5 Tips for Improving the Life Span of Your Commercial Kitchen Equipment

When purchasingCommercial Kitchen Equipment, one factor many people forget to consider is cleaning and care. However, this vital aspect is essential to the overall life of your kitchen supplies and the safety of your consumers. While the majority of the cleaning tasks are reasonably easy to accomplish, this small effort can make a huge difference for your cooking equipment. To help keep your commercial kitchen in tip-top shape, remember these helpful cleaning tips.

Clean Your Kitchen Equipment Every Day

Although most people will clean up spills immediately to prevent messes from burning onto the appliance, that’s not always a possibility while cooking. During food service preparations, crumbs and other residue are a normal byproduct. Appliances like ranges, grills, and other equipment may host this mess for hours before they can finally be brushed or scrubbed off. However, by using a non-abrasive pad and cleaning solution at the end of the day, you can typically remove any splatter or mess that is still there. While regularly cleaning your appliances does help the devices look better at the end of the day, it also helps to prevent both bacteria growth and metal corrosion from occurring. Keep your equipment longer and your customers safer.

Avoid Abrasive, Alkaline, and Caustic Cleaning Solutions
The type of cleaning solution you use on your appliances can make a big difference in their overall appearance and the life of your device. For example, many abrasive, alkaline, and caustic solutions will leave a dark or bluish residue on any shiny metal parts of your devices. They can also cause scratches and surface pits. Cleaning ingredients to avoid include,

• Sodium hydroxide (also known as lye)
• Borate
• Ammonia

If you are still unsure if your cleaner is okay to use, a good rule of thumb to follow is “when cleaners are gritty, it is likely too abrasive to use on your equipment.” There are a range of naturally occurring ingredients that make for a safer daily-use cleaner for your entire kitchen. Investigate some healthy combinations with items like,

• Lemon
• Baking soda
• Essential oils
• Distilled vinegar
• Natural liquid soaps

Schedule a Deep Clean
To keep your kitchen appliances at their best, you need to ensure you make and stick to a thorough cleaning schedule for your appliances. Failure to stick to a regular intense cleaning schedule can not only lead to damage to the appliance, but it can also lead to health and safety risks. For most commercial kitchens, this is typically done using one of two options - deep cleaning all your appliances at once or on a rotating shift.

Never Use Steel Wool or Scouring Pads
While steel wool and scouring pads may help to remove buildup on your pots and pans, you should never use them on stainless steel commercial kitchen equipment. In situations where the spill and/or residue has hardened to the metal, try using non-abrasive cleaner and a cloth.

Remember Discoloration Happens
As much as every owner would love to keep that shiny new look on their kitchen equipment, it’s just not feasible. Although you should always address spills and other accidents, be prepared for areas to be permanently darkened (such as the backsplash on a gas range). Being prepped with this information helps you know what to look for when maintaining your equipment.

For more information or tips on cleaning your commercial kitchen equipment, contact the skilled and knowledgeable Gator Chef staff by calling 1-888-944-2867 today. With over 100 years of combined experience in the food industry, the experts at Gator Chef can help ensure you have the knowledge required to clean the appliances in your kitchen.