Via https://www.tiktok.com/@softlfegirl/video/7520802769956080910/

Next time you get a fountain drink, think again about how often those underpaid employees are actually cleaning the machine. Yeah, probably not as often as you’d hope. Despite having cleaning guidelines, soda fountain machines can be dirtier than you might expect. A woman says she refuses to drink out of soda machines for this very reason, and while at Wingstop, she aimed to prove to viewers why she’s in the right. 

Soda Fountain Hot Take

In a trending video with more than 70,000 views, Dallas-based content creator Jaszmine (@softlfegirl) shared her take on soda fountains.

“I’m about to tell y’all why I don’t drink out of fountain things like in any restaurant,” Jaszmine said.

“It be mold and all types of s— in there ‘cause they just don’t clean it,” she added.

Jaszmine walked over to the soda machine at her Wingstop and pointed the camera up into the soda dispenser.

“This is what y’all be drinking out of. F—— gross,” she says. 

To be honest, we didn’t notice anything out of place or icky on or in the dispenser, but you be the judge. There do appear to be black markings near the dispenser, but those could just be residue from dark soda rather than straight-up mold. 

How Often Should Soda Fountains Be Cleaned?

Most manufacturers, including Coke and Pepsi, suggest nozzles be removed and sanitized daily. They also recommend that syrup concentrators be cleaned weekly, Delish reported. 

But an understaffed restaurant may be less likely to strictly follow these guidelines.

“Just because the job is on the daily cleaning list doesn’t mean it’s actually happening,” Delish stated.

Are They Really That Dirty?

Back in 2010, a study came out that found nearly half of all soda fountain beverages were contaminated with coliform bacteria.

Coliforms are bacteria present in the digestive tracts and waste of animals (including humans), the New York State Department of Health found. They are also found in plant and soil material.

While most coliform bacteria do not cause disease, some rare strains of E. coli can cause serious illness. 

A more recent study found similar results to 2010. Forty-one percent of tested drinks came up positive for the bacteria, and 25% had a water temperature conducive to growing clusters of bacteria called biofilms, Delish reported. 

Biofilms “can harbor pathogenic microorganisms and therefore pose threats to human health and public safety,” the study states.

Other than this, bacteria, mold, and bugs are a possibility in uncleaned machines. 

In 2017, Florida state health inspectors found “slimy black and green slimy mold-like substances” in soda fountain nozzles in more than a dozen local restaurants.

A New York City restaurant server once opened the top of the soda fountain and saw “dozens upon dozens of cockroaches …running around.”

Viewers Aren’t So Sure

While a few viewers agreed with Jaszmine, others remain unperturbed by her video. 

“This is also why you should not get a drink with ice from the restaurant either. If the ice machine is not regularly cleaned, it also produces mold,” one said.

“It’s no different than the food we eat,” a top comment read.

“Alot of us who drink out of those drank from the water hose as kids cut open a water hose and see what’s cooking in those or the water pipes that run under ground and transport water to places the sludge that develops in those is unreal,” a person pointed out.

“But u think the chicken at wingstop is clean,” another said.

https://www.tiktok.com/@softlfegirl/video/7520802769956080910/

BroBible reached out to Jaszmine for comment via email and TikTok direct message and to Wingstop via email.

The post ‘This Is Also Why You Should Not Get A Drink With Ice’: Dallas Woman Visits Texas Wingstop. Then She Takes A Closer Look At The Soda Machine appeared first on BroBible.