Smart Cleaning Solutions for Busy Commercial Kitchens on a Budget

If you’ve ever had the health department drop-in unexpectedly, you know first-hand how important it is to keep your commercial kitchen clean. But let’s forget about the regulations for a minute and just talk about integrity. Your patrons depend on you to take care of them. It’s obvious that your reputation depends on the level of sanitation you keep in your commercial kitchen, or anytime you are working with food for others to consume.

When you know what needs to be done, the standards can be shared with the team and the workload dispersed among all working in the kitchen to make sure the cleaning processes are done as you go from one thing to another, making it easy on everyone.

As a business owner, it’s up to you to make sure everyone is on the same page with health and safety standards and that you have all the right protocols in place. Whether you hire someone to do it or you assign tasks to those in your restaurant, here are some handy tips to help you streamline the work.

Cleaning Checklist

A checklist creates accountability and makes sure that nothing gets overlooked or forgotten. Your kitchen may have it’s own special needs and equipment, but this is good place to start:

Daily:

• Clean the walls and equipment.
• Clean grills, griddles, ranges, and fryers.
• Disinfect prep surfaces and sinks.
• Clean beverage dispenser nozzles and soda guns.
• Sweep and mop the floor.

Weekly:

• Clean ovens and delime sinks.
• Boil out the fryer.
• Clean storage areas and drains.

Monthly:

• Deep clean behind the hot line.
• Sanitize ice machines.
• Empty grease traps.
• Clean grease buildup on ceilings and walls.

Deep Cleaning

All commercial kitchens should do a deep clean every 3-6 months. This means a top-to-bottom, inside and out, sparkling like its new kind of cleaning. You’ll want to address all the hard-to-reach spots that don’t get touched during the daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning tasks. Keeping a commercial kitchen in top-form is a lot of work, but you already knew that. Let’s look at some do’s and don’ts:

Do’s:

• Degrease thoroughly.
• Decarbonize appliances.
• Disinfect properly and often.
• Reach high-level areas.
• Use safe chemicals.
• Use specialized equipment like steam cleaners and high-pressure washers.
• Clean refrigeration units.
• Clean air ducts.

Don’ts:

• Avoid Corrosive chemicals.
• Skip detergents and bleach.
• Don’t use solvents on fabrics.
• Don’t use chlorine-based cleaners.

Having a checklist readily available for your employees really helps to ensure that cleanliness standards are maintained, and your reputation is not compromised. It’s a simple step that can make a big difference!

If you need help handling your deep cleaning tasks, it’s always a good idea to hire professionals that have the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to complete the job. My Maid Day is a professional cleaning service helping commercial kitchens in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Contact us for a free quote today!