When it comes to catering, cleanliness is a vital part of the business. Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start but by following a structured cleaning schedule you can keep your kitchen in the best cooking condition.
In this article, we will walk you through what cleaning methods you can use on your kitchen, whether it be for a deep clean or a routine strip down.
Cleaning Essentials
To start with, it is useful to know which tools are the best for which jobs. Here are the items we think are the essentials:
- Industrial cleaning gloves
- A mop and mop bucket, we would recommend a pulse mop, but this isn’t crucial
- A broom
- A dustpan and brush
- Sponge scourers
- Multipurpose cleaner
- Floor cleaner
For a deeper clean you may also want to consider getting a grout brush and a mechanical sweeper to make a bigger job not seem so intimidating.
Cleaning Hard Surfaces
When it comes to hard surfaces, it is important to keep on top of cleaning it. You should clean these surfaces after every use. This is because with the build-up of food grime and excess moisture, it is the perfect place for bacteria and germs to grow.
For general cleaning of hard surfaces, use a deep cleansing spray and allow it to air dry. When scrubbing or polishing these surfaces remember to use non-abrasive cleaning pads. This is because using abrasive pads can cause extra scratches on your surfaces which will create an area for moisture to build up.
We would recommend that you check all surfaces for gaps and cracks where grime could build up, these should be cleaned and dried out before another use.
How to Clean Kitchen Floors
The most important part of cleaning kitchen floors would be degreasing. Should you have a large build-up of grease, remove the excess with disposable paper towels to give yourself the best starting point.
After this, spray the area with de-greaser and allow the product to sit for at least ten minutes (longer if possible). The degreaser should bring up the grease off of the floor so that you can manually remove it with disposable paper towels. Repeat this process until you are happy with the floor, then make sure you mop the floor with clean, soapy water to remove any residue left over.
Cleaning the Ventilation Systems
It is very easy to forget to clean the places we can’t see, but this doesn’t make cleaning the ventilation systems any less important. Keeping on top of cleaning allows for better ventilation in your kitchen and reduces the risk of a kitchen fire.
Due to the machinery involved in this process, it would be recommended that you hire someone externally to clean your ventilation system every 3 months to a year depending on how often it is used.
Enquire to get more information on Dolphin’s cleaning services and how we could help you to clean out your ventilation system.
Cleaning Appliances
As Important as it is to clean hard surfaces and floors, we can’t forget about specific appliances.
How to Clean Ovens
Cleaning an oven shouldn’t be a laborious process. Using good quality cleaning supplies should make this a simple task.
All you need to do is spray your oven with an approved cleaning solution and leave it to work overnight. Make sure that you leave the oven door open, line the area around the appliance with disposable paper towels and create some form of ventilation for the room.
We recommend using cleaning gloves to protect your hands from harsh chemicals.
How to Clean Fridges
- The first step when cleaning out your fridge would be to clear out all food produce and check for any spillages.
- From here remove any draws and moveable trays and wipe everything down with warm soapy water and allow the appliance to air dry.
- Finally, spray everything down with a multipurpose cleaner and wipe away any excess fluid with a non-abrasive cleaning sponge.
It is best to clean out your fridge on a monthly basis though it may be best done more often depending on what is being stored in there.
How to Clean Dishwashers
When it comes to your dishwasher, they should be somewhat self-cleaning. This fact is dependent on the temperature that the appliance is able to reach and the water running through it. If the water is too hard it will be difficult for the dishwasher to run effectively, to fix this use water-softening salts.
The main parts of the dishwasher you should focus on manually cleaning are the filter and the seals on the doors.
To avoid clogging the drain and filter make sure to rinse kitchenware before putting it in to wash as this will stop a build-up of food in the appliance.
To maintain a good standard of hygiene in the dishwasher, make sure to clean the door seals on a routine, monthly basis with a multipurpose cleaner and a non-abrasive sponge.
After every use, leave the door to the dishwasher open for around 10–15 minutes to allow proper ventilation of the appliance and avoid moisture build-up.
How to Clean Microwaves
A microwave shouldn’t be difficult to keep clean. To loosen the grime on the inside of the appliance, place a microwave-safe bowl full of water in the microwave and keep the appliance going for approximately 3 minutes on full power. Once this is done, simply wipe the inside clean with a multipurpose cleaning spray and dry cloth.
Places You Might Miss
The places that tend to get forgotten about are typically the easiest to clean if they are kept tidy. These places include but are not limited to:
- Light switches
- Space between appliances and walls
- Taps
- Soap and towel dispenses
- Filters
- High up shelves
- Toilet flushes
Generally, these places would typically only need a wipe down with a disinfectant spray or multipurpose cleaner. These places should be cleaned as often as possible to avoid them becoming a task too big to tackle.
How Can We Help With Your Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Needs?
At Dolphin Fabrications, we provide multiple commercial kitchen cleaning and maintenance services for all types of kitchens. See our full range of cleaning services below and send an enquiry to learn more about what we offer:
- Canopy only cleaning
- Duct and Fan cleaning
- Creating access hatches
- Reporting
- Kitchen cleaning
