The Just Thought I'd Share Thread

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by Dex

MSN cites the UK paper The Daily Mail as its source for that information. And I don't blame you for not knowing this, Viv, but the Daily Mail is an absolute sensationalist rag and everything you take from their reporting needs to come with a massive grain of salt. It is pretty well documented that ice in restaurants has more bacteria than the layperson would expect, but there's just a lot of things wrong with the original Daily Mail article that msn links to, and I just can't not comment. For example, vague citations (who are these "experts" they keep referring to?), and why on earth was toilet water used as the benchmark in the first place? There is no scientific reason for that, and toilet water is cleaner than many people think. They're obviously just using it to play up the "Ewww" factor.

So, I understand the sourse is a gossip rag, but I have to tell you - I worked in a bar that had an ice machine. Another employee warned me one time to never use the ice in my own beverages, and when asked why, all he said was to open the ice maker, turn my head upside down, and look up into the machine.

Well, I'm glad I did, and I've not used an ice machine in 11 years. The inside-top of that machine was coated - positively coated - in black snot-like slime and mold

Sensationalist newsrag or not, the advice to avoid ice machines (especially in hotels where the cleaning practices are already questionable) is sound advice, and I'd highly recommend that anyone tempted to use one look inside of it first. Carefully.