Whether you are running and operating a restaurant, a pub or café, a hotel, a corporate kitchen, or a catering business, you will have equipment that needs to be kept clean and maintained on a regular basis. The commercial kitchen equipment you have may be expensive, and this is one reason to make sure that it is always cleaned and maintained – but another consideration you have to think about is the buildup of bacteria in your kitchen. A safe kitchen is a hygienic kitchen, and this entails daily and regular cleaning. Here, then, is how you can thoroughly and properly clean your commercial kitchen.
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How to clean hard surfaces and worktops
If you don’t already know, your commercial kitchen’s hard surfaces and worktops can be a breeding ground for bacterial growth. This is because you use them every single day for the preparation of food. Make sure hard surfaces and worktops are cleaned several times a day and not just once a day. To clean hard surfaces and worktops, remove all items from the top of the worktop or surface and wipe down the surface using a soft cloth and a disinfectant cleaning product (a disinfectant cleaning spray will do nicely). In some instances, you will have to clean up spills or dried food ingredients, so it’s best to use a soft brush for this along with a warm soap and water solution.
How to clean commercial equipment and appliances
Your kitchen equipment will have to be thoroughly cleaned as well. Everyday cleaning is necessary, but you should also perform a monthly deep cleaning so that your equipment can stay in tip-top shape. If you have fryers, make sure to boil them out one or two times a week, and for your ovens and cooking ranges, wipe down the doors, walls, and racks every week. For your cooktops, flattops, and burners, scrubbing should be done with a warm soap and water solution every week, and make sure not to use abrasive cleaners and sponges or pads. If you have grills in your commercial kitchen, brush off the grime and ash after every use. Every week you should soak the grills in warm water and soap so that the grease and grime can break up. You should also empty out grease or crumb trays underneath grates or burners every day, and clean and wash the trays as well.
How to clean vents and exhaust hoods
Whilst it’s important to clean your cookers, burners, and ranges, you should pay attention to your vents and exhaust hoods as well, as these can easily accumulate grime and grease. Too much grime and grease in your vents and exhaust hoods can lead to the restriction of airflow in your commercial kitchen. Make it a point to wash your vents and exhaust hoods once every three months or so, or more if you use your deep fryers regularly. Clean the vent and exhaust hood filters too – if you’re unsure how to do it, refer to the user manual. If there is any damage to the filters, including tears or rips, have them replaced as soon as possible.
The regular maintenance of your cooking equipment should be one of your priorities as well, and you can rely on a gas engineer to do this for you. You should look for commercial catering engineers who are qualified to perform checks and repairs on commercial cooking and catering equipment so that you are sure that they know what they are doing and can perform a comprehensive safety and performance check.
