Tips to Keep a Commercial Kitchen Clean and Organized

When it comes to cooking and preparing food, a clean, well-organized kitchen is an absolute necessity. A dirty or disorganized kitchen not only makes it nearly impossible for you to find the right tools when you need them; but also increases the chances of cross-contamination and foodborne illness. In addition, cleaning up after meal prep can be tedious work that takes away from the time you could be spending with family or friends. Here are some tips from Cookright Commercial Kitchen Services for keeping your commercial kitchen clean and organized.

Store Your Cleaning Supplies Correctly

The kitchen is where food is prepared, so it’s important to keep your cleaning supplies away from the food. Here are some tips for storing cleaning supplies:

• Store them in a designated area. It’s not a good idea to store your cleaning supplies next to the oven or countertop where you prepare food. Keep them in their own space that is easily accessible.
• Cleaning supplies should be kept away from food and food preparation areas. You want to make sure that any chemicals or cleaners don’t come into contact with any food products, as this can cause contamination of those products if they get on the surface of those foods or touch their packaging or containers. This also applies when cleaning up spills; never use chemicals on top of spillage unless it’s specifically directed by an employee who has authority over health codes at his/her workplace (such as a manager). This will prevent cross-contamination between product areas and lead only good things down one path: deliciousness.

Establish a Daily Schedule

The first thing you need to do is to set up a schedule of what needs to be done each day, including the tasks that require your attention and those you can delegate to someone else. This will ensure that you have enough time to complete all of the necessary tasks and avoid being overwhelmed by trying to do too much at once.

The second step is to create a checklist for each task. Make sure you don’t forget anything when it comes time for you or your employees to complete their assigned duties, by using checklists with pre-defined steps for each assignment (such as cleaning out fryers at the end of each day). That way everyone knows exactly what needs to happen without having any questions about how things should be done—and there’s less chance for errors.

Keep Ingredients Labeled and Organized

For your commercial kitchen to be clean and organized, you need to keep all ingredients labeled and organized. As with any food service business, ensuring that ingredients are labeled can prevent cross-contamination in the event of an emergency or a power outage. It may also help reduce confusion among your staff members, who may be able to check a label for information about where or how an item was made before using it in their recipes.

Labels should have clear descriptions of what is contained within each container and should also include contact information for the company or individual who packaged the product if there is any question about its safety. Labels can be handwritten or printed out on adhesive paper that gets stuck directly onto containers; they don’t need special labels unless they’re being used in bulk (such as cases). Alternatively, many businesses use inventory systems that utilise barcodes and a barcode reader, devices such as these can be placed throughout kitchen areas such as the storeroom, this way staff can scan a barcode relating to an item to see current stock levels to save time on digging through pantries or storage cupboards to find ingredients. Furthermore, barcode readers can be used in this way to indicate when ingredients are low in quantity to help signal that they might need reordering in order to replenish stock, at which point the count can be updated in the inventory system to reflect the new number against the appropriate barcode.

Keep Your Food Safety Equipment Washed and Dried After Use

Make sure that you dry your cutting boards, knives, and cooking surfaces with a clean cloth before storing them away. Moreover, never put food safety equipment in the dishwasher. It will become contaminated with dirt, grease, and soap residue – all of which can carry harmful bacteria that could contaminate your food. Lastly, don’t let food safety equipment sit in the water for more than two hours at a time. The longer something sits in water, the more likely it is to develop mold or mildew inside its pores.

Clean Your Kitchen at Closing Time

After you have prepared the kitchen for closing, it is important to clean it before leaving. It is important that your employees know that this is part of their job, and not just something you do when they are done for the day. The steps are as follows:

• Close the kitchen, doing a final walk-through to ensure everything has been turned off and cleaned up.
• Clean all surfaces in each area with hot soapy water (or use a disinfectant). Make sure to wipe down any flat surfaces like counters or tables. If there are areas that are particularly dirty (for example if the food was dropped on them), clean those areas separately using more force than usual.
• Use an antibacterial cleaner on all equipment such as cooking utensils and dishes in order to prevent bacteria from growing overnight while nobody is working in the kitchen tomorrow morning.

Conclusion

As you can see, keeping a kitchen clean and organized is not only good for food safety but can also help improve your efficiency in the kitchen. With these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to keep things running smoothly in no time.

About the Author

Patrick Watt is a content writer, writing in several areas, primarily in business growth, value creation, M&A, and finance. Other interests also include content marketing and self-development. Say hi to Patrick on Twitter @patrickwattpat.