10 tips for fast and easy kitchen cleaning
Let’s be honest, cleaning the kitchen is one of a chef’s least liked parts of the job… but we all know it needs to be done. Here are some tips to lighten the burden and make cleaning easier for you and your team.
Tip 1 Use the right products
There are a variety of soils and surfaces in the kitchen that need to be cleaned and precious time and energy can be lost using the wrong products, in the wrong way and at the wrong time.
Three products will make things a lot easier:
- Use a good oven and grill cleaner. Remember, ovens and grills have higher soils that have been burned in over time, so make sure you have a high quality oven and grill cleaner that can handle the build-up.
- A professional ‘all purpose’ cleaner is perfect for general use.
- Use a professional degreaser. Grease builds up around stoves. General all-purpose cleaners, even those labelled for professional use, are not designed to deal with this situation. A good degreaser is needed to lessen the scrubbing.
And, when it comes to scrubbing and cleaning, using the right tools will also save you time and energy. Good quality brushes and sponges can last a lifetime, speed up cleaning, and always make the job easier.
Tip 2 Give the product time
Have you seen claims where a product is applied and then immediately wiped leaving a clean path? Well, those aren’t always in real-time. For a professional cleaning product to work, you need to give it time, especially for tough jobs. If you start scrubbing too soon, you are using hard work that the product could be doing for you. For example, it is advised to leave oven and grill cleaners in place for up to 30 minutes before you start scrubbing. Spend that time doing lighter cleaning tasks and get to the grill later.
Tip 3 Plan ahead
Chefs are the masters of timing and logistics, the very skills needed to minimize effort and still get great results. Cleaning tasks vary—Some only need to be done once a week, and others 30 minutes of waiting before continuing. To minimize cleaning efforts, plan ahead. Use waiting times to perform other tasks and spread jobs throughout the week to prevent clashes.
Tip 4 Training is needed
It’s not rocket science, but you still need to know the basics first. To make sure jobs are done in the right order, in the right way, using the right safety measures and tools, some training is needed before all the scrubbing starts. Learn the tasks themselves and the planning and the reasons that go with them. When your staff sees the whole picture, it will be easier and faster in the long run, and they will be more motivated.
Tip 5 Use multi-purpose products
Keep cleaning as simple as possible. One way to do that is by reducing the amount of required products. Fewer products mean less switching, less training, less error and less inventory.
There are great products that can be used for several cleaning tasks in and around the kitchen. There are products that can be used as a degreaser and regular cleaner for fl oors and surfaces, and products that are suitable for glass cleaning, washing up liquid and floor and surface cleaning. By utilizing these products you can simplify your stock and process to make cleaning easier and faster.
Tip 6 Motivate and recognize cleaning
Cleaning is not usually high on a kitchen staff's list; yet, it’s an essential ingredient for food safety standards and for consistently creating great food! When cleaning is not acknowledged as a key component of the kitchen, it doesn’t get the attention it needs.
Recognition isn’t hard, but often neglected. Motivate people to take part in cleaning and make sure they understand the importance. Recognize when they do a good job. Sometimes, a ‘thumbsup’ is all that’s needed. But, when confronting a job that is not performed well, show how it should be done. Keep things positive.
Tip 7 Clean as you go
During a shift, a lot can happen, and cleaning is not top-of-mind. However, cleaning up after yourself and keeping the kitchen clean will only create a better work environment and reduce the end-of-shift cleaning.
If there’s a spill or a splash during the shift, and you have a few moments to spare, clean it up. Cleaning spills when they are made will prevent them from building up to dry or burn, and reduce the effort to clean it later.
Tip 8 Declutter
You want to cook in a clean kitchen, and the same mindset applies to cleaning. You’ll want to get rid of everything that is in the way of cleaning your kitchen easily. Remove loose dirt and garbage. Make sure the cooking ware and utensils are out of the way as you prepare your cleaning mise-en-place. When the areas you want to clean are easy to reach and obstacles are out of the way, cleaning will be a lot easier and faster.
Tip 9 Combine steps when possible
The best way to reduce cleaning efforts is by not doing unnecessary tasks and by combining others when you can. In the process of cleaning your kitchen, you can remove and/or combine steps to save time. One great example is to combine cleaning and disinfecting into a single step. Another is using a specialized freezer cleaner that does not require thawing, or using a grill cleaner designed to work at a high temperatures so you don’t need to wait for it to cool down.
Tip 10 Use your dishwasher to help you
Did you know you already have an extremely fast and powerful cleaning assistant in your kitchen? Your mechanical dishwasher can be an excellent help when cleaning your kitchen, even to hygienic levels, due to the temperature and chemicals used. Use it whenever you can during your cleaning routines. Get your brushes and tools in the dishwasher to make sure they are clean and hygienic the next time you use them. You can also evaluate what other tools you use regularly that are cleaned manually, that would perfectly fit in the dishwasher. Always check first that the items can stand up to dishwasher heat and chemicals.
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