Tap Handles 101: Tap Handle Maintenance
While they might be looking shiny and clean now, without proper care or regular cleaning, that new shine will wear off and your tap handle will start to look dirty or worn, which can negatively impact your branding. While wear and tear are an inevitable consequence of regular use, proper maintenance and cleaning will prevent premature damage. Here are a few easy steps you can take today to keep your handles looking like new:
Avoid harsh cleaners (i.e. bleach, ammonia) and detergents as these can damage your handle and finish. Opt for more gentle cleaners like food grade sanitizer.
Loosen and re-tighten your handles periodically to reduce moisture and gunk build up and prevent threads from locking together. Just add this to the checklist of things to do when cleaning your lines (friendly reminder to clean your draft lines). If you aren’t sure how to do this, check out our last blog post about how to correctly attached your tap handles to the faucet.
Always dispense beer by pulling towards the bottom or middle of the tap handle. Pulling the top of the tap handle puts more strain on the handle and can warp or damage the handle and the draft faucet over time. Pulling from the bottom also gives the bartender greater flow control. Greater flow control = less spilled beer and less foam!
Beware of bartenders wearing rings. Repeated contact of metal rings with the painted surface of the tap handle (especially on more pronounced edges) can lead to chipped paint. We aren’t advocating for a “no ring” policy at your business, but simply making your team aware of it is likely enough to reduce ring damage.
Be sure to check out our tap handle care guide for more tips and tricks on how to keep those handles looking #sofreshandsocleanclean. If you are running into any issues or have any questions about tap handle maintenance, please don’t hesitate to reach out and we’ll get you squared away in no time!
Believe it or not folks, it really is that simple! Through quick and easy regular cleaning, your tap handles will continue to pop and catch the thirsty glance of brew loving patrons.
