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Instructions

    • 1

      Shut off the ice machine and unplug it. Remove the ice to a clean cooler. If you already have slime present, throw the ice away.

    • 2

      Wipe down the inside of the ice machine with a mild detergent and rinse it completely.

    • 3

      Sanitize your machine twice a week. With a clean, dry cloth or paper towel, wipe away any condensation. Wipe the surface with another clean cloth moistened with an approved sanitizer and wrung out. Don't use bleach on stainless steel -- the chlorine in the bleach reacts with the nickel in the stainless steel. Instead, use quaternary ammonium chloride (QAC) at a concentration of 200 parts per million; the residue lingers in ice machines. You can get this sanitizer from your chemical supplier.

    • 4

      Sanitize the incoming water lines as directed in the maintenance manual. If this procedure is not included, contact the manufacturer for instructions. Be sure your water filter isn't clogged with sediment.

    • 5

      Turn the ice machine back on and put the ice back into it. If you had to discard what you had, buy some to go on with until the machine fills up.

    • 6

      Clean and sanitize all bar guns and soda nozzles every day. Slime can hide inside these and start your problem all over again.

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