Cleaning, Sanitization, and Disinfection of Commercial Kitchens

Dear readers, we recently covered the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting in one of our blogs. Here, we’ll quickly see the relevance of these terms with respect to commercial kitchens and restaurants.

The outbreak of COVID-19 revitalized the movie Contagion, which was otherwise released in 2011. In 2020, people could relate to it more, as the sequence of real-life events somewhat matched the movie sequence. The root cause of the pandemic in the movie was attributed to a commercial kitchen!

The cleaning and sanitization of restaurants and commercial kitchens is an ongoing task. Sanitizers and disinfectants are used from the food preparation place to restaurant tables to prevent foodborne infections. Cleanliness and sanitization of an eatery were of prime importance even before the coronavirus pandemic.

Sanitizers should be used for the entire restaurant. It is required to keep the conditions hygienic for your staff and customers. Besides daily cleaning and frequent sanitizing, an eating joint requires regular disinfection as well. Irrespective of the type of restaurant, it is essential to maintain a sanitation level of your business, particularly during the current times, to inhibit the risk of the spread of germs. The below areas are the most critical touchpoints requiring frequent cleaning followed by sanitization and disinfection:

• Windows

• Doors

• Door handles

• Tables and chairs

• Floors Toilets and bathrooms

• Bottles, glass, and other items on the serving table

While these cover a customer’s direct use areas, deep cleaning is a must for your commercial kitchen, specifically the heavily used equipments.

• Ovens: A good hot food needs a clean hot oven. It is imperative to clean and sanitize an oven with warm water and a suitable agent not only for food hygiene but also for the equipment’s efficiency.
• Grills & Griddles: These are one of the most used kitchen utilities. Commercial grills are the chief component differentiating and creating a love for restaurant food. These must be cleaned once everyday.
• Hoods & Exhausts: The exhausts and hood systems expel the excess heat from the kitchen. However, these are easily neglected corners of a commercial kitchen. Sanitizing them is crucial, as otherwise you can end up blocking the only passage for heat and smoke.
• Deep Fryers: One of the main kitchen items for fried foods. It is essential to deep clean it with boiled water, and change oil for frying frequently.

The cleanliness of your place is a direct determinant of its level of customer attraction. However, a bad review or a decline in the number of customers is not the only concern here. Compromising the health of an employee or customer due to a lack of maintenance of hygiene standards is a major apprehension. Improper conditions in a kitchen can be a cause of deadly illness. You realize the importance of these cleaning agents and the number of areas that can become infection hotspots once you start disinfecting the place yourself. The health and safety of your customers and the people who work for you is not something that should be neglected.

Disinfect now. Start doing it yourself now. #DIY

An individual place can start the mission of widespread disinfection and disease prevention.