What regulations do commercial kitchens need to adhere to?
All commercial kitchens are required to meet regulations set out by The Food Standards Agency. These include:
- A good standard of hygiene based on the 4C’s – cooking, chilling, cross-contamination, cleaning.
- Industrial kitchens should not serve anything in food, remove anything in food, or treat food in a way that could potentially damage the health of people.
- Food should be presented, advertised and labeled in a way that is not misleading or false.
- The Food Hygiene Rating delivers a number on a scale of 0 to 5 on how clean a commercial kitchen is. 5 is the highest standard of cleanliness while 0 means urgent improvement is needed.
- All commercial kitchens need to be inspected, usually once per year to receive their rating.
- The food hygiene rating covers how food is stored, the handling of food, how it is prepared, cleanliness of facilities and how food safety is managed.
Additionally, your staff should also be washing their hands and following good hygiene practices alongside your kitchen cleaning. Your staff should be washing their hands:
- After touching raw food
- After handling any rubbish
- Before and after preparing food
- During the preparation of different foods
- Before and following the treatment of a wound
Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Checklist
It doesn’t matter if you have a restaurant kitchen, industrial type kitchen or catering business, a clean kitchen is fundamental. The cleaning tasks on our checklists ensure your space is cleaned and disinfected often to maintain excellent health and safety. In the next sections, you’ll find daily cleaning tasks and weekly cleaning duties, as well as a list of monthly activities. We’ll also discuss what kitchen cleaning equipment you need to keep a consistent schedule.
Daily cleaning checklist
Use this daily cleaning checklist for your day-to-day cleaning duties. These tasks focus on high-touch surfaces and high traffic areas where dirt, grime and bacteria can quickly build up if not cleaned thoroughly.
- Wipe down food preparation areas between tasks with anti-bacterial cleaner
- Empty bins once they are full
- Disinfect waste areas
- Wash and sanitise all chopping and cutting boards and surfaces
- Brush and clean the grill and griddle
- Clean the flattop
- Clean out fryers
- Wash the meat and cheese slicer after each use
- Sweep and mop the kitchen flooring
- Mop up any spillages immediately to prevent hazards
- Wash any floor mats
- Wash all aprons and chef hats
- Wash can openers
- Clean hood filters
- Clean knives and cutlery
- Clean plates
- Wipe walls that have been splashed
- Change grill linings
- Wash the heads of the beverage dispenser
- Wipe down equipment, including microwave, toaster and kettle
- Sweep storage areas and walk-in refrigerator
- Refill soap dispensers and paper towels
- Wash all utensils and glassware
- Wash cookware
- Clean out the sinks
- Wipe down dishwasher
- Disinfect door handles and light switches
Weekly cleaning checklist
- Thorough cleaning of sink areas
- Clean ovens, including racks
- Sanitise walk-in areas
- Clean drains with drain cleaners
- Sanitise and clean out all refrigerators
- Clean out the deep fryer
- Clean coffee machines
- Clean any grease traps
- Dust and clean lights
- Wipe down doors
Monthly cleaning checklist
- Wash behind your ovens and fryers to eliminate grease
- Clean underneath any appliances and other surfaces
- Clean the freezers
- Sharpen the cheese and meat slicer
- Sanitise and clean out ice machines
- Wipe down dry storage areas
- Wash walls and ceilings
- Clean out coffee and drinks machines with professional cleaning products
- Wash vent hoods
- Clean fridge coils
- Check cleaning stock
- Change pest traps
- Clean inside dishwasher
- Clean inside your microwave
- Refill first aid box
Industrial Kitchen Cleaning Equipment
To stick to your cleaning schedule, you’re going to need to invest in the correct industrial cleaning products and equipment. This will make your job much easier in the long run. Here are some of the industrial kitchen cleaning equipment must-haves to ensure you give your space a thorough clean every time.
- Cleaning cloths or cleaning rags – these can easily be used to wipe, polish and dry varying surfaces. Disposable cloths are the best investment as they reduce this risk of contamination. If you have reusable cloths, make sure you wash them on a 90-degree cycle after every use.
- Cleaning gloves – ensure these are disposable so that staff can throw them away after their daily cleaning duties.
- Scourers – these can be metal or non-metal and work best on hard to clean surfaces that require a little more effort, such as ovens.
- Sponges – these can be used on a number of surfaces. Throw them away after every shift or change them regularly for sanitation purposes.
- Blue roll – for preventing streaks and for drying anything that has been washed in the sink.
- Griddle brush – this is used to clean the griddle.
- Mops and buckets – those with interchangeable heads work best as they can be disposed of easily. Remember to mop thoroughly after every shift.
- Dustpan and brush set – to clean any dirt off the floor.
- Dusters – for any high-up shelving that requires cleaning.
- Anti-bacterial cleaner – kitchen surfaces require bacteria to be eliminated for food preparation and storage purposes.
- Grease cleaner – this is ideal for cleaning cooking areas.
- Oven cleaner – for the inside of your oven and cleaning racking.
- Floor cleaner – floors in kitchens can become dirty quickly, particularly with food spillages and stains. An antibacterial floor cleaner keeps your floors sparkling clean
- Handwash or hand soap – you must wash your hands regularly when handling and preparing food.
- Hand towels – make these disposable or install a hand dryer.
- Drinks machine cleaner – any coffee machines, cold drinks machines and beer taps need regular cleaning using specialist products.
- Drain cleaner – these can become blocked so regular cleaning is recommended. You may even prefer to use a specialist drain cleaner if unblocking is required.
- Washing up liquid – for cleaning anything in the sink.
- Dishwasher cleaner – this keeps the inside of your dishwasher clean so that your kitchen equipment and tools are cleaned effectively.
- Steam cleaner – for cleaning carpets or upholstery. This is usually outside of the kitchen area.
- Jet washer – these are effective for cleaning tough stains off splashbacks, tiling and flooring.
- Deep cleaning equipment – this can include professional cleaning equipment which is more powerful than regular cleaning tools and products. Your kitchen needs to be deep cleaned thoroughly, especially in post-COVID times.
Use our industrial kitchen cleaning schedule to maintain high standards of cleanliness
This commercial kitchen cleaning checklist details all the tasks you need to stay on top of while running your outlet. Bookmark this list of commercial cleaning duties and follow each step. By doing this, you’ll be confident that your kitchen exceeds minimum health and safety standards to keep your customers and staff protected.
We Clean Industrial Kitchens Across Scotland & The North Of England
Following a commercial kitchen cleaning checklist can be overwhelming, especially if you have limited numbers of staff. If you’re finding the prospect of your cleaning duties daunting, take the heat out of the kitchen by hiring industrial kitchen cleaning specialists. At Perfect Clean, we provide professional industrial cleaning services to keep your space spotless and COVID secure at all times. Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can help you.
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