Kitchen Cleaning to see you Through the Year

Cleanliness and hygiene are paramount in professional kitchens. Food preparation and cooking must occur in pristine conditions on routinely sanitised equipment to prevent illness and negative reviews. Kitchen cleanliness directly impacts business success.

Commercial catering equipment is high-quality due to the demanding environment and workload. This quality justifies the high cost, making maintenance crucial to protect the investment. Poor maintenance leads to breakdowns, increasing operational costs and impacting profits. 

Warranty validity often depends on adequate maintenance. Replacing equipment is sometimes necessary. Source replacements from trusted brands like Unox, Rational, Valentine, Lincat, and Synergy Grill for a good return on investment and effective performance.

There are a number of ways that you can implement sufficient cleaning and maintenance procedures and employ best practices to guarantee that your catering equipment is always ready for service.

Cleaning should be a strict daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly protocol. Staff understanding and awareness of these regimes ensure consistency. Structured checklists guarantee high standards and prevent neglected areas.

Ensure all checklists are comprehensive and all cleaning schedules are routinely maintained. Implement checklists if none exist and provide refresher training where needed.

Completed checklists should be filed for future reference, with staff feedback on what works and what needs improvement.

All equipment should be regularly inspected for functionality. Check refrigeration seals, temperatures, and vents. Inspect controls, vents, fans, and hoods. Address any issues promptly, especially for equipment under warranty. Use professionals for repairs.

Routine inspections also maintain optimal kitchen conditions. Inspections during live service provide a realistic view of normal working practices. Record results comprehensively, breaking down each area. Detail faults, weaknesses, and comments for discussion with staff to ensure future pristine results.

A well-stocked cleaning cupboard is essential. Appropriate tools are crucial for meeting cleaning expectations. Whether cleaning chemicals, washroom hygiene tools, or janitorial supplies, ensure everything is readily available.

Staff must understand chemical properties and the importance of using the right equipment for hygienic finishes and staff/customer safety.

Where necessary review and update training procedures annually, including equipment-specific training and correct cleaning, maintenance and chemical usage. Training isn't only useful for new employees; it also gives existing staff a refresher to reinforce the importance of correct procedure.

Cleaning checklists should be tailored to individual businesses, reflecting equipment, layout, design, and work style. Consider these basic areas and add in tasks specific to your business;

• During Service: Wipe down line and prep areas as you go; brush grills between cooking different meats; change cutting boards; empty rubbish bags.
• After Service: Clean restaurant fryers, grills and griddles, and steam tables; wash slicers; sanitise all surfaces; cover stored food; sweep and mop floors and storage areas/walk-in refrigerators; wash floor mats. Where combi ovens are self-cleaning, run a cycle after after service.
• Daily: In addition to during and after service cleaning, clean commercial kitchen ventilation and extraction hood filters and grease traps; replace foil linings; wash all cookware and utensils; sanitise sinks; check pest control measures. 

• Weekly: Clean ovens and coffee machines; sharpen knives; empty, clean, and sanitise food storage; descale sinks and taps; clean floor drains.
• Monthly: Clean freezers and ice machines; clean behind the hot line; calibrate ovens and thermometers; sharpen slicers; wipe down dry storage; wash walls and ceilings; restock first aid kits; update chemical manuals.
• Yearly: Test fire extinguishers and check suppression systems; clean pilot lights and hoods (at least twice per year); employ a professional engineer to service all equipment.

Top Tip: Revisit Manuals: Review equipment manuals for specifications, operating parameters, and maintenance needs. Contact suppliers for copies if needed.

While many combi ovens now have self-cleaning cycles, other catering ovens such as commercial ranges, convection ovens and commercial pizza ovens require strict cleaning protocols to guarantee hygiene, optimum cooking results and performance, and longer equipment lifespan. Always refer to manufacturer's manual and guidelines primarily, however here are a few basic tips.

• Clean the interior surfaces daily. A deeper clean, including rims and seals, should be carried out once a month. An oven with a self-cleaning option can be a little pricier but will ensure cleanliness and will reduce the amount of elbow grease needed to make the oven sparkling.
• The exterior should be cleaned with a mild soap and a soft sponge or cloth every week.
• Check seals regularly. Any failing seals will allow heat to escape from the oven compartment. This will increase your utility bills, decrease the performance of your equipment, and make your oven work harder than necessary, putting undue stress on essential components.
• Monitor your oven temperature readings. If your oven is not heating correctly, you will not get the maximum benefit from your unit.

For commercial dish washers and pass through dishwashers to clean and sanitise essential dinnerware and cookware effectively it's critical to keep it clean. Read more Maintenance Tips for Pass Through Dishwashers.

Grease traps are an increasingly common feature in commercial kitchens that produce FOG. For passive grease traps and automatic grease traps to work effectively (and to avoid unpleasant odours) correct cleaning and maintenance is essential. Read more Grease Trap Cleaning and Tips for Grease Management. 

Commercial fryers are one of the big hazards in any professional kitchen. With a mixture of high temperatures, hot oil and the potential for fire if fryers isn't correctly cleaned and maintained, accidents are high around this equipment. Always refer to manufacturer's manual and guidelines primarily, however here are a few basic tips.

• Empty out the old, used oil and dispose of it appropriately.
• Fill with water and a mild cleaning agent.
• Switch on the fryer and let the water simmer but not boil.
• Scrub the sides with a long-handled brush, taking care not to splash any hot water.
• Empty the water and rinse with clean, warm water before refilling with fresh, clean oil.
• Always clean the element whenever the oil is changed or filtered, usually every 3-6 months. 
• There will always be a build-up of grease and crumbs on the internal surfaces and elements so whilst the fryer is empty, take the opportunity to scrub clean. 
• Fryers spit out oil residue when in use, so ensure that all external surfaces are wiped daily at the end of the shift. This should only be done once the oil has sufficient time to cool.
• Wash and dry fryer baskets daily to guarantee the cleanliness of the machine and the taste of your food. Be sure to replace the baskets only once they are completely dry, as hot oil and water do not mix well.

Atmospheric steamers rely on super heated water to cook foods. If the interior of equipment isn't clean then the steam could potentially contaminate food. Here are some basic tips.

• Clean the interior of the steamer daily and sanitise accordingly. Food comes into direct contact with these surfaces, and therefore, bacteria can contaminate the foods placed inside the steamer.
• Filters should be changed regularly; if neglected, the food's taste can be affected.
• Perform regular checks and look for leaks of any kind. If leaks are present, the efficiency and energy use of your steamer is compromised, and the machine's overall health is jeopardised as it is subjected to having to work harder.
• Check all seals to ensure that no steam is escaping. If a seal is faulty, it implies that the steamer is not working as efficiently as it should.
• Always drain any residual water manually if required. Any water left in the steamer will become stagnant and will make your food taste different; there is also a potential health hazard from steaming and then re-steaming the same water over again.
• When a drainer is integral, it is important to check the temperature of the water being drained. If the temperature of the drained water is too high it would imply that the cooling system is faulty.

Running a commercial kitchen is so much more than cooking and serving food. Cleaning, maintenance and hygiene are arguably the most important aspects and so having a comprehensive cleaning schedule and ensuring that all staff are fully trained is critical to a successful operation.