If you have use a cooler for water in your office, you need to make sure that it is cleaned on a regular basis. You don't want your cooler to turn into a germ transmitter. The following steps explain how you or your janitorial service like Atlantic Cleaning Services can effectively clean your water office cooler. 

Supplies

You don't need too many supplies to get this job done, just some bleach, water, buckets, scrub brush and some rubber gloves to protect your hands. 

You can create a very diluted bleach solution by adding a tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water; it doesn't need to be very strong for this particular cleaning job.

Unplug The Cooler

The first thing you need to do is unplug your water cooler. You should not try to clean it when it is plugged. 

Take Off The Water Container

The second thing you need to do is take off the water bottle container on the top. The best time to clean your water cooler is when the water bottle container is empty and you are getting ready to switch out bottles anyway. 

Drain Out Excess Water

Even after you remove the water bottle container, there will still be some water inside of the internal reservoir on your water cooler. Put a bucket under the water spout, turn it on, and allow all the excess water to drip into the bucket until it is all drained out.  

Fill The Internal Reservoir With Bleach Water

Take the solution with bleach you created before you go started, and pour it into the internal reservoir on your water cooler. Allow the solution to sit inside of the reservoir for about five minutes. As it sits, use a scrub brush to dislodge and clean the interior walls of your water cooler. 

Place a bucket under the spout, turn it on, and let all the bleach water drain out and into the bucket. This will disinfect the inside of the spout as the water runs through it. 

Rinse The Internal Reservoir

Next, fill the internal reservoir up with clean faucet water. Place a bucket underneath and drain the water into the bucket. Repeat this process at least five times. Running clean water through the internal reservoir and out the spout will get rid of any bleach taste that may be left behind. That is why you want to use a very diluted bleach solution; the stronger the solution, the more times you will need to rinse the reservoir to get remove the bleach taste. 

Clean The Drip Tray

Take out the drip tray as well as the screen, and wash them  off. You can use the bleach and water solution or just dish soap. Rinse them off, dry them, and put them back in place. 

Wipe Down All Sides

Take a rag or paper towel, and dip it in the bleach solution. Use the rag or paper towel to wipe down the outside of the cooler. Pay especially close attention to cleaning the front side where people are most likely to touch the cooler.

Put The Full Water Container in Place

Now that everything is clean, it is time to put the new water container in place. Insert it into the cooler following the directions on the bottle. Let the water fill up the internal reservoir. 

Finally, plug your water cooler into the nearest electrical outlet and allow it to warm up and cool down the water. Dispose of the bleach water solution and put away all cleaning supplies.