A clean and hygienic kitchen is the first essential component of any catering business. The best chefs, staff, and equipment are completely wasted if the working kitchen isn’t kept clean. For many commercial kitchens, cleaning, and in particular, deep cleaning is an added task. But there are five areas that need to be kept constantly clean.
1. Surfaces and utensils
While most utensils can go in the dishwasher on a sterilizing wash, surfaces need to be wiped down and reused throughout the day. Make sure all chopping boards are categorized for veggies, fish or meat and that every chopping board is fully dried before being used again.
2. The sink
Your sink is not a clean place. Oil, food, and warmth make it a breeding ground for germs. This is why it’s important to always remove all food from the sink and scrub it out daily with baking soda.
3.The dishwasher
A brand new dishwasher from commercial catering suppliers such as https://www.247cateringsupplies.co.uk/, is a sight to behold, but to keep it working properly, it needs to stay clean. If you have hard water, adding water-softening salts along with your rinse is essential. But even then, you’ll need to clean away build-up regularly. Always remove food from the filter and clean the filter in a baking soda or specific cleaning solution daily. Many kitchens soak their filters overnight.
4. Ovens and ranges
Ovens should be wiped down when cool, every day. In a commercial kitchen, a once a week chemical clean is also necessary. Always wear rubber gloves, ensure good ventilation and use paper towels to remove the cleaner first, before cleaning the oven properly to finish. Range cleaner is used in the same way and needs to be used with good ventilation.
5. Refrigerators and cooled displays
Refrigerators are cool but not cold. They straddle the balance between helping to keep food fresher longer and ensuring good food quality. Mold will and does grow in a fridge and in a commercial kitchen, keeping the fridge clean is of paramount importance. Any spillage or debris needs to be removed immediately and the refrigerator needs to be cleaned once a week at least. The filters and condenser coils also need to be cleaned once a month.