Food vending machines have proven to be a good source of passive income, and they continue to sell and generate sales even while you are away. However, while owning a vending machine has many advantages, there are some common things to consider, such as how to keep your food vending machine clean.
Why Is Food Vending Machine Maintenance Important?
Cleaning is critical, especially since vending machines are a primary means for consumers to satisfy their food and drink cravings in a matter of minutes. Compared to eating at a restaurant, a food vending machine can dispense your change and food as quickly as 1-2-3. Who wouldn’t want a simple and quick transaction?
Now, with so much foot traffic, vending machine owners have this responsibility to keep their machines in top working order and clean all the time. Otherwise, spoilage, dirt, and damage may happen.
It is also important to note that the only dangerous vending machine is a filthy vending machine. So, understanding how to disinfect and clean the device effectively is crucial. Let’s learn about this below.
9 Maintenance and Cleaning Tips for Your Vending Machine
Proper machine maintenance and cleaning prevents your business from facing customer issues, legal battles, low revenue, etc. Not only that, but it can also strengthen your company’s reputation.
Here’s how to keep your vending machine in excellent working condition:
Clean-up and Maintenance Tip #1: Learn Cleaning Terminologies
One common mistake vending owners make is assuming that a visibly clean surface is sanitised. Regardless of how well you clean the vending machine surface, the threat of bacterial contamination remains. In other words, you must be aware of and adhere to the strict cleaning and sanitising procedures.
- Cleaning: Detergent and water are typically used to clean any spoilage visible on the surface of the food vending machine. It reduces the spread of bacteria but does not kill them.
- Sanitising: It reduces the number of harmful microorganisms in your vending machine based on the level of human safety.
- Disinfecting: It kills bacteria, fungi, and viruses by using chemicals. It typically kills 99 per cent of germs. With the pandemic outbreak, the government mandates following this procedure.
Clean-up and Maintenance Tip #2: Dry Clean!
Now that you understand the various terminologies, we can proceed to learn how to clean your machine on a specific level. And the first step would be to dry clean it.
Begin by unplugging your vending machine from its power source. Come on, people! You don’t want to get electrocuted because of sloppy cleaning; it’s a risk that shouldn’t be overlooked.
So, after ensuring that your food vending machine is turned off and unplugged, it’s time to empty its contents. Then take a dry rag and wipe down the inside of the device to remove any dust or dirt. After that, clear any product residue with a scraper, but don’t use any water just yet.
Clean-up and Maintenance Tip #3: First Round of Wet Cleaning
After cleaning the dirt and dust from your vending machine, use a damp cloth and rinse it with warm water. Hot water dissolves dirt faster than cold water, making it easier to break down hard residue from spoiled food.
However, never touch hot water with your bare hands. Wear protective gloves and allow the hot water to cool for 10 minutes before touching it.
Clean-up and Maintenance Tip #4: Scrub Away the Dirt!
Allow the detergent to penetrate the residue and scrub it manually with your hands once it softens.
You might think that pressurised water is more efficient than manual scrubbing, but it causes more chaos when it bursts violently. If pressurised water fails, it risks damage to your machine, and that is because almost all vending machines have a glass-fronted part.
Clean-up and Maintenance Tip #5: Second Round of Wet Cleaning
Now that you have scraped and scrubbed every visible dirt, rinse it with hot water and a clean rag.
At this point, you might wonder why you need to do two rounds of rinsing with water. You must understand the significance of double water rinsing; it is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly methods of removing excess dirt. That is why professional machine cleaners recommend water as a universal solvent.
Clean-up and Maintenance Tip #6: Let It Dry!
Drying removes any remaining water or solvent residue from machine parts. It is important to note that allowing chemicals, water, or other liquid materials to sit on the machine for an extended period damages the coating and machine parts. Simply put, drying assists you in maintaining your machine’s peak performance.
In addition, if you disassemble some of the machine’s parts, seek assistance from licensed technicians to reassemble the components efficiently.
Clean-up and Maintenance Tip #7: Sanitise
Sanitise the equipment using the sanitisers recommended by the vending machine manufacturer.
Clean-up and Maintenance Tip #8: Examine the Machine’s Environment
Cleaning and sanitation should extend beyond the inside of the machine. So, look around the place where your machine is installed. Is it sanitary? Is it garbage-free? Make sure to check for potential hazards and deal with them as soon as possible.
Clean-up and Maintenance Tip #9: It’s Inspection Time!
After cleaning, ensure that professional vending machine inspectors check every part of the machine. Allow them to inspect each component to guarantee that it is still intact and in its tip-top shape.
Takeaway
Food vending machine maintenance is not as difficult as you believe. In fact, you can easily keep your machine in top condition with the proper procedure. And with proper cleaning and maintenance, you can avoid any unnecessary repairs and replacement cycles for your vending machine.
Take Control of Your Food Vending Business!
If you are looking for a company that provides well-managed food vending machines, you have come to the right place. TCN Vending Australia’s high-quality machines have made their way around the world.
If you require more detailed information on the proper maintenance of your vending machines, don’t hesitate to contact us on 1800 959 910 or enquiries@tcnvending.com.au.