Commercial Kitchen Cleaning – Are You Doing It Right?

Restaurants are judged by the quality of their food and service and the cleanliness of their kitchen. Unsanitary food preparation areas are hazardous for the health of the customers and kitchen employees, as poorly cleaned surfaces and equipment quickly become breeding grounds for bacteria, mold, and other damaging food-borne pathogens. This can lead to loss of customers and revenue, injuries and accidents in the kitchen, and loss of productivity. So, it is important to keep your kitchen clean for the overall success of your business. However, the prospect of keeping a kitchen clean and tidy, after the madness of a busy service, can be a daunting prospect. Many kitchen employees find the overall task of sanitizing the kitchen overwhelming. This can lead to many tasks being overlooked or improperly done, which leads to bigger health issues in the long term. The best way tackle cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen is to break down each job into smaller tasks so no details are overlooked. There are cleaning and sanitation tasks that need to be completed several times per day to maintain the health of the kitchen, while other tasks need only be done once or twice permonth. An effective way to keep track of the cleaning tasks that need to be done is with a comprehensive list, complete with cleaning methods and recommended products. To help kitchen workers and restaurateurs get clean and organized in the kitchen, here is a list of tasks to keep your kitchen healthy and clean.

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT CLEANING

Cleaning your restaurant kitchen equipment is something that must be done daily to avoid a buildup of grease and grime and to keep your equipment in good working order. Equipment such as mixers, grinders, slicers, and blenders all having multiple moving parts which come into contact with food products during use. This means that a simple wipe down with disinfectant spray is not enough to thoroughly sanitize the equipment, and this may leave food residue, which allows bacteria to breed in hard to reach places. Fortunately, most pieces of kitchen equipment come with a user manual, with recommendations for cleaning products and tips on how to disassemble and clean it without damaging any of the mechanisms. However, if you find that you have misplaced your manual, you can download free manuals for popular models. Once you have successfully disassembled your equipment, here are some basic tips for how to thoroughly clean and sanitize the parts:

• Thoroughly wash off each part in hot soapy water to remove larger pieces of food. You may need to use the high-pressure hose in the dishwashing area to remove dried or sticky food stuffs.
• Use a small hard-bristled brush to access hard to reach places such as the holes in your meat grinder plate.
• Do not use highly abrasive materials or corrosive cleaning products. Heavy-duty antibacterial dish soap is strong enough to remove most food and grease, without leaving an abrasive chemical residue.
• Rinse all parts with hot water. Or, if appropriate, run the parts through your Hobart dishwasher. The super-heated water will sterilize the parts.
• Ensure all parts are thoroughly dry before reassembling the equipment.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATION SURFACE CLEANING

Sanitizing food preparation surfaces should be done several times per day, after every preparation task. For example, you should sanitize the surfaces between meat preparation and vegetable preparation. Most commercial kitchen surfaces have been designed with stainless steel, which is easy to clean and sanitize. However, there are surfaces that are often overlooked during the cleaning process that can harbor bacteria and grease build-up, such as tiled backsplashes, high shelves, and movable preparation surfaces, such as chopping boards and butcher’s blocks. Movable preparation surfaces should be thoroughly washed in warm soapy water before being sterilized in the dishwasher. For other hard preparation surfaces, you can use the following sanitation tips:

• Remove all items from countertops and shelves, and wipe away any debris or food scraps. You may need to use hot, soapy water and something to scour off dried food.
• Use a professional-grade disinfectant spray that is safe for use near food.
• Use gloves, and spray the disinfectant approximately 8-inches away from the surface to ensure an even spread and to make sure not too much product is used.
• Leave surface to air dry, then replace storage items
• For tiled surfaces, you may need to use a specialized tile cleaner that can penetrate the tile grout and kill the bacteria.
• To minimize streaks on stainless steel surfaces, you can follow up the disinfectant with a stainless-steel polish. This is appropriate for sanitizing at the end of service.

COMMERCIAL COOKING AREA CLEANING

Cooking areas are often some of the most difficult areas to clean in the kitchen, due to limited access to hard-to-reach places and hard-to-remove burnt food stains. They also are exposed to the most grease in the kitchen, which means they need to be cleaned often. Most cooking surfaces and equipment can be cleaned and sanitized at the end of service while larger equipment, such as ovens and range hoods, can be cleaned once per week.

COMMERCIAL STOVE TOPS CLEANING

Stove tops can easily become grimy with grease and spilled food build-up during service, so it is important to clean burners and surfaces at the end of every service. Most commercial kitchens operate with gas burners; however, some use electric stove tops. There are different cleaning and sanitation procedures and products for each type of burner. Here are some tips to make cleaning your commercial stove top easier:

• During service, wipe up spills as they happen to prevent food particles grease becoming burnt and hard to remove.
• For gas stove tops, remove burner covers, drip trays, and knobs. Then, soak them in a tub of hot, soapy water to loosen the grease. You may need to soak them for up to half an hour for heavy-duty grime.
• For electric stoves, lift the burner plates and remove the metal bowls underneath. Soak the bowls and knobs in hot, soapy water.
• Use steel wool to scrub off the grease.
• Use a heavy-duty degreaser spray to clean the surfaces around the burners, as well as the front and side of the stove.
• After you have soaked and scrubbed the burner covers, rinse and dry them thoroughly before putting them back on the stove top.
• Once a month, pull the stove tops away from the wall and use a degreaser on the back of the stove and the wall.

COMMERCIAL GRILL CLEANING

Grill plates become dirty because they are in direct contact with the food they cook. So, it is important food residue is scraped and removed several times during the service, preferably between orders. Commercial grills are easier to clean when they are still warm, so here are some tips to help you safely sanitize your commercial grill:

• Clean food residue from your grill with a wire brush or grill scraper.
• Switch off the grill and allow to cool slightly.
• Using heat resistant gloves, scrub the surface with a grill brick to remove finer food particles and grease. Note that this method is not suitable for grills with a chrome cooking surface.
• For chrome grills, use a specialized grill cleaner and a wet, non-abrasive cloth to remove grease. Follow that with a clean, wet cloth to remove chemical residue.
• Remove the waste drawer at the front of the unit. Empty the contents, and then soak in dish soap and hot water. Scrub and rinse thoroughly.

COMMERCIAL OVEN CLEANING

If you are fortunate, you may have a commercial oven with a self-cleaning feature. However, most commercial must be manually cleaned at least once per week. Here are some tips to keep your oven clean and make sanitizing it easier:

• Wipe up any spills at the end of service after the oven has cooled. Baked on grease and food is much harder to remove.
• For a more thorough clean, remove oven racks and soak them in the sink in hot, soapy water.
• Wipe out food residue from the interior surfaces with a damp cloth. Focus around the air vents to avoid debris build-up and damage.
• If you clean your oven after every service, there should be little need for commercial oven cleaners, which can be highly toxic. You may be able to use a baking soda and vinegar mixture to disinfect the oven instead.
• For ovens in high volume kitchens or ovens that aren’t cleaned frequently, you will need to use a commercial-grade oven cleaner. Wear protective gear when applying cleaner, and after cleaner is removed, and leave the doors open overnight to remove the fumes.
• Once the interior is clean, put back the oven racks, wipe down the outer surfaces with degreaser, and leave the doors open overnight to allow the oven to dry fully before use.

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN HOOD CLEANING

Range hoods are designed to suck smoke and grease from cooking areas; as such, they become extremely dirty. If they are not frequently cleaned, grease can build up and drip back onto cooking surfaces, contaminating food and creating a fire hazard. Because they are difficult to access, they are often overlooked. For high volume kitchens, you may need to hire a professional exhaust cleaning service once a month. But, for most kitchens, these simple tips will make cleaning range hoods easy:

• Clean your exhausts frequently to make them easier to clean.

• Remove exhaust filters and soak in hot water and a heavy-duty degreasing solution. It may take up to an hour or even overnight to properly loosen built-up grime and grease. You can then lightly scrub them with a brush or run them through the dishwasher to remove the last of the grease.
• Remove grease traps or drip trays, and dispose of grease as suggested by your local Restaurant Safety authority. Soak trays in degreasing solution. Then, scrub and rinse with clean hot water.
• Spray the interior and exterior surfaces of the hood with heavy-duty degreaser and wipe down with a damp cloth. Do not use abrasive products, as these can damage the surface of the range hood.
• Use a clean damp cloth to remove any chemical residue from the surfaces.
• Allow all components to dry completely before reassembling.

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN FLOOR CLEANING

Though floors aren’t generally in contact with food, they can become a health hazard if they are not cleaned properly. Most kitchens will sweep and mop their kitchen floors every night; however, this is not sufficient to thoroughly sanitize them. Follow these tips to ensure you have a safe and hygienic kitchen floor:

• Always sweep up debris before you mop, including under counters and benchtops.
• Do not use ordinary soap; it does not disinfect and can leave residue which can become a hazard when the floor gets wet during service.
• Use commercial-grade floor cleaner that is designed to kill bacteria and other pathogens, as well as cutting through grease. If you have a tiled floor, you will need a formula that can penetrate tile grout.
• Change your water frequently. Once the water becomes dirty, you are simply pushing dirt around and leaving an unhygienic film on the floor.
• Sanitize your cleaning equipment. Soak your mop and broom in chlorine to kill bacteria, then rinse thoroughly and leave upright to dry. You should also rinse out your mop bucket with chlorine.
• Once a week, pull out all benches and cooking equipment and scrub underneath.

COMMERCIAL STORAGE AREA CLEANING

Dry storage areas should be emptied and cleaned once per week to prevent spilled food attracting rodents and bacteria. Cold storage areas, especially walk-ins, should be emptied and cleaned once per week. This is best done at the end of the week before new produce is ordered. To properly sanitize your cold storage:

• Remove produce, then remove racks and shelves and scrub in hot soapy water, or run through the dishwasher if they fit.
• Wipe walls with disinfectant spray, then with a clean, damp cloth to remove residue.
• Sweep, then scrub floors with commercial floor cleaner.

COMMERCIAL WASHING AND GARBAGE DISPOSAL AREA CLEANING

Garbage disposal areas and dishwashing stations can become a breeding ground for food-borne pathogens. It is imperative these areas are kept clean even though they usually don’t come into contact with food preparation areas. Stop the spread of germs from these areas by following these easy tips:

• Clean up spills as soon as they happen. Stagnant water is hazardous.
• Wipe down the sink frequently. Then, use commercial-grade disinfectant at the end of service to wipe the sink and backsplash.
• Dispose of used scrubbers and cloths, or soak overnight in a diluted mixture of chlorine.
• Remove trash and wash out garbage cans with chlorine.
• Sweep and mop floors with commercial-grade floor cleaner.
• Drain and switch off the dishwasher. Clean out the plug to remove debris, then spray the interior with clean water to rinse.
• Once per month, thoroughly clean your dishwasher and use a descaling product to remove lime scale and other build-up.

A clean and sanitary kitchen is essential for the health and wellbeing of both your customers and your kitchen staff. A clean kitchen functions optimally, ensuring maximum productivity and a successful restaurant operation.