A commercial kitchen is the place in a restaurant where food is prepared consistently and daily. Usually there are several people who work in this kitchen and in addition there are many catering equipment that is used all the time. With all this activity going on in the commercial kitchen, how do you keep it clean?
First, teach your staff to maintain high standards of hygiene. Instruct them to wash their hands every time they go to work with food. If they constantly work with food, have them wash their hands every hour. When working with raw meats, they should wash their hands after handling the meat. They should keep in mind that dirty dishes should be placed in the sink and not left anywhere on a countertop. It is essential that your staff know the hygiene rules so that cleanliness reigns.
Wear disposable clothing, such as latex or plastic gloves, sleeves, and shoe covers. Hairnets, chef hats, and disposable aprons are also a good option. The idea of disposable clothing is that it is worn for one day only and can be thrown away at the end of the day. This ensures that many germs are thrown away and not left in the kitchen. The next day, the staff has a clean set of disposable clothes.
At the end of each day, do a thorough cleaning. Start by sweeping the floors. There will probably be food crumbs or chips on the floor from the food preparation. Then mop the floors. Use clean water with detergent to make sure the floor is thoroughly cleaned. Clean all counter and table surfaces. Then wipe the surfaces with a damp cloth soaked in detergent or bleach to disinfect the surfaces. Alternatively, spray the surfaces with a disinfectant and wipe the surface with a clean cloth. Wash and dry all catering equipment used during the day. Put all the dishes and silverware in the dishwasher. This will save you time when it comes to washing dishes by hand and the dishwasher will do a very good job washing all the dishes you might have at the end of the day. It’s also a good idea to run the dishwasher earlier in the day, when you notice that the dishes are piling up. Washing dishes twice a day is a good plan.
At the end of the day, no dirty surfaces, catering equipment or crockery should be left.
