Commercial Fridge Cleaning: An Effective 5 Step Guide

Cleanliness and hygiene are the basics for any kitchen equipment, especially your refrigerator. In the food service industry, it’s mandatory to carry out regular fridge cleaning and organizing to prevent bacteria or germ-related diseases. The correct arrangement inside your commercial fridge is also time-saving based on how the food is stored. Moreover, your restaurant will not suffer an unnecessary loss due to unhygienic food, specifically in the post-pandemic era, where health and cleanliness are inevitable.

In the kitchen, the refrigerator is often the most neglected equipment. Don’t make the mistake of not regularly cleaning it! If you are someone who has just discovered the dirt and distraught state of your refrigerator and want to carry out a thorough commercial fridge cleaning and organization, this blog is your best friend!

The first step is to collect your cleaning materials- including water, dishwashing soap, sponges, wiping cloths, sanitizer, and baking soda. After clearing out all of the eatables, don’t forget to unplug your fridge from all the electric sources to avoid an electric shock! Before starting the cleaning process, make sure you remove all the shelves and containers of your commercial fridge. Usually, these are detachable, and you can clean them separately. They also won’t come in the way in the other steps of your fridge cleaning process.
Now that you are prepared with everything you need, you can move on to start your fridge cleaning and organizing process.

Here’s How to Clean Your Refrigerator From Inside and Outside Effectively!

1. Start by Wiping Down the Interior

Use your bucket/ container of water and a cloth or sponge to completely wipe the interior of your fridge. Microfiber cloths and Mitts are absorbent in nature, and thus an excellent choice to get rid of all the dirt accumulated inside your fridge.

In case you can’t remove the dirt stubbornly stuck to your fridge, you can use an old toothbrush to scrub the area! They can also help to reach corners, as their bristles are soft, strong, and flexible and thus effective to get rid of stains or grime. Don’t forget to clean/rinse with water before and after removing dirt. A useful tip is to use warm water, as it removes stains faster. Do the same for the shelves and containers of the fridge you have taken out.

2. Use Sanitizer/Soap to Disinfect

Once you have cleaned everything visible to the eye, the next step is to eliminate bacteria or germs we can’t see! Months of not cleaning and expired food can be the breeding ground for micro fungus, bacteria, and germs. The best way to get rid of them is with disinfectant. Use sanitizer, dish soap, or both to re-wipe the interior of your fridge. If you are using a sanitizer, make sure that it is food-safe, as you will be restocking your fridge later on. You can also do the same for the containers and shelves you have removed from your fridge.

3. Vacuum Any Crevices

Oftentimes, refrigerators can have holes and crevices where debris has entered. If your fridge is built like this, you won’t be able to access this area with a cloth or sponge. A vacuum is a good option to clean any such place.

A major area where the dust and dirt accumulates is your fridge’s condenser units and coils. This is extremely disadvantageous as it massively weakens the power by obstructing the air intake required. As a result, your refrigerator will act inefficiently while consuming more electricity. You can carry out an internal fridge cleaning of this area through specific methods.

First, remove the protective grill. Use a dry brush to sweep away the dust from the fan and coils. Then use a vacuum to absorb dirt from the deep-inner part of this section. Be sure to not use any water or wet cleaners, and reattach the protective grill after you are done.

4. Don’t Forget the Exterior!

By far the most neglected regions of your fridge are the top and bottom sections. If possible, move your commercial fridge from its original place, and thoroughly clean the floor below and the wall behind it. You will probably find a mountain of dust collected there! To avoid this, ensure that your broom reaches and sweeps the bottom of your fridge at least once a week. Don’t forget the top of your fridge. Clean out any stored items and give the top surface a proper wipe-down using water, soap, or sanitizer.

5. Tips to Re-Organize Your Fridge

Apart from having a clean and hygienic fridge, keeping it organized facilitates and harmonizes the cooking processes. Knowing where to find what you want is extremely helpful in a kitchen, especially in a restaurant. Many restaurant teams might have a pre-decided structuring system in place, but it never hurts to refine or modify it if it isn’t working out. Here are some foolproof ways to adaptively organize your refrigerator.

1. Labels: Labels are a workable tool to track the expiry and function of any ingredients or food in your fridge.
2. Colour-Coded Containers: Colors make the food easy to categorize and differentiate, and you can spot what you want at a glance.
3. Assign Shelves: Each level can be assigned to a particular type of food to avoid accidental mixing or spoiling
4. FIFO Method: The First In First Out method is a management technique to make sure that the freshest food is always utilized first, and your fridge is always cleared out on time.

Conclusion

Ultimately, regular fridge cleaning benefits include perseverance of time and money, while also cutting down on food waste. Your restaurant only has to gain financially and hygienically. But, it does help a lot if your commercial refrigerator is easy to clean, as cleaning and organizing can get tedious and complex at times. If you are looking to purchase commercial refrigerators that have an exceptional holding capacity, and can also be cleaned conveniently, Restaurant.Store is the place. Efficient equipment is just a click away!

Moiz September 21, 2022