Do water dispensers need to be cleaned?

Are you responsible for the office water dispenser? You’ll know that providing the office with access to fresh water is vital to keep everyone happy, healthy and hydrated. In fact, being just slightly dehydrated can cause fatigue and reduce productivity and alertness. It can have a negative impact on cognitive performance, including memory and attention.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that participants who were only 1% dehydrated experienced worse cognitive performance and increased feelings of anxiety. Not ideal for your office team!

Firstly, let’s take a look at the various types of water dispensers available and explore how you can keep them clean and maintain them.

There are lots of different water dispensers and which one you choose will depend on your office’s specific needs. You’ll likely want a dispenser that’s convenient, affordable, sustainable, and easy for your team to access. The UK government recommends that we should drink around 6-8 glasses per day which is around 1.2 litres in total. But are you making it easy for your team to stay hydrated at work? Let’s find out.

Countertop water dispensers

These tend to be small, compact units that sit on a countertop and dispense water from a plastic bottle that sits on top of the unit. They’re typically designed for use in smaller offices or in kitchen areas where space is limited. They do need to be monitored to ensure that the water source doesn’t run out. If you’re looking after the water dispenser, you’ll need to regularly buy and replace the water bottles which is inconvenient and can be costly.

Freestanding water dispensers

Similar to your countertop dispenser, these are just larger units that sit on the floor and are designed to accommodate high-volume water bottles. They can be either electric or non-electric and may have additional features like hot water dispensers or filtration systems.

Like the countertop version, they’re not sustainable as you’re having to regularly buy plastic water bottles. The water bottles themselves are also large, heavy to manoeuvre and bulky to store, especially if you’re in a smaller office. They used to be very popular in the 90s and 00s but for these reasons, their popularity in offices is dwindling.

Point-of-use water dispensers

These are connected directly to the mains water supply and conveniently do not require any bottles to be refilled. They can be either countertop or freestanding, will generally have a filtration system, and may also have options that include cold, ambient, and boiling water.

A water filtration system is vital as it removes impurities and contaminants before the water is dispensed. They typically consist of one or more filters that work together to remove a variety of substances. These include chlorine, sediment, bacteria, and other potentially harmful contaminants that could be present in your office water supply.

Undercounter water taps

These are becoming increasingly popular in offices in the UK as a way to provide fresh, filtered high-quality water for your team, visitors and suppliers. Firstly, most undercounter water taps will offer a choice of sparkling, still, hot and ambient water. They’ll also have a range of filtration systems to help ensure that the water is clean, pure and free of contaminants.

Taste of course is especially important and even more so if you’re in the 60% of the UK that has hard water. In these hard water areas, certain minerals in the water can make it taste metallic or bitter. A filtered tap will give your team better-tasting water as it actively removes these impurities. Undercounter water taps are designed to look sleek and on-trend so will fit into your modern office kitchen. Plus, they don’t take up much space leaving your countertops clear. Some models are also touch-free which is great from a hygiene perspective.

Do I need to clean my water dispenser?

Depending on which type of water dispenser you have, you’ll need to have some type of cleaning schedule. No one likes to see dirty equipment in the office, so keeping your water dispenser free from visible dirt build-up is something you should probably do on a daily basis. This can be especially important if it’s used by a lot of staff and visitors.

It’s a really simple step where you can just wipe over the unit or tap with a cloth and cleaning product. We recommend you use an antibacterial product as water dispensers are high-traffic appliances that are touched regularly. Regularly cleaning surfaces and touch points is especially important to stop the spreading of germs, bacteria and viruses that include sickness bugs and Covid. You’ll naturally want to keep your team feeling healthy – 1) so they’re more focused and productive at work and 2) to avoid them having to take time away from the office if they get sick and are unable to work at all.

For undercounter water taps, you’ll also have to change the filters now and again. The great news is though that if you get your water solution from a specialist business like our team here at FreshGround, you’ll have access to video how-to guides to help. All of our undercounter water taps also come with a service plan. Choose from our Essential or Total Care plans and if anything does go wrong, we’ll come out to help you fix it.

Get in touch

If you need any advice on either getting a water tap or advice on keeping it clean and maintained, simply get in touch with our team.