How Do I Clean an Ice Cream Machine?

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Clean your commercial or home ice cream maker after every use to ensure the next batch will be safe when you fill your machine. Leaving even a few drops of the sweet dairy mix inside your ice cream machine between uses will create a perfect environment for bacterial growth. Make a safe frozen dessert with your machine by taking the proper steps to run a clean operation.

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Empty all your unused mix from the freezing chamber by opening the machine as much as possible to allow it to drain. Use a plastic-gloved hand to scrape out any impacted ice cream that has hardened out of reach of the churning blades. Check that the pathway is clear for water to pass through the machine completely.

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Flush

Pour cold water through your home or commercial use machine as many times as it takes until it begins to come out clear. Rinse your ice cream maker's inner chamber once more with hot water that is at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Make a solution of hot, soapy water using dish washing soap and water that has been heated to at least 140 degrees. Close the freeze chamber so it will hold water and pour the solution in before setting the machine to run on wash cycle. Drain the machine when the wash cycle ends. Pour clean water though the machine to clean out the soap.

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Disassemble

Take your ice cream maker apart as thoroughly as possible. This should include any detachable moving and non-moving parts that come in contact with the ice cream. Take a close look at your ice cream maker's manual to see what parts are suggested for remove when cleaning. Commercial machines have dispensing handles and tips that come in contact with fingers and ice cream regularly. These tips and handles should also be disassembled and removed during every cleaning session.

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Soak

Scrub all your removed parts with hot, soapy water, giving extra attention to items with corners and grooves. Place all your scrubbed items in large tubs of enough hot, soapy water to keep them submerged. Add a tablespoon of bleach to the tub to kill any bacteria that may have survived thus far. When the hot water has fully cooled, pull out the detached parts and rinse them thoroughly in clean water. Set the pieces on clean, dry towels and allow them to air dry.

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Reassemble

Use a clean cloth to wipe down the inside of the machine so you are sure it is dry. Ice cream makers are all designed differently and may require putting pieces back in a set chronological order. Reassemble your ice cream maker according to the machine's instructions using clean or gloved hands.

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Home Ice Cream Makers

Rinse and wash your small home use ice cream maker immediately after use to stop the sweet mix inside from drying out to a sticky glue-like substance. Take similar cleaning-procedure precautions to those for commercial machines to sanitize the machine completely between uses. Read the specific cleaning instructions for your home model to be sure that you are doing every step correctly.

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