There are many different kinds of commercial urns that need to be cleaned daily and weekly or bi-weekly. Daily cleaning for most of them remains about the same. The number one rule about cleaning urns: Never use chlorine bleach in any coffee urn. This will chlorine will eat at the stainless steel and the silicone gaskets. Also, whether you are doing a daily cleaning or a bi-weekly cleaning never use soap, scouring powders, or abrasives of any kind to clean coffee brewing urns.

Automatic coffee urns must be cleaned daily after the last batch using the following steps:

1 – Drain the urn; then, run a brew cycle with just very hot water. After spraying hot water into the liner, thoroughly brush the entire urn with a long-handled brush.

2 – Drain the water and repeat step one.

3 – Wash the wire brew baskets with urn cleaner and rinse thoroughly. The same process is required for the double or triple urns after they have been used.

Automatic urns must have a special scouring once a week. Scour the urn by first filling the urn and heat to maximum brewing temperature. Fill the liner with several gallons of water and add at least 1 to to 3 ounces of coffee urn cleaning compound. Set the thermostat to high; then, run a brew cycle of hot water. Allow the solution to remain in the liner for at least 30 minutes. Scrub the inside of both the liner and the cover with a long-handled brush. Drain the cleaning solution from the liner. Rinse by running several brew cycles with the sprayhead centered over the liner. Be sure to drain the rinse water after each brew cycle.

To clean the gauze glass tube, turn off the power and turn off the water line to the urn. Use a long, thin gauge glass brush to clean the coffee gauge glass. Use the same brush to clean the fitting at the bottom of the liner and into the pipe that is connected to the coffee faucet.

It is an absolute necessity that Chinese hot tea urns, pour-over urns, midline and barista series urns need to be cleaned thoroughly at the end of each day. After spaying hot water in the stainless steel liner, thoroughly wash it with a soft brush using the hot water. Add one tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda to each gallon of water or you may use commercial urn cleaners. Commercial cleaners are not recommended for this type of urn. These urns should be turned off before each gauge glass should be cleaned with a hard bristle brush. Faucets should be taken apart and cleaned properly until completely clean. Daily cleaning for Midland urns and Barista series urns need to run through the brew cycle with hot water, brush the liner, drain the urn water again and repeat the process again. Wipe the liner covers and fill the liners with about one gallon of hot water to prevent coffee-oil burn-in.

Weekly or bi-weekly urn cleaning depends on the amount of use. For regular use, the Chinese hot tea urns, midline heat exchange and pump urns and Barista Series require something the same method. Where it varies for one urn, it will be noted at that step.

Step 1: Fill the liners with about a gallon of hot water. For midline urns and space saver urns leave the thermostat on "Brew."

Step 2: Pour into the liner the recommended concentration amount of urn cleaner that is recommended for that particular urn. An excessive amount of cleaner will attack the stainless steel causing deterioration of the coffee urn. Use cleaners which have been used successfully: DIP-IT by Economics Laboratories, OXYLITE by Avril, Inc., Syndet Division and TEMP-KLEEN by Caddy Corp. of America.

Step 3: Scrub the liner interior with a large plastic brush, rinse and drain the liner. For midline and space saver urns follow Step 3a: Clean the gauge glasses with a long narrow brush.

Step 4: Rinse with the liners empty and the electricity off, remove the coffee faucets by unscrewing the large plastic wing-nuts which fasten the faucets. Scrub from the opening into the center of the urn with a long brush.

Step 5: Unscrew the top of the faucet from it body and scrub it thoroughly. Clean the silicone seat cup with a soft cloth and soapy water.

Step 6: Reassemble the faucets. Fill the liners with hot water and drain until the liner and make sure all parts are completely rinsed.

High speed brewing urns require a separate cleaning process because of the outer jacket.

Step 1: When cleaning a high speed brewer, be sure the outer jacket is full of water.

Step 2: Turn on the heat and fill the urn liner three-fourths full of water and use only urn cleaning compounds like those mentioned above.

Step 3: Mix thoroughly and let stand for about 30 minutes.

Step 4: Clean the gauge glass, faucet pipe, plugs etc. using a long-handled brush. Be sure to clean the "lug nut" in the base of the liner.

Step 5: Rinse the inside of the urn three to four times with hot water and scrub the urn each time you rinse.

Step 6: Rinse all the parts well.

Step 7: Leave a gallon or more of water in the urn. The amount of water depends on the size of the urn; the larger urns will need more water. Leave the cover partially open until the next use. If you used cold water, allow the urn to cool to prevent cracking the liner.

Step 8: Clean urn baskets by dipping them in a solution of cleaning solution and then scrubbing them with a stiff brush.

Step 9: Rinse thoroughly and let dry. Each Sprayhead should be checked to see that all holes are open, if not, scrub with a stiff brush until all holes are open.

These cleaning steps for commercial urns came from different manufacturers. Check your manufacturer for more specific details.