Keeping it
clean
Catering Equipment Cleaning
We are responsible for the preparation and serving of good and healthy food for large numbers of
patrons. Their health and safety are in our hands - so if you do not do a daily deep clean and implement
a ‘Clean as you Go’ Programme, you might want to review your business strategy. Anthony Mulder, the
Training and Development Manager for Vulcan Catering Equipment, takes a closer look at how to keep
catering equipment clean.
I do believe that one can and should get one’s teeth into some real
and effective equipment deep-cleaning and maintenance to reduce
breakdown frequency, as well as to maintain the desired efficiency
and life span of the costly equipment.
I will break down the kitchen into five key areas and discuss each of
these sections and the equipment in each of these areas, as well as
make suggestions as to a good starting point to implement a deep
clean and maintenance programme.
Receiving area, storage and
refrigeration
• Chillers (2°C) and freezer (-18 to -25°C) units require
constant surface cleaning with the blower coils
(evaporators), and compressor (condensing units) being
dusted and oil residue removed on a weekly basis. It is
advisable to have the refrigeration plant re-gassed and
checked for leaks at least once or twice a year or when
there is a noticeable daily temperature variance that
could affect the shelf-life of the stored product.
• Shelving should be cleared of all products weekly,
cleaned and sanitised. It is advisable to do a deep
steam-clean on the interior of walk-in chillers/
freezers and to ensure complete drying thereafter,
before re-loading with product.
• Roll-in cold room storage, dunnage racks as well as food
storage bins should also be thoroughly cleaned with
non-toxic detergents before and after each new batch of
food items is stored, or at least on a weekly basis.
• Scales, receiving tote boxes, trolleys and other items
at the receiving area should be steam cleaned and
sanitized every time before being used to limit
bacterial contamination.
• It is also recommended that an electrician check
all power points for secure connections and remove
plug covers to clean off any dirt and grime build-up.
• Inspection of floor tiles and grouting needs to be
done and ceiling boards should also be checked for
damage and dust which will contaminate the food.
Preparation areas
All tables and sinks must be cleaned after each use,
deep cleaning and underside cleaning can be done
once a month at least. This is an ideal time to inspect
the leg assembly for loose bolts and ensure no mould
or other bacteria have formed. Can opener blades
must be cleaned after each use, vegetable preparation
machines must be inspected for damage, blades can
be stripped for cleaning and inspection, meat slicers
must be disassembled for thorough cleaning and
hand-held utensils placed in cleaning formulas to
completely disinfect and clean. Always use the correct
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r e ta i l c h e f i s s u e e l e v e n
recommended cleaning chemicals for the application.
Remember, all cutting tool and blades are very sharp and if
due care is not practised, serious injury can be the result of
carelessness.
Cooking area
• The cooking area is often very difficult to deep clean as
electrical points in most instances are only splash-proof and
other sensitive electrical or electronics components could
be damaged if water or chemicals come into direct contact
with them.
• It is advised to discuss the correct deep cleaning
procedure with the equipment supplier to obtain their
recommendations.
• Cleaning any electrical or gas appliance must be carried
out under supervision. Always switch off the power at the
isolator and or at the gas shut-off valve. Never spray any
water jets at equipment. Ensure hand washing, scrubbing
and thorough drying is done before switching the power
source back on.
• Removing any external panels could cause injury and is
not advised. Ask the equipment supplier to assist with
this process and suggest entering into a preventative
maintenance plan at the same time if this is possible.
• Extreme care must be taken to clean and properly dry each
item before switching on any equipment. Deep fat fryers
require deep cleaning to limit oil build up which is extremely
difficult to remove once set and hardened.
• Broilers, griddles, boiling tables and other more simple items
need to be scrubbed and cleaned daily and completely dried
before switching on.
• The more advanced combi steam ovens and “Self Cooking
Centre” (SCC) units are self-cleaning and do not require
any human intervention other than setting the “cleaning
programme”.
• Extraction canopies and filters need daily cleaning by hand.
• Deep-cleaning should be undertaken by a professional
team to ensure that fat build up and dust accumulation is
removed. Many kitchens burn down as a result of this not
being addressed and cleaning being carried out incorrectly.
Serving area
This could be a waiter station server or a buffet line - both
are high traffic volume areas and require daily deep cleaning.
Patrons and staff touch work surfaces and as it’s a public area
it is contaminated by common contact, sneezing and coughing.
All utensils, plate stacking, condiment storage, packaging
shelving, glass dispensers or other service areas must be cleaned
thoroughly on a daily basis and not left for a deep clean session
at month end. I would recommend that any grouting, silicon
fillers or other capping strips be cleaned out and replaced at
least once a year. These areas are subject to large mould build up
and can lead to serious health hazard complications.
Also note that all electric elements which are submerged in
water will have build-up of scale. This build-up will insulate
the element and the heating process will take longer and
consume far more electricity.
Wash up and warewashing
The pot wash area must be deep-cleaned daily as all the
kitchen utensils are cleaned and mostly stored in the same
area. It is not often that the pot rack, whether wall mounted or
floor standing is cleaned. Take time to inspect these items and
ensure they are free of moulds and other bacteria build up.
As for the dishwashing machine, the operator pays attention
to the tabling and exterior surfaces of the dishwashing
machine, but very little attention is ever given to the
interior. It always surprises me how much grime build-up
goes unnoticed and never cleaned. Dishwashers are always
wet or damp on the inside and a good daily clean is highly
recommended. I also advise that the door or hood be left
open once washing duty is complete, as this aids drying and
prevents bacteria build up.
One other area of concern is the mobile equipment, such
as tea trolleys, mobile cold room racks and other mobile
equipment. These require thorough cleaning and giving
attention to the castors is essential, since the wheels move
around the premises and pick up all sorts of nasty stuff. Take
time to clean them regularly.
Canopy and extraction
This essential component of the kitchen is most often neglected,
but it requires a professional team to get in and clean on a
bi-monthly basis. The filters, however, should be removed and
placed in most hood type dish washers and washed. It takes a few
minutes a day to run them through the washer and no build up
of fat and grease will be evident. It is then easy to put them back
into the canopy and the running system will dry the filter quickly.
Conclusion
I always maintain that it is essential to keep kitchens and
equipment clean and never to allow grime build-up and
other forms of harmful bacteria to take effect resulting in the
detriment of yourself and the paying patron. Have a cleaning
schedule posted in all areas in the facility and ensure this
is checked and done as per the program. And as the sayings
goes, “food safety is not an option, it’s an obligation” - you are
obliged to adhere to the highest recommended standards.