Greasecycle is devoted to providing restaurants throughout North Carolina with thorough and dependable grease trap cleaning services. That means we understand the value of keeping your kitchen safe and spotless.

Unfortunately, busy restaurants often struggle with keeping their kitchens clean. There are a lot of things going on in a kitchen restaurant at any given time, which makes regular cleaning a great challenge.

However, you cannot make any compromises. Poorly cleaned and unsanitary food preparation surfaces contain many risks. Any bad scenarios coming to fruition could seriously hurt your business.

The most successful method of keeping your restaurant kitchen clean is simple: break down the whole process into smaller tasks.

In this article, we will go over the main points on how to put this principle into practice in your restaurant.

 

1: Cleaning the surfaces

Surfaces can quickly start harbouring bacteria, so you should clean and sanitize the kitchen surfaces more than once a day. Ideally, the sanitization takes place after every separate food preparation process.

Frequent cleaning is vital, because there is a high risk of cross-contamination. For example, you should always clean the surface after the switch from meat preparation to vegetable cutting.

  • Invest in a restaurant-grade disinfectant spray. Make sure it is appropriate for use near food preparation. When using the disinfectant, aim to spray around seven to eight inches away from the kitchen surface. This is important for spreading the product evenly.

 

  • Before spraying the disinfectant, remove food scraps from the countertops. Sometimes you might encounter dried bits of food. In this case, scrub the surface with soap and hot water.

 

  • There is no need to apply too much of any cleaning product. It is better for your budget and the environment if you use the products sparingly. At a certain point, you will see diminishing returns from applying too much of the cleaning agent.

 

  • Do you have tiled surfaces? You might need a specialized cleaner for these areas of your kitchen. The active ingredients need to enter the porous tile grout and destroy the bacteria inside.

 

  • After cleaning the surfaces, only put items back on the surface when the area has air dried for a while.

2: Cleaning the floors

Kitchen floors are one of the last areas to receive attention during cleaning time. But hygiene-wise, it is a very important part of the cleaning process. Unkempt kitchen floors could become a breeding ground for microbes.

  • Refrain from using regular soap when cleaning the floors. The cleaning agent should be as effective as the one you use for countertops, because the floors need disinfection as well.

 

  • Before cleaning the floor with disinfectant and water, clear the area from any accumulated debris.

 

  • It is easy to miss floor surfaces that are under kitchen equipment and commercial furniture. Aim to clean these hard-to-reach areas once or twice a week.

 

  • The floor cleaner needs to have enough chemical power to kill various pathogens. But the liquid should also be able to slice through all the grease that has piled up on the floor.

 

  • Make sure that your floor cleaning equipment is sanitized after each cleaning.

 

3: Cleaning the equipment

Daily cleaning of food preparation equipment is more than necessary, since these items are used to prepare food on a regular basis. Any debris and grease on the equipment could seriously affect the hygiene of your restaurant’s kitchen.

Keep in mind that some equipment uses movable parts that need separate cleaning. For example, these include the following:

  • Blenders
  • Food processors
  • Grinders
  • Mixers

Just spraying a disinfectant is not enough. The food residues provide a breeding ground for bacteria and other pathogens. Therefore, it is important to be strict when cleaning your kitchen equipment.

  • Some parts of the equipment may be hard to reach. For example, the grinder holes need extra attention to get everything completely clean.

 

  • Your equipment could have dried pieces of food on it. Use hot, soapy water and a high-pressure hose for effective removal of the grime. A hard-bristled brush could come handy as well.

 

  • Equipment needs delicate care. Some parts of your equipment could be easily damaged if you use the wrong chemicals. Refrain from using cleaning products that are corrosive to those sensitive materials.

 

  • After every use, brush off any grime and ash from your grill's grates. Simple brushing might not always work, so try using warm water and soap to remove the dripped grease.

 

  • Refrigeration units are an essential part of your kitchen equipment. Take good care of them by cleaning the condenser coils every two months. The best approach is to use a bristle brush together with a vacuum. Take care to also empty the drain pans on a regular basis.

4: Cleaning the sinks

The washing stations in your restaurant kitchen come into contact with your utensils and dishes. It is important to keep the sinks as sanitary as possible.

This means you should spray disinfectant and wipe the sink after each working day. Do not forget to clean the backsplash as well. Even during the workday, it is a good idea to frequently wipe down the washing station.

 

5: Cleaning the storage solutions

Your kitchen amounts to more than just food preparation surfaces and useful equipment. The storage areas can also accumulate a lot of dust, grime, and stains over the weeks and months.

You should aim to clean the storage areas every 4–5 months:

  • Remove all items from the storage
  • Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the dust and any loose debris
  • Apply a cleaning agent and wipe down the grime
  • Clean the floors of the storage space from any crumbs and dirt dropped from the shelves

The bottom line: keeping your restaurant's kitchen clean

Obviously, you need to make sure your kitchen is clean at all times. Generally, all kitchen surfaces need to be non-absorbent, easy to clean and smooth.

Instruct your kitchen staff to clean their workspaces every time they want to use them or have just completed a task.

Also, you need to make sure that your grease traps are in good shape and that your kitchen’s drainage is clean and in good working condition.