10 Dirtiest Things Behind Every Bar
Most restaurant/bar establishments, unfortunately, do not wash the fruit. To make matters even worse, most bartenders use their bare hands to grab these garnishes; even the containers on the bar rarely get a cleaning.
Rims of Glasses
Who stores glasses upside down? Many bars do to save space, and they stack them on an infrequently washed/sanitized surface. BYOG.
Ice Machine
Sadly, this crucial component to enjoying a nice beverage is one of the dirtiest. A famed study by a middle schooler found that ice was dirtier than the toilet water at the same establishments 70% of the time. Though freezing temperatures kills bacteria, that statistic is still hard to swallow.
Bar Sink
Usually filled with sudsy water that is used to quickly rinse utensils and barware, the sink rarely gets cleaned/disinfected throughout the shift.
Register/Touch Screen
It's common knowledge that cash, cards, pens, and check holders are dirty; add to that the register and touch screen that bartenders use during ordering/transactions without washing their hands afterwards.
Dry Mats
They may be used after cleaning utensils, but dry mats are anything but pristine, allowing for the reintroduction of germs to whatever it comes into contact with.
Soda Machines
It's been proven that soda machines, including the dispensers, bags of syrup, and even the tubes carrying the liquids, are a hot bed for bacteria as they often go for long periods of time (we're talking years) without being cleaned.
Towels
Hanging out of bartenders' pockets, or tossed on the counters waiting to pick up any drips and spills, it's a guarantee that the quicker picker upper behind the bar hasn't been used just once, which allows it to spread all sorts of unwanted stuff wherever they wipe.
Alcohol Bottles
Those bottles of liquor many look gorgeous, all lined up and lit beautifully; however, they are actually sitting behind the bar collecting dust and grime.
Tap Beer
Rarely cleaned or covered, the beer taps have been proven to contain more bacteria, and even mold in some cases, than the bottled brews.