Our Guide to Commercial Kitchen Cleaning

Do you want tips on easily keeping your commercial kitchen clean and hygienic? You've come to the right place! From floor-to-ceiling and everything in between, cleaning a commercial kitchen is essential, as now more than ever, customers and regulatory authorities like the FSA are demanding high standards.

In this guide to commercial kitchen cleaning, you'll learn why it's crucial to have a clean commercial kitchen and tips for designing and organising a restaurant kitchen for efficient cleaning. So let's start creating a sparkling home away from home for all of us who work in the hospitality industry!

Why commercial kitchen cleaning is important.

A dirty kitchen doesn't look great, but it goes way beyond appearances, as it can make it hard to work efficiently if you have to work around the mess and filthy equipment. Regular cleaning helps keep the kitchen safe, hygienic, and in top working order. Grease and grime can accumulate quickly, making surfaces slippery and potentially hazardous for your team. Not to mention, the risk of food contamination is a severe concern when running a successful kitchen. Regular cleaning can help prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and keep your customers healthy. Plus, a well-maintained kitchen is a great selling point - who doesn't want to eat in an establishment with a clean, safe, and well-organised space?

Key questions about commercial kitchen cleaning:

1. How do I eliminate the risk of cross-contamination in my commercial kitchen?

You can reduce this risk of cross-contamination by washing hands, surfaces, and equipment thoroughly between food preparation, correctly storing food items and ensuring cleaning solutions are kept away from food, and using colour-coded systems for your food prep and cleaning equipment.

2. How often should I clean parts of the commercial kitchen?

Surfaces and utensils - After each use
Sinks - Throughout the day
Floors - Daily
Ovens - Weekly (but more frequently depending on what you are cooking)
Bins - Weekly (but emptied throughout the day)
Fridges and freezers – Monthly
Ventilation - Every quarter

3. What essential cleaning equipment is needed for my commercial kitchen?

A commercial kitchen needs necessary cleaning equipment to ensure a hygienic and safe food preparation environment, including protective clothing and gloves, detergent or sanitiser for washing surfaces, sponges, cloths and mops for wiping down surfaces, buckets for mopping floors, bins to store soiled cloths, and colour-coded tools to prevent cross-contamination.

4. What areas need to be cleaned before, during, and after a shift?

Before a shift
It is essential to clean and prepare the environment for food preparation. This includes wiping down all surfaces with a food-safe antibacterial cleaner, cleaning sinks, and laying out clean cloths and towels that can be used during the shift. Once completed, your team can start food prep.
During a shift
Keep your areas clean and tidy throughout the day, including cleaning up spills and grease build-ups, emptying bins and cleaning cutting boards and knives. By staying on top of your cleaning, there will be less to do at the end of the day.
End of the shift
The end of the shift requires a deep clean to remove dirt and grease accumulated during the day. Tasks include mopping floors, cleaning stove tops, ensuring food is correctly stored, and emptying and cleaning fryers. For more thorough cleaning, many commercial kitchens are equipped with moveable equipment to help reach every floor inch.

You can make this step easier by adopting self-cleaning commercial ovens and cooking equipment! At RATIONAL , we have designed cooking systems that make cleaning a breeze. Our iCombi Pro has the iCareSystem built in. It recognises the current level of dirt build-up inside the iCombi Pro, and makes a clear cleaning recommendation on that basis. The iCombi Pro can also self-clean and descale overnight, saving time and letting your team focus on cleaning other kitchen areas.

By following the tips in our commercial kitchen cleaning guide, you will make your kitchen a cleaner and nicer place to work and take steps to ensure food safety and prevent any risks of cross-contamination, which means happier customers and added protection for your team.

At RATIONAL, we believe you should work smarter and not harder, so we have taken the time to design cooking systems that help simplify each step of the cooking process, including the cleaning! Learn more about our intelligent self-cleaning iCombi Pro , or contact the team at RATIONAL.