If you are involved in the food service industry or have a commercial kitchen situated in your workplace, chances are you believe the kitchen is kept in a good state of cleanliness. And for the most part it might be, but it never fails to surprise those working in and around such environments how commonly key areas are forgotten about entirely.
The importance of keeping a commercial kitchen immaculately clean really demands no explanation. But at the same time, what certainly does warrant highlighting is the handful of areas that tend to be completely overlooked during everyday cleaning practices.
So should you work in or around a commercial kitchen and are curious as to how clean it all really is, be sure to take note of and perhaps check on the following:
1. The Walls
First of all, just because it’s rare for anything to get directly spilled or splashed on the walls does not mean that they are not building up a quite incredible contingency of germs, bacteria and grime in general. Where walls are not washed thoroughly on a regular basis, they become downright hazardous.
2. Condiments and Racks
When you think about it, how often do you think that the average café or restaurant takes those condiments and racks off the table and gives both the racks and the condiments themselves a hygienic clean? Unpleasant as it may be to think about, the answer in many instances is…never. And when you take the time to think about how many hands, coughs and sneezes have been sent their way in the average day…well, you get the point!
3. Menu Cards
And it’s exactly the same with menu cards, as while most food service facilities will quickly wipe down menus should they become stained, it’s rare to see menu cards being hygienically clean on a regular basis as they should be.
4. Ice Buckets
The problem with ice buckets is the way in which because they are perpetually filled with ice or the dregs of water from prior ice, it is generally assumed that as they look clean, they are clean. In reality, the truth is often quite to the contrary.
5. Phones and Payment Equipment
Some of the most frequently touched items throughout the average day include the telephones and payment machines/devices on the premises. But once again, exactly how often are they given the comprehensive antibacterial clean they really need?
6. Can Openers
Whether electronic or manual, commercial can openers have a nasty habit of being used and simply left to their own devices. This, despite the fact that it is largely guaranteed that not only will they be left to carry traces of whatever they opened, but also whatever was on the hands of the person operating them at the time. Suffice to say, continue like this for long enough and you could be looking at a serious health hazard.
7. Under and Behind Equipment
Last but not least, research has shown that far too many of those working in commercial kitchens and food service environments fall into the habit of focusing their cleaning efforts exclusively on what can be seen. Or to put it another way, if it is out of sight, it is out of mind. Under and behind check outs, kitchen appliances, refrigerators and so on, these are all the kinds of areas that are rarely given the attention they require.