3 Easy Ways To Clean A Water Cooler Dispenser

by Curtis Grossi | Last Updated: March 14, 2024

Our editors independently research, select, and recommend the best products. Some of these may be affiliate based, meaning we earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if items are purchased.

Owing to global green initiatives intended to promote the drinking of clean, water coolers have become common household equipment. Businesses and homeowners have started investing heavily in these environmentally-friendly and convenient water dispensation containers.

The problem with many people is once they get these units installed in their premises they assume that inbuilt self-cleaning systems on the water coolers will do all the cleaning. To maintain a water cooler in an optimal condition, comprehensive regular cleaning is mandatory.

Your machine won’t give you the clean and crisp tasting juice if you don’t clean and maintain it on optimal condition. Cleaning a water cooler regularly boosts its functionality, prevents bacteria buildup, and increases longevity. 

3 Easy Ways To Clean & Maintain A Water Dispenser Clean

We found three different ways to clean a water cooler. Let’s dive in!

1. Using Baking Soda And Vinegar

Vinegar and baking soda are some of the most effective disinfection and cleaning solutions. Chemically got from fermented acids, cleaning solution got from vinegar and baking soda is effective, reliable, and environmentally-friendly.

The process of cleaning with these two products is simple. This is the way forward to clean, disinfect, rinse, and dust off your water cooler using vinegar and baking soda.

• Get several cups of hot water and add vinegar to form a solution.
• Disconnect the municipal water line or remove the water bottle.
• Fill the water cooler reservoir with the vinegar solution and clean it comprehensively using a brush.
• You may need to let the vinegar solution to sit on the reservoir for some time before cleaning to get finer results.
• Drain the vinegar solution left on the reservoir inside a toilet or hazard drain via the spigots.
• Do a comprehensive rinsing of the spigots and reservoir. You can easily do this using cold tap water. Ensure the remaining rinsing water is disposed of correctly.
• Get 2 tablespoons of baking powder and add it to 2 cups of water. Add the resulting baking powder solution to the cooler reservoir and allow it to sit inside the reservoir for some time to neutralize the taste of the vinegar. Once the vinegar taste is neutralized, drain it via the taps. You can as well use the baking powder solution to wipe and clean all the internal components of your water cooler.
• Once you are done, connect back all the disconnected parts to the water cooler. Reassemble the no-spill guard and baffle first.
• Clean the water bottle comprehensively to remove any factory contamination, dust or dirt particles. Once you are sure it’s clean, put it back on top or at the bottom of the water cooler depending on the design.
• Dust off the municipal water pipe before connecting it back to your cooler

2. Use Of Colloidal Silver

For years, colloidal silver has been globally used in hospitals and homes to kill infections. It’s a safe yet effective solution for cleaning and disinfecting the interior and exterior parts of different medical equipment.

Colloidal silver (check price at Amazon) is environmentally-friendly and safe for human use. That’s to say that when used to clean a water cooler you won’t have to rinse it out with any other solution. To clean a water cooler with a colloidal silver and water solution, here are the steps to follow.

• Like we did above, disassemble the water cooler’s main components like the no-spill guard, water bottle, and baffle. If your water cooler connects to a municipal water line, disconnect it too.
• Now, get your colloidal silver and dissolve it in water to create a solution. Make sure the solution formed is not too concentrated or weak not to do the cleaning well.
• Once the solution is ready, pour it inside the water reservoir and leave it to rest for several minutes. 10 or 15 minutes will be enough after which you will need to clean the reservoir with a plastic brush.
• After the reservoir is clean, let the cleaning solution out via the taps and then rinse it out with hot or cold water.
• Use the remaining colloidal silver solution to clean all the remaining parts of the water coolers. Using a plastic brush while doing the cleaning is highly recommended as it will guarantee safety and finer results.
• Once convinced the water cooler is clean, get the water bottle and clean it too. You may want to dust it off before cleaning to make the cleaning work easier.
• Now, get the detached components and parts and connect them back to your water cooler. Make sure you fit them well otherwise you will experience leaks and spillages.

3. Vegetable And Fruit Juice Rinsing

The last great way to way to clean your water cooler is by use of fruit and vegetable juices. Vegetables and fruit rinses haven’t been around for long but will surely get your water cooler smelling and looking incredibly amazing.

Fruits and vegetable juices contain a high quantity of oxygen so when used to clean water coolers, they kill off all the bacteria and leave a shining and health water cooler reservoirs and surfaces. The process of cleaning water coolers with fruit and vegetable juices isn’t much different. Here is how to go about it:

• Get the machine ready for the cleaning. Disconnect it from power and disassemble major parts like the water bottle and baffle.
• Get your fruits and vegetables. You can use fruits like lemon, pawpaw, mangoes, and oranges. As for the vegetables, you can use any that can generate juices when minced.
• Mince the fruits and vegetable to generate juices. Add the juices to hot water to create cleaning a solution.
• Use the fruit and vegetable solution to clean the reservoir and other parts of the water cooler.
• The solution is organically sourced hence you don’t need to rinse the water cooler reservoir with hot water after cleaning.
• Once done with cleaning the water cooler, reassemble all the disconnected components. You may need to clean the water bottle before you return it back on the water cooler.

After How Long Should You Clean Your Water Cooler?

Advanced water coolers have self-cleaning features so most water cooler owners find it challenging to decide when to clean theirs. So many factors come into play when deciding how often to get a water cooler cleaned.

The location, usage, and design of the water cooler are some of the factors to be considered. It’s best to get your water cooler checked and cleaned every 6 weeks to maintain cleanliness and boost the quality of water dispensed.

As for those who are extremely busy and rarely remembers to clean their water coolers, it is advised you clean your water cooler whenever changing the clocks ahead or forwards for daylight time savings. That simply means you should get it cleaned during the fall and spring seasons as it’s during this time daylight time savings settings are made.

Bottom Line

The only shortcut to access clean and delicious water from your water cooler is to get it cleaned regularly. When you leave your water dispenser unattended for quite some time, it creates room for bacteria and mold to grow, which can make the water to smell and taste awful. There is no single formula on how often to clean your water cooler but experts recommend you do it regularly.

Follow the steps above to get a clean water cooler every time you decide to get your unit cleaned.

Curtis is the founder and owner of softeningwater.com. He is the lead guy concerning all the water-softening accessories in this site's guides and reviews. If he is not writing a reviews, guides or any other useful tips, you will find him testing them to find out their suitability. He is passionate about softening water. You will find him extremely helpful and always willing to educate the general populace all there is concerning water and its effects on their health and appliances.