Cleanliness in a commercial kitchen is extremely important. Not only does a hygienic kitchen help prevent the spread of bacteria and possible foodborne illnesses, it also ensures that your food service establishment remains up to standard and fully operational. Let’s take a look at some ways to ensure that your commercial kitchen is always passes muster.
The Key is All in Routines
Building cleanliness activities into the regular running of your kitchen will make sticking to the tasks much easier than, for instance, having to come up with a plan when faced with an issue as a result of poor practices. Some of these suggested activities are done on a daily basis, some weekly. Others are done less frequently. Here’s a quick look at some important tasks to perform and when best to do them to stay on track:
Daily Cleaning Do’s
- Wipe all surfaces including walls, countertops, and equipment used in food prep with the appropriate cloths and disinfectants required for each. Be mindful of any that require the use of specific solutions to avoid damage to any surface materials.
- Routinely clean off any build-up on griddles or grills.
- Clean all worktops and prep stations with the proper disinfectants to ensure that no food remnants are transferred to the next items up for preparation. This is especially important when using the same prep stations for raw and cooked food.
- Flush soda machines properly with clean water to ensure the dispensers and heads are properly cleaned at the end of use each day.
- Empty and disinfect any trash receptacles.
- Clean the sinks and any other drains in the kitchen, ensuring they are free from all debris.
- Wash any cloth items used during the day such as wash towels, uniforms, chef jackets, aprons, etc., in a washing machine at the appropriate temperatures.
- Sweep and clean all floors in the kitchen, including those of the pantry or storage areas, and all mats. When cleaning floors with a mop, ensure that the appropriate chemicals are used to avoid the spread of any grease on the floors, as this can result in a hazard for anyone attempting to walk on them.
Weekly Cleaning Do’s
These tasks require more time and effort and as such, additional time should be set aside to ensure that they are performed properly and completely. They include:
- Sanitize the freezers and refrigerators.
- Sanitize the lines of the beverage machines and flush them out with the appropriate chemical solutions.
- Deep clean the complete interior of the oven, including the walls, and any removable fixtures or shelves.
- Descale the faucets, sink and dishwasher. The buildup of lime scale in a commercial dishwasher, if left unchecked, can result in costly repairs for a business.
Monthly Cleaning Do’s
- Deep clean the kitchen walls, floors and ceiling to eliminate any residual grease buildup.
- Defrost the freezers and ice machines, and thoroughly sanitize them.
- Sanitize the area behind the hot line, empty all grease traps, and wash all vent hoods. These are all areas where grease and other debris can build up, causing various unnecessary kitchen hazards.
A dirty, unclean restaurant is not only unhygienic, but it is also a turn-off to customers or visitors to your establishment. Employing these basic steps will go a long way in ensuring that your commercial kitchen’s cleanliness and customer base is maintained.
