Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Is there a “proper” way to clean kegs? It seems I’m the only one at work who scrubs the insides. (reddit.com)
submitted by TJW351
graffiti594 78 points 1y ago
Wait, does your store not have urnex?
TJW351 [OP] 40 points 1y ago
We have urnex, but I wasn’t sure if I could use that on the kegs.
used2ballerina 17 points 1y ago
you can use urnex to clean anything plastic, metal or glass!
LogicalPineapple1377 33 points 1y ago
I soak in hot water, scrub well (was told not to use soap), rinse, scrub, rinse, hot sani soak, scrub, rinse with sani, then soak again, and dry. I definitely try to do it thoroughly when I have time on dishes, but sometimes I only have time for a quick scrub. But yeah not scrubbing all the tea/coffee things will build up stains ☠️
Definitely try to remind people to scrub when they wash dishes! And good on you tackling this monster!
Definitely try to remind people to scrub when they wash dishes! And good on you tackling this monster!
cringeqween13 18 points 1y ago
Hot sani is counter productive. Sank needs to be around room temp.
TJW351 [OP] 14 points 1y ago
Okay sweet thank you for your help! The only definite thing I’ve been told is to not submerge them while cleaning. And oh yeah, this was about a 20-30 minute job. Luckily it was pretty slow tonight.
acnh1222 8 points 1y ago
This answers the question that I’ve been meaning to ask but didn’t want to ask/admit that I’ve been doing something for months and could have been doing it wrong — when cleaning out the cold brew urns, we use the hot sanitizer, not the detergent? (Not sure if you have the same colors as we do but this is the red sani hose, not the blue soap hose?)
FreeeeezeYourBraain 14 points 1y ago
SCEMM says to wash with detergent, rinse, and sanitize like normal !
kimememememe 8 points 1y ago
Wait, I thought you were never supposed to do the sanitizer with hot water??
isthispassionpit 8 points 1y ago
Warm. Too hot and the chemicals evaporate.
distraughtcato -1 points 1y ago
I thought it was supposed to be only hot water
KenansCloud -19 points 1y ago
Opposite: ONLY hot water
cyan_reynolds 10 points 1y ago
The hot water will actually make the sani useless. You should have some test strips floating somewhere around your store if you want to experiment for yourself! :)
imaraisin 21 points 1y ago
There should be a blue brush for it!
TJW351 [OP] 13 points 1y ago
Like the long handled one that kind of looks like a big toothbrush? We have a blue brush like that by the ovens that we only use to brush the counters off with. Other than that, we don’t have any other brushes in the whole store.
imaraisin 20 points 1y ago
Not that one. It sort of looks like a loofah on a stick. Almost like a toilet brush.
TJW351 [OP] 28 points 1y ago
Oooh okay I know what you’re talking about now. As far as I know that got thrown out with a bunch of other cleaning equipment and never replaced. Pretty frustrating trying to keep things clean with just rags and blue scrubbies lol
Swordxxxx 19 points 1y ago
As my stores weekly clean play SSV, Yeah get your shift to order more cleaning supplies. Yeah it might cost a bit this week, but a clean store is WAY more important than a dirty store that gets people sick. At my store we have a couple different essential cleaning tools:
A literal toothbrush looking brush that is about 6-7 inches long. Both one for food surfaces (blue) and non food contact surfaces (yellow).
The blue counter brush for grounds
The blue urn brush (as mentioned above)
Also a couple smaller brushes that are like mini versions of the urn brushes with bendable handles.
And not a brush but important is a smaller squeegee like what you’d have for your shower at home. Those come in handy SO much.
A literal toothbrush looking brush that is about 6-7 inches long. Both one for food surfaces (blue) and non food contact surfaces (yellow).
The blue counter brush for grounds
The blue urn brush (as mentioned above)
Also a couple smaller brushes that are like mini versions of the urn brushes with bendable handles.
And not a brush but important is a smaller squeegee like what you’d have for your shower at home. Those come in handy SO much.
kikuuq 3 points 1y ago
Woah that really sucks. Especially since the big blue toilet scrub looking one is specifically meant for the urns, it's pretty much impossible to actually clean them without it. Bc ykno hot water. My first store had this as an issue too
xCherryBombshell 2 points 1y ago
Ask your SM to order some cleaning supplies. We can order these things no problem.
banditoburrit0 17 points 1y ago
You're supposed to rotate the kegs you use to clean the nitro machine during clean play, the chemical helps prevent this kind of build up
coffeecatmom 3 points 1y ago
This ^^^
Sdee1234 1 points 1y ago
This is what we do and our kegs stay pretty clean. Also you can use urnex if they get as bad as photo showed and just closed the keg and shake it then use blue scrubby. Just make sure to rinse a lot. Saves us alot of time
philosopher_cat_lady 9 points 1y ago
That's nothing compared to what I found at the bottom of my ice bin
Beneficial-Base5698 5 points 1y ago
Please tell us
philosopher_cat_lady 1 points 1y ago
Huge globs of green slime
TJW351 [OP] 5 points 1y ago
Oh lord
liansu_ 2 points 1y ago
that’s the ONE thing my store is really good about, ice bins. they always get flipped 1 sometimes even 2 times a day.
philosopher_cat_lady 1 points 1y ago
So at my old store we cleaned them once a day. Starbucks only requires stores to clean them once a week. I'm totally fine with the once-a-week schedule, especially if baristas make it a habit to close the lid each time they're not using the bin. We go through the ice quickly, it doesn't stay in there getting food spilled on it. The problem was I work at Target and we did not have a manager for a long time. We were also ridiculously short-staffed. Once we got a manager and started getting the store running better, I was assigned to clean the ice bin and my manager made me realize it's not something that has to be done while the store is closed. Anyway, my coworker had cleaned it recently (about a week before), but he didn't know HOW to clean it. He didn't know it's got several parts that come out. There was SO much mold and mildew on all of those parts, food, and huge globs of green slime underneath the plate on the bottom. I had been smelling a stink coming from the ice bin: that's what it was. My manager was like, "Oh my god," and I was like, "Thank goodness the health inspector didn't see that when he came recently." (Or maybe he should have? I don't know!) She also didn't know all of the parts of the ice bin! I taught her how to clean it. I ran out of elbow grease scrubbing all of that, I needed her help. What a nasty job. I was so glad to be able to do it though.
liansu_ 2 points 1y ago
I could be wrong in this, but i think that’s considered a food contact surface so it should be cleaned everyday. hmmm
philosopher_cat_lady 1 points 1y ago
Good point. On our weekly cleaning list, it says ice bin
liansu_ 2 points 1y ago
Oh dear god. that sounds awful!!! i’m so sorry you had to deal w that!!! With how busy my store is i almost feel it to be necessary to clean it so often because we go through sooo much ice and i think that can accumulate more bacteria (idk tbh it seems like it tho)
philosopher_cat_lady 1 points 1y ago
Yeah, it depends on how you look at it. Your hands probably touch the ice sometimes or bacteria from the air gets in there each time you open the lid. Especially with COVID it's important to keep these things clean
flower_garden_ 2 points 1y ago
I also want to know what you found.
Necessary_Low939 9 points 1y ago
Never ever seen it these dirty. Why not just order a new one
aaronbdancer 14 points 1y ago
Why do you need a new one when it’s possible to clean it? What op did is awesome. Even though we aren’t supposed to use it on them, runes would make the job 10x easier
ilholtstilin 9 points 1y ago
If runes = Urnex, I can confirm that it does 👌🏻
Necessary_Low939 2 points 1y ago
Fair enough
TJW351 [OP] 13 points 1y ago
We don’t have a manager right now so I don’t even know who to talk to about that
Necessary_Low939 2 points 1y ago
Lol ok. Hope u get one soon!
Aurora_Boreallis 8 points 1y ago
If they get cleaned with the magic eraser after every use they won’t get like that. Also how long do yours sit? I feel like mine have never ever looked like this but we got through 3-5 a day
dizzlebug66 9 points 1y ago
I didn't think we were allowed to use Magic Erasers because it causes micro scratches where bacteria can breed. I could be wrong.
Aurora_Boreallis 1 points 1y ago
I hadn’t read that but we are allowed to use them on dishes. It’s also stainless steel it shouldn’t harbor bacteria in general
TJW351 [OP] 9 points 1y ago
We go through about that many as well during a day. I’ve watched other baristas and shifts just rinse the inside with sanitizer and not actually scrub the insides. It’s pretty gross and I’ve had a few people tell me the cold brew has been tasting different lately and this is probably why.
ryzzostar 3 points 1y ago
Probably because after a few days of just rinsing, the sugars and oils from the cold brew build up on the sides and cause a slimy mold to form on the insides of the keg. It can make a slight yeast/tangy flavor to the coffee...
Urnex should be used once a week on them, and you can use the blue hose dish detergent and scrub with the blue pads as long as you fill it after with hot water 3x to rinse (rinse again if you still are seeing bubbles) and then soak with sani for about 5 minutes, dry upside down overnight on a towel. (you can soak one with sani and reuse the sani in the next one if you have multiples to clean) That's how my favorite shift showed me to do them when I was a green bean.
Urnex should be used once a week on them, and you can use the blue hose dish detergent and scrub with the blue pads as long as you fill it after with hot water 3x to rinse (rinse again if you still are seeing bubbles) and then soak with sani for about 5 minutes, dry upside down overnight on a towel. (you can soak one with sani and reuse the sani in the next one if you have multiples to clean) That's how my favorite shift showed me to do them when I was a green bean.
Aurora_Boreallis 2 points 1y ago
Oh for sure. Yeah a quick wipe and some good coaching on that is definitely needed. We had to do that recently with the black tea pitcher. There was a film. It was ick
TJW351 [OP] 4 points 1y ago
Yes!! The black tea pitchers and the kiwi pitchers. And definitely every square pitcher lid has buildup on it. I try to show people how gross they are hoping they’ll realize they could step up and help me out here lol I can’t keep the whole store clean on my own when people are neglecting stuff like this.
I’m not even sure if we still have magic erasers. I had to use a blue scrubbie.
I’m not even sure if we still have magic erasers. I had to use a blue scrubbie.
sheep_heavenly 16 points 1y ago
Please don't use the magic erasers, especially on plastic. It creates micro abrasions that gather bacteria and staining that is even more difficult to wash out.
A stiff brush will remove most of it, a sanitizer rag will wipe out the rest after a hot soak. Rotate which one cleans the nitro machine each week to help keep buildup down
A stiff brush will remove most of it, a sanitizer rag will wipe out the rest after a hot soak. Rotate which one cleans the nitro machine each week to help keep buildup down
Jpooplard 7 points 1y ago
I lovvvvvvvvveeeee kay5. Kay5 everything. All the time
Mysterious_Book2182 6 points 1y ago
We were told to not use soap, just pour water in and shake it around till it comes out clean. I’m definitely going to scrub the inside bc I bet ours look like that on the inside 🤢
TJW351 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
The inside of the top/rim was the hardest part to get clean. You could feel the buildup but not really see it since it’s an awkward angle
sci-fi-lullaby 6 points 1y ago
I've worked at my store for a year and have never seen them that bad D:
TJW351 [OP] 3 points 1y ago
I try to keep them clean but I was out sick for 2 weeks and came back to this 🤢
MoshiMachine 5 points 1y ago
It gets hand washed and sanitized after every use. It’ll never get that bad if you keep it up from the jump.
closetgirl69 5 points 1y ago
Honestly I know you’re not supposed to b urnex that bitch w hot hot water leave it sit for like 20 mins then scrub & it’ll b like new!
liansu_ 1 points 1y ago
I’m pretty sure urnex can be used on anything metal? not 100% sure tho
ObitoUchiha41 3 points 1y ago
…ok I was never taught to scrub them and I’ve been working here over a year 🙃
definitely starting now tho
definitely starting now tho
TJW351 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Make sure you check the inside around the top. It definitely gets nasty since nobody checks.
BluejayHefty202 3 points 1y ago
See if your store has urnex. Put 2 packets and the hottest water you have let it soak for 30 minutes to an hours. Then wash like normal. Kegs, steam pitchers and coffee pots are supposed to be deep cleaned weekly (urnexed) to prevent this
buffany 3 points 1y ago
I’ve had a few kegs in my store get this bad because no one else would scrub them down when taken to the back to wash.
When it was fairly slow enough, I had 3 kegs that needed to be cleaned. I got a packet or urnex in each of them, and used a cube to get warm water and filled them up all the way. I also threw in some warm detergent water in the mix because why not.
I left them to sit for like at least an hour, dumped out the water, and used the magic eraser. It came off SO easy and I barely had scrub. Just one wipe from the magic eraser and it was clean.
The kegs ended up looking nearly brand new
When it was fairly slow enough, I had 3 kegs that needed to be cleaned. I got a packet or urnex in each of them, and used a cube to get warm water and filled them up all the way. I also threw in some warm detergent water in the mix because why not.
I left them to sit for like at least an hour, dumped out the water, and used the magic eraser. It came off SO easy and I barely had scrub. Just one wipe from the magic eraser and it was clean.
The kegs ended up looking nearly brand new
Baristajf 3 points 1y ago
They is an ACTUAL nitro keg cleaner that the store is supposed to buy… I work at a starget/tarbucks and we can order it
daylightdreamer99 3 points 1y ago
I gotta agree with some others in this comment section, Ive never seen it get this bad inside even at all the stores I work at. But, the sink plugs, bucket, and the sani hose is like this:(
TJW351 [OP] 3 points 1y ago
Oh I scrub the sink plugs and hoses along with the backsplash any time I see that they look gross. I’ll have to check the sani bucket though oh no
daylightdreamer99 2 points 1y ago
Yeah! Its so strange considering the sani is supposed to sanitize things, yet it creates that buildup! Scrubbing is definitely important:)
freyja0000 2 points 1y ago
I try to get all our kegs done each month whenever I have time. Otherwise they get gross like that! I do super hot water, 1 packet of urnex for each keg, let it sit for 30+ minutes, and I like to use our cloth rags to scrub it out (same thing for when I do urns!) The urn brushes don’t do enough in my opinion. Use gloves and take before/after pics 😏
QueenMab88 2 points 1y ago
Urnex that bad boy.
xoMisaa 2 points 1y ago
one of my coworkers (whos normally on CS) taught me to use the blue sponges to clean the insides. covers more ground than the regular blue brush! i triple wash it usually!
Glad_Rooster_1745 2 points 1y ago
Lowkey looks hella spacious in there with this angle.
TJW351 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Lol didn’t feel spacious while I was tryna maneuver my arm around in there
Fun-Tumbleweed-9732 2 points 1y ago
We rotate and clean our tubes and stuff during the clean play but we just wash them with soap and then sanitizer none of ours look like this on the inside though and I’ve never scrubbed one out
swampedswirl 2 points 1y ago
The insides of ours are mostly black………guess I know what I’m doing my next shift!🥶
TJW351 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Good luck… I still can’t get it out from under my nails
swampedswirl 2 points 1y ago
It’s always bothered me that they look black, so now that I know it’s a sanitary issue I’ll clean them and take before/after photos. Definitely something that fell under the radar at my store, thank you for posting this!
TJW351 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
No problem! I didn’t realize it was anything other than coffee ground buildup until another commenter said it was mold. 🤢
cyan_reynolds 2 points 1y ago
I recently cleaned all the kegs in my store. You can soak them with urnex, but I didn't find it to be nearly as effective as just letting them soak with the regular store dish detergent followed by scrubbing with a blue pad for a while. Once you get them all cleaned, it should be much easier to keep up with cleaning them if your partners can help by quickly washing them with the 3-step wash after each use.
BookDragon1996 2 points 1y ago
Urnex is your easiest option but I've been told we're not supposed to use it so hot hot soapy water and scrubbing is your best bet
mrhammerant 2 points 1y ago
Eeeeeeewwwwwwwww
[deleted] 1 points 1y ago
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rlogranite -7 points 1y ago
Use the bathroom cleaner; it's actually bleach. It'll take a coffee stains out, and It'll look brand new.
cobanat -2 points 1y ago
Bathroom cleaners do wonders. Don’t let anyone know you’re using it
isthispassionpit 6 points 1y ago
Not food safe!! Don’t do this!
cobanat 6 points 1y ago
You won’t have to keep cleaning them if there’s no customers to serve
cuervoescondido 1 points 1y ago
It literally says on the restroom cleaner bottle that it's safe for food contact surfaces.
isthispassionpit 1 points 1y ago
Check the SCEMM. And elsewhere on the hub. Regardless of what it says on the bottle, Starbucks does not want dishes cleaned with this stuff, and QASA can (and will) dock you for it. Besides that, how many baristas are trained on the dangers of bleach? Do they know that you should never mix restroom cleaner and dishwashing soap because it can create a chemical gas? That it’s corrosive to the skins, lungs, and eyes? It’s not something to be fucked around with.
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