Deep cleaning of a commercial kitchen
Whether at home or in a commercial setting, kitchen hygiene and cleanliness is always important. In particular, meeting food hygiene standards is of paramount importance for commercial caterers. It is recognized good practice to implement a disciplined daily cleaning regimen, for example at the end of a shift. This approach certainly goes a long way in maintaining hygiene standards.
However, contaminants such as dirt, grease, and bacteria will inevitably accumulate over time in hard-to-reach places, such as behind or between work units, or on walls and ceilings. The best way to address this inevitable buildup is to schedule regular deep cleanings by professionals who have the knowledge, experience, and tools to efficiently clean those parts that can’t be easily cleaned on a day-to-day basis.
A professional kitchen deep cleaning contractor will perform the cleaning process in a logical and systematic manner. As an example, the contractor could follow a process along the following lines;
First of all, it is necessary to disassemble the various kitchen appliances in order to assemble their components to submerge them in a “dip tank”. A dip tank is a large container that is filled with a warm or hot degreasing solution. Components that can be removed for submersion include; grease filters, oven trays, cook tops and rings, frying pans, grill trays, disassembled fan units, and other heavily soiled items. Detachable components are submerged in the dip tank for a period of time according to the manufacturers guidelines.
Then, to prepare for cleaning the walls and surroundings where the kitchen will be exposed to water, all electrical items should be insulated and all exposed switches covered with waterproof polyethylene tape.
To reduce the mess and disruption that results from cleaning grease from appliances with a pressurized steam cleaner, some kitchen items are often cleaned outdoors. If so, these are assembled and removed from the kitchen. Whenever possible, equipment is backed away from the nearest wall to ensure deep cleaning can be achieved both below and behind the equipment.
The internal areas to be cleaned are now scraped of all excess grease with wire brushes or scrapers, before a suitable cleaning solution is applied to the surfaces. Once cleaned, all excess dirt and cleaning chemicals are removed from all surfaces. Typically, walls and ceilings are thoroughly steam cleaned with a steam vacuum. Once this is complete, the team can move back into position.
Cooking and preparation areas are sanitized. A steam cleaner and wet vacuum equipment are generally used to clean floor areas.
Finally, the premises are put in order, all debris and rubbish are removed, and the outside areas are put in order. At the end of the cleaning job, the client will have the opportunity to verify the work and, once satisfied, will be able to sign a client acceptance form. Deep cleaning is often done overnight to avoid scheduled kitchen operations. If so, then the cleaners may be responsible for closing. In this case, they will ensure that the site is secure and that the keys are returned to the designated place.
Professional kitchen deep cleaning companies can usually be flexible in scheduling a deep cleaning session, which can take a few hours to complete, so they will be quite prepared to work a schedule that avoids disrupting normal kitchen work hours. .
