If you’re managing a restaurant, you know that cleaning a kitchen isn’t the same as doing it at home. It requires planning and diligence to get it done.
When you’re working in a restaurant, things are constantly moving from open to close. Just like the demand that pushes your business to supply the customers, you have to contend with the expectations and standards of your customer base.
An integral part of satisfying your audience revolves around maintaining the kitchen and keeping things clean. After all, keeping a tidy kitchen is an essential part of preparing delicious and safe meals for your clients. Consider these best practices for keeping a kitchen clean so you can keep your business running smoothly.
Always Organize
If you’re looking to stay on top of things in your restaurant, one of the best practices you can have in your kitchen is staying organized. Define a place for every tool, utensil, or piece of equipment and keep it in that place when it isn’t in use. This organizational system will help to cut back on clutter, and it will make things infinitely easier when cleaning.
Never Let Anything Sit
Whether it’s food, dishes, or tools, things left to sit around will typically stay there. Unattended items could cause harm to someone in the kitchen or interrupt workflow. If every staff member let something sit unfinished and failed to promptly clean their station, then there would be hazards all over the kitchen and potential lawsuits to follow.
Deep Clean Appliances Daily
If you’re using appliances as part of a commercial venture, then you should deep clean all your commercial equipment frequently. Your equipment is the heart and soul of your restaurant, so there is no other option but to maintain it. When you’re cleaning something, you should never settle for simply wiping down the surface and considering it clean.
This is especially true with deep cleaning your kitchen appliances and tools. You will need to first disassemble smaller equipment piece by piece and let the parts soak in hot water. Afterward, scrub them down in soapy water, rinse and reassemble once dry.
Keep Your Food Covered
Always make sure you’re sealing and dating all foods, no matter what they are. Diligent labeling is the most essential practice any restaurant can have. It’s one of the only ways to know the age of dishes and ingredients and what you’re able to keep or need to throw out.
You can organize your vegetables, meats, cheeses, condiments, and sauces by date in your cooler so can adhere to the First In, First Out (FIFO) method. FIFO ensures that you can use the older ingredients first and make the most of your inventory. It’s crucial to know the exact shelf life of every item, seal items appropriately to avoid spoilage, and toss expired items without hesitation.
Adhering to these best practices for keeping a kitchen clean provides a standard for you and new hires to go by in your kitchen. While these aren’t the only habits that make for a clean kitchen, you can use these ideas to create your own kitchen guidelines. Best of luck with your business!
