ICE MACHINE CLEANING · TWIN CITIES

Commercial Ice Machine Cleaning Descale · Sanitize · Slime and mold removal · PM contracts

Twin Cities water is hard, and scale is the main reason commercial ice machines slow down, make cloudy cubes and eventually stop. We descale, sanitize and inspect cube, nugget and flake machines on a schedule that keeps them making ice and keeps the inspector happy.

  • 4.5★ · 990+
  • 1-Yr Warranty
  • OEM Parts
  • Same-Day
(651) 364-7466
$199Trip feeWaived on repair
See brands we service

Reviewed by Mike Larson, Master Appliance Technician · 18+ yrs in-field · Last reviewed

  • Same-day priority

    Commercial dispatch first.

  • EPA 608 certified

    Sealed-system work in-house.

  • OEM parts on truck

    True, Hoshizaki, Manitowoc, Hobart.

  • 1-yr written warranty

    Parts & labor in writing.

$199 trip charge — waived with any repair. Approve the work on the same visit and the trip charge comes off the invoice. If you decline, you pay only the $199 and we leave a written scope. Every completed repair carries a 1-year written parts-and-labor warranty.

Quick answer

Commercial Ice Machine Cleaning

Commercial ice machine cleaning in the Twin Cities: a full descale of the evaporator and water system with a nickel-safe cleaner, a sanitize cycle, slime and mold removal from the bin, curtain and distribution tube, water filter replacement, and a condenser cleaning. Most kitchens need it every 6 months; high-volume bars and Twin Cities hard-water sites every 3–4 months. A single cleaning visit typically runs $225–$385 all-in. Written preventive maintenance contracts available. EPA 608 certified techs, so any refrigeration problem found during cleaning is fixed on the same visit.

Key facts

Commercial Ice Machine Cleaning and Sanitizing — Twin Cities: at a glance

Key facts for Commercial Ice Machine Cleaning and Sanitizing — Twin Cities
ServiceCommercial Ice Machine Cleaning and Sanitizing — Twin Cities
Common repairsDescale and delime; Sanitize and slime removal; Water filter replacement; Condenser and air-flow cleaning; Nugget and flake machine auger service
Typical repair costDescale and delime: $225–$385 all-in · Sanitize and slime removal: Included with cleaning visit · Water filter replacement: Filter at cost plus install · Condenser and air-flow cleaning: Included with cleaning visit · Nugget and flake machine auger service: $285–$485 all-in (written quote before work)
Trip fee$199 commercial trip fee, waived when you approve the repair
Warranty1-year written parts-and-labor warranty
CredentialsFactory-trained technicians; EPA 608 certified for refrigerant work
AvailabilitySame-day priority, plus after-hours and weekend emergency service
BrandsHoshizaki, Manitowoc, Scotsman, Ice-O-Matic, Cornelius, Follett, Kold-Draft, Blue Air
Phone(651) 364-7466

Services covered

What we repair

Descale and delime

Evaporator plate, water trough, distribution tube and pump cleaned with the manufacturer's nickel-safe cleaner. Restores harvest time and cube weight that scale steals.

Typical all-in: $225–$385 all-in

Sanitize and slime removal

Water curtain, splash panels, bin, deflector and ice chute taken apart and sanitized. Removes the pink and black slime that health inspectors write up.

Typical all-in: Included with cleaning visit

Water filter replacement

Cartridge filters sized to the machine's production. A clogged filter starves the machine of water and causes thin, hollow cubes.

Typical all-in: Filter at cost plus install

Condenser and air-flow cleaning

Air-cooled condensers vacuumed and brushed. A greasy condenser raises head pressure, cuts production and trips the high-pressure safety in summer.

Typical all-in: Included with cleaning visit

Nugget and flake machine auger service

Scotsman, Hoshizaki F-series and Ice-O-Matic GEM nugget machines: evaporator delime, auger and bearing inspection, water-seal check.

Typical all-in: $285–$485 all-in

Repair vs. replace

Why commercial repair pays back fast

Scale costs ice before it costs parts

A scaled evaporator can lose a third of its production before the machine shows an error. Regular cleaning keeps the bin full during a rush.

Health-inspection ready

Every visit leaves a dated service record — useful for health inspections and food-safety audits.

Problems caught on the same visit

Because our techs are EPA 608 certified, a failing valve, pump or sealed-system issue found during cleaning gets repaired the same day instead of waiting for a second vendor.

Written maintenance contracts

Quarterly or semi-annual cleaning schedules for restaurants, bars, hotels, clinics and senior living, with the visit booked before it's due.

Brands serviced

OEM coverage

  • Hoshizaki
  • Manitowoc
  • Scotsman
  • Ice-O-Matic
  • Cornelius
  • Follett
  • Kold-Draft
  • Blue Air

If your equipment is down right now

Daily and weekly ice machine care between cleanings

  1. 1. Keep the scoop out of the bin

    Store the ice scoop in a holder outside the bin. A scoop left in the ice is the most common source of bin contamination.

  2. 2. Wipe the bin door and gasket

    Wipe the door, gasket and handle daily with a food-safe sanitizer. Hands touch these more than any other part.

  3. 3. Check the cubes

    Cloudy, thin or fused cubes are an early sign of scale or low water flow. Note it and book a cleaning before production drops.

  4. 4. Keep the air path clear

    Don't stack boxes against the machine's air intake or exhaust. Blocked air flow raises head pressure and cuts production.

FAQs

Common questions from operators

How often should a commercial ice machine be cleaned?

Manufacturers call for at least every 6 months. On Twin Cities hard water, bars and high-volume restaurants usually need a descale every 3–4 months. If cubes turn cloudy or harvest slows, it's due.

What does a commercial ice machine cleaning cost?

A standard cleaning, descale and sanitize visit typically runs $225–$385 all-in depending on machine size and how much scale has built up. Nugget and flake machines with auger service run $285–$485. Quoted in writing first.

What is the pink or black slime inside my ice machine?

It's bacteria and mold growing on the water curtain, splash areas and bin. It grows faster in warm, humid kitchens. A sanitize cycle with the parts taken apart removes it; a wipe-down alone does not.

Can my staff descale the ice machine with vinegar?

No. Vinegar and household descalers can pit nickel-plated evaporators and may void the warranty. Use only the cleaner the manufacturer lists for that machine.

Do you offer ice machine maintenance contracts?

Yes. Written quarterly or semi-annual contracts with scheduled cleanings, filter changes and a dated record for each visit. Repairs found during a visit are quoted before any work.

Do you carry Certificates of Insurance for property managers, hotels, and hospitals?

Yes. We issue COIs naming your property manager, hospitality group, hospital facilities office, or municipal account as additional-insured at no charge — typically the same business day. General liability and workers' comp are in force year-round; we can raise limits per contract on request.

What payment terms do you offer commercial accounts?

First visit is card-on-file or COD. Once an account is established, we invoice Net-15 or Net-30 with itemized statements aligned to your accounting cycle. We accept POs from restaurant groups, hotel brands, property management firms, school districts, and city and county accounts. ACH and card payments both fine.

Do you offer preventive maintenance contracts?

Yes — quarterly, semi-annual, and annual PM plans tiered by equipment count and equipment class. Every visit includes condenser cleaning, drain flushing, gasket and hinge inspection, electrical-tightness verification, controller and setpoint check, and a written report you can hand to insurers, health inspectors, or franchisors.

What refrigerants and fuel systems are your techs certified on?

Every technician holds EPA Section 608 Universal certification covering R-404A, R-448A / R-449A (Solstice N40, Opteon XP40), R-290 hydrocarbon systems where code permits, and legacy R-22. Cooking-equipment techs are gas-certified for natural gas and LP on ranges, fryers, ovens, and combi-ovens.

Do you handle downtown high-rise, hotel, hospital, and event-venue access?

Yes. We coordinate dock and freight-elevator windows in advance, badge in through hotel or hospital engineering, and work around banquet, service-window, and clinical-department timing. Overnight and pre-open service is available when a daytime window won't work.

Are weekend, holiday, and after-hours calls available?

Yes — after-hours, weekend, and holiday emergency dispatch is available for refrigeration, ice, and warewashing failures across the Twin Cities metro. A published after-hours premium applies and is confirmed in writing before the tech leaves the shop.

What warranty comes on commercial repairs?

A 1-year written parts-and-labor warranty on every commercial repair — the same failure mode, on the same unit, within 12 months is covered at no additional charge. Some sealed-system components carry an extended manufacturer warranty on top; those terms are itemized on the invoice.

Do you work on food trucks, ghost kitchens, and mobile catering rigs?

Yes. Truck-mounted reach-ins, undercounter units, generator-fed ice machines, and mobile prep tables are all serviceable — we typically shop-visit at your commissary or overnight parking rather than roadside so the unit can stabilize before diagnosis.

Can you provide written estimates and health-inspector documentation?

Yes. Written estimates are issued before any sealed-system, compressor, or major-component work. On request we provide inspector-ready documentation: repair scope, part numbers, refrigerant type and charge, and the date service restored the unit to spec.

Which Twin Cities cities and ZIP codes do you cover for commercial service?

Full Twin Cities metro — Minneapolis (55401–55488), Saint Paul (55101–55155), Bloomington, Edina, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Woodbury, Eagan, Plymouth, Minnetonka, Roseville, Burnsville, and the surrounding suburbs — plus Hudson, WI 54016 and Western Wisconsin. Commercial dispatch runs a daily route across the metro.

Who we serve

Twin Cities operators we dispatch to daily

Commercial Ice Machine Cleaning and Sanitizing — Twin Cities covers foodservice, hospitality, healthcare, retail, and institutional accounts across the Twin Cities metro. Multi-location operators get one dispatcher, one COI on file, and Net-15 / Net-30 invoicing.

  • Restaurants
  • Bars & taprooms
  • Breweries
  • Hotels & hospitality
  • Hospitals & clinics
  • Schools & universities
  • Grocery & c-stores
  • Delis & bakeries
  • Cafeterias
  • Assisted living
  • Ghost kitchens
  • Food trucks & commissaries
  • Convenience stores
  • Country clubs
  • Event venues & catering
  • Churches & non-profits

Service area

Cities we cover for commercial service

Daily route across Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding metro. ZIP coverage: 55401–55488 (Minneapolis), 55101–55155 (Saint Paul), 55420–55439 (Bloomington/Edina), 55304–55449 (north metro), 55044–55124 (Lakeville/Apple Valley/Eagan), 55125–55129 (Woodbury), and 54016 (Hudson, WI).