Aug 11
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Kitchen Cleaning Plans
Not all areas in the kitchen are washed and cleaned daily, and not all kitchen items, units, appliances, and machines are also washed and cleaned daily. Imagine kitchen stewards running around the workplace and the dining area, bumping into each other, disrupting the work of the chefs, and disrupting the relaxed mood of the diners. Because o this, there needs to be efficient and effective kitchen cleaning plans. Here is a good example of what needs cleaning and washing when.
Things That Need Washing or Cleaning After Each Use
The grills should be cleaned after each use. This is done so as to avoid cross contamination between the different types of meats placed over the grill. Aside from the grills, the line and prep areas as ell as the switch cutting boards should also be washed or wiped down all throughout the shift. For this reason, the “clean as you go” policy should be implemented and followed.
The trash bins should also be emptied once the garbage plastic bags are full.
Things That Need Washing or Cleaning After Each Shift
There are usually three shifts in most restaurants – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Now, the areas that need thorough washing and cleaning after each shift are the following:
- Fryers and grills to remove food debris or soils clinging on them.
- All kitchen surfaces such as the prep tables as well as the counters. This also includes the cutting boards and line table. These should also be sanitized as well.
- The steam table should be drained, washed, cleaned, and sanitized.
- The slicers, such as the meat slicer and cheese slicer, should also be washed after each use and after each shift to remove soils and food debris.
- The aprons and other chef apparels like chef coats should be placed in the laundry. The same goes for dirty cleaning rags and dirty floor mats, although the three should not be mixed and washed at the same time.
- The kitchen floors as well as the walk-in refrigerator should be wiped and mopped to remove dirt and grime.
Things That Need Daily Washing or Cleaning
Some of the things that need at least a once-a-day cleaning are the grease traps to reduce grease and oil debris accumulation. The can opener also needs a daily washing. The foil linings for the following should also be changed daily – grills as well as ranges and flattops. The hood filter should also be given a good cleaning daily.
Things That Need Weekly Washing or Cleaning
There are kitchen items and areas though that needs at least a weekly washing and cleaning. This will include the reach-in coolers as well as the ovens and oil cast iron cookware. Weekly cleaning should also be given to the coffee machine as well as the tea machine. Plus, the knives need to be sharpened at least once a week.
As for the sinks and faucets, they need to be de-limed at least weekly, and the same is also given to the floor drains.
Things That Need Monthly Washing or Cleaning
Things that need monthly washing or cleaning include freezers and the ice machines. The kitchen steward is to also wash the area behind the ovens, deep fryers, grills, and stoves to remove grease and oil buildup. This is done so as to reduce fire accidents. The dry storage areas and walls as well as the ceilings also need monthly cleaning.
The ovens as well as the thermometers need to be calibrated at least once a month; and both the cheese and meat slicers also require monthly cleaning.
The kitchen steward also has to check the first aid kit and restock accordingly, and he also has to change or set any pest traps to reduce pest infestation.
Things That Need Yearly Washing or Cleaning
Things that need at least a once-a-year attention are the fire suppression system and the fire extinguishers. The kitchen item that needs at least a yearly washing and cleaning are the kitchen hoods and pilot lights.
Image Credit: lsc-de.com