Kitchen Cleaning Checklists

This article covers the following:

• best practices for an effective commercial kitchen cleaning program;
• technology to help you streamline your kitchen cleaning processes; and
• downloadable kitchen cleaning checklists.

Best Practices for an Effective Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Program

Restaurants, hotels, delis, and grocery stores should be prepared for random food vendor inspections. Poor kitchen hygiene and practices can put your business at risk of fines, bad score ratings, and even shut down. Here are 4 best practice tips you can follow to prepare your business for passing health inspections:

1. Consider the crucial areas of your kitchen
   Ensure kitchen safety and that all areas in the kitchen receive proper attention, especially those that tend to get overlooked. The most frequent question is, “How do I clean my kitchen every day?”. This can be answered by attending the following key areas to maintain a hygienic kitchen.
   • • Kitchen Floors – Kitchen floors should be properly cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis before closing. Improper cleaning can result in trips and falls, foodborne illness caused by bacteria buildup, and attraction of vermins due to food build up.
     • Kitchen sinks – Disinfect kitchen sinks to avoid bacteria buildup. Scrub, sanitize, and keep it stain and clog-free to avoid plumbing issues.
     • Kitchen equipment – This refers to all kitchen utensils such as pots, pans, knives, and other frequently used items. They should be cleaned after every use to avoid the transfer of bacteria.
     • Preparation tables – Keep it clean after use. It is crucial to sanitize food contact surfaces to avoid food contamination and other health-related issues.
     • Ovens – Remove grease spills and debris using a washcloth, brush, or scraper to eliminate buildup. Daily cleaning of ovens can reduce the risk of oven fires.
     • Walk-in refrigerators – Refrigerators store a variety of food products, so it is crucial that they are kept clean and bacteria-free. Thoroughly sweep and wipe the floors and wipe ceilings and walls regularly. Shelving units should also be cleaned and organized weekly.
     • Dumpster pads – Dumpster areas should also be kept clean despite being located outside the kitchen facility. Improper trash disposal can attract vermins and can lead to an infestation. Routine cleaning and proper waste disposal can help maintain a safe environment for people who come in contact with your dumpster pads.
     • Exhaust hood systems – Improve ventilation and reduce risks of kitchen fire by routinely conducting a deep cleaning of the exhaust ducts, plenum, and roof exhaust fan.
2. Enforce a kitchen cleaning schedule
   Commercial kitchens can be a hotspot for germs and bacteria. Prevent bacteria build-up and keep consumers safe by implementing a strict kitchen cleaning schedule. Develop a list of tasks and choose which should be done on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. A kitchen cleaning schedule can lower the likelihood of foodborne illnesses and reduce food waste.
3. Maintain personal hygiene
   Many cases of food poisoning are caused by the lack of personal hygiene from food handlers or the kitchen staff. Personal hygiene in commercial kitchens entails wearing proper attire such as a clean uniform, aprons for different prep stations (e.g., seafood, vegetable, etc.), gloves, hairnets, and shoes (non-slip, fully covered). Aside from attire, simple actions such as washing hands, keeping fingernails short and neat, etc., should also be practiced as part of personal hygiene.
4. Use a checklist
   Keep track of what needs to be accomplished using a detailed checklist. Kitchen cleaning involves numerous tasks that can be overwhelming and difficult to remember. A checklist will ensure that you cover all the bases.

What is iAuditor and how can it help with my Kitchen Cleaning Checklist?

SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) is a web and mobile platform solution used to streamline and automate kitchen cleaning with paperless inspections using your smartphone or tablet. With iAuditor cleaning inspection app you can:

• Generate on-site reports
• Take photo evidence of compliant and non-compliant items
• Indicate corrective measures, assign to a team member, and set priority and due date
• Share reports within the organization instantly
• Save reports online and keep them safe in the cloud

To help you get started we have listed down the 6 best kitchen cleaning checklists you can download and customize for free.