Kitchens are among the messiest places in our households. Thinking about the number of dishes that need to be washed, how often spills land on your floors, and how quickly food goes to waste, it’s not hard to see why!
Now imagine how much messier a commercial kitchen, where food is prepared in large quantities and under time constraints, must be compared to your household kitchen!
Although commercial equipment undergoes nightly and even some hourly cleaning procedures, it’s impossible for staff to achieve the level of thoroughness that a professional cleaning company can. Regular, day-to-day kitchen staff are typically not trained in stack cleaning, drain cleaning, or duct cleaning procedures.
Here are five more detailed reasons why commercial kitchen equipment should be professionally cleaned.
Table of Contents
1. Preventative Maintenance
Build-ups of grease can, over time, clog air vents, drains, and motors on commercial kitchen appliances. This can lead to equipment malfunctions, or attract pests who are lured inside by the smell of old grease and food debris.
Aside from being a food safety concern, pests in kitchens are notorious for chewing on wires and food storage containers, causing a myriad of other problems.
2. Fire Prevention
Accumulated grease also provides a source of fuel for dangerous potential fires. Hot burners, grill tops, toaster ovens, and similar appliances generate sources of heat that could quickly cause burns or fire hazards even on brand-new kitchen equipment. The risk of fire only increases when the appliances found in a commercial kitchen fail to receive regular cleaning.
3. Save Money
As you can imagine, the maintenance costs induced by kitchen failures, pest control, or fires can be costly. In any of the described instances, a commercial kitchen runs the risk of not only being forced to replace its equipment but also losing entire inventories and losing money to overhead and repair costs.
4. Quality Control
Stale grease and grime are not found on the ingredients list in any commercial kitchen or restaurant. In fact, build-ups of grease caused by irregular cleanings can greatly decrease the quality of the food being served.
5. Food Safety
Maintaining food safety standards is one of the primary reasons for scheduling regular kitchen cleans. Without professional cleaning, the risk of foodborne illnesses caused by cross-contamination or bacterial and mold growth increases significantly.
Without regular cleanings, a commercial kitchen is also unlikely to pass inspection by health inspectors. Failure to comply with the food safety standards and regulations set by health inspectors results in strict penalties, including enforcing the permanent closure of the business in cases of extreme neglect.
Commercial kitchen cleaning is an integral part of owning and operating a restaurant. In addition to the points previously listed, investing in a professional cleaning service is a great way to boost employee morale, and reduce the risks of spills, falls, and accidental burns. It promotes repeat customers and customer satisfaction by increasing the quality of food, and most importantly, is required to maintain federal food safety standards and make commercial kitchens a safer place to eat and work.