Keeping Your Restaurant Kitchen Clean and Safe

2/14/2020 (Permalink)

A busy restaurant is a joy, and a challenge. It’s wonderful that you have so much business and that your patrons love your food. But keeping the kitchen in great condition on a daily basis can seem like an almost impossible task, but it’s of vital importance to pass those Health Department inspections!

So much is going on during the day, hot grease spitting, utensils loaded with food dropped on the floor, glasses breaking, and food being burned or ruined due to human error. A regular cleaning system can help keep a handle on the mayhem, and keep your restaurant kitchen clean and safe.

It is vital to maintain a hygienic commercial kitchen. Your grills should be brushed between cooking different types of meat, such as red meats, poultry, and fish. The line and prep areas should be regularly wiped down, and trash should be emptied BEFORE it overflows. Slipping and tripping in the kitchen could lead to a disaster. Make sure your sanitizing water is maintained and that there is always a sufficient supply of cleaning rags throughout all shifts.

At the end of the day, the fryers will need to be thoroughly cleaned, as will the grills and the steam table, all slicers, floor mats, and surfaces. Grease traps need to be emptied and cleaned, and hood filters should be run through the dishwasher. Sweeping and mopping the floors, including cooking areas and walk-in fridges and freezers, and cleaning all floor mats well will set the kitchen up for success for the next business day. Your work space in your kitchen will be clean and safe!

Weekly you will want to sanitize coolers and coffee machines, clean ovens and floor drains well, and sharpen all knives. Clean and well-cared for tools and machinery will keep your kitchen safe for your staff. These tasks can be part of servers’ side work, to ensure that they get done.

Monthly you should see that thermometers and ovens are calibrated, freezers deep-cleaned, and behind all ovens, stoves, and fryers gets deep-cleaned as well, as grease build-up is a major fire hazard. Keep your first aid kit well-stocked in case of accidents.  

At least once a year, schedule a visit from a professional cleaning company you trust. They can clean hoods and drains, grease traps, walls and floors, much more thoroughly than your staff, and can inspect your premises for possible kitchen safety and fire issues.

SERVPRO of Universal City / St. Hedwig is ready to help in the area of restaurant kitchen safety and cleanliness. Give us a call today at (210) 610 6800!