Whether you operate or work in a large restaurant such as Italian Restaurant Dublin http://www.toscanarestaurant.ie/, a hotel kitchen or small, independent cafe, when you are responsible for serving and preparing food, hygiene is of paramount importance. While it’s easy to see when a work surface or counter is dirty and needs cleaning, many of us tend to forget about cleaning refrigeration equipment regularly and this is particularly important where commercial fridges are used.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency highlights the importance of thorough and effective cleaning in commercial kitchens. This is not only to ensure that you are keeping your kitchen and the equipment as hygienic as possible but also to help improve the life span of the equipment. They explain how cleaning should be carried out in two stages. The first stage should remove visible dirt from surfaces, and the second should treat the surface with a suitable disinfectant.
It’s vital for both hygiene and food safety reasons that you ensure any commercial refrigeration equipment is kept clean and free of dirt and debris. Not only will this prevent bacteria, but it will keep the equipment running smoothly.
External cleaning
The simplest task in cleaning your commercial refrigerator is just wiping down the exterior. This should be done regularly, ideally at least every day. Get into the habit of wiping it down at the end of every shift. It will take hardly any time and can make a big difference to hygiene and cleanliness standards in your kitchen. Pay extra attention to the handle, as this is the area most likely to harbour nasty germs and bacteria.
Internal cleaning
You should deep-clean your refrigerator at least once a week, possibly more in very busy kitchens or in a unit that undergoes a great deal of use in an average day. All food will need to be removed from the fridge, so ensure you have another fridge to store it in while you clean. It’s a good idea to do this when your fridge is less full, so before a delivery is perfect. Working from top to bottom, clean all surfaces inside the fridge with a general purpose, non-toxic cleaning product. If shelves can be removed, take them out and scrub them.
Remember that no matter how cutting edge or high-end your equipment, if it’s not looked after correctly, it will quickly lose effectiveness and fail to perform as it should.
