Food Safety Cleaning & Sanitation Services

Commercial Kitchen Deep Cleaning

Some areas of the food businesses and some equipment will need specialised cleaning, e.g. ventilation hoods that are not accessible or high-level cleaning that staff are not permitted to carry out. Deep cleaning should be covered on the cleaning schedule and may require specialist contractors such as ourselves.

Deep cleaning is best carried out when the kitchen can be closed for an agreed time. The amount of time that a kitchen needs to be closed will of course be determined by how much work is needed to carry out the deep clean and the needs of the business. Sometimes, this can be arranged over public holidays such as Christmas or during annual shutdown of a factory.

Deep cleaning means just that. Every single thing in and around the kitchen is thoroughly cleaned and sanitised. Microwaves, Refrigeration equipment, Canopies, Extractors and Hoods, Storage Cupboards, Freezers, etc.  are all either pulled out and moved away from the kitchen or worked around to make certain that everything can be accessed and effectively cleaned.

Once the area is made ready for cleaning then we can get to work. Initially, we clean up all loose debris such as crumbs, dust and the like so that everything can be properly cleaned and then set up a dip tank. A dip tank is a relatively large vessel into which we can place utensils and items such as grease trays, oven trays, fryer pans and other grease encrusted items ready for degreasing and cleaning using hot water and a suitable surfactant/detergent.

After making the area safe

Equipment is pulled out in readiness for cleaning and the clean itself is generally carried out working from top to bottom, i.e. ceilings and walls first and finishing with floors.

Food safety is quite rightly a vital consideration for all of us. Routine cleaning schedules should of course be implemented in every commercial kitchen that operates in the UK. It stands to reason that food safety standards need to be of the very highest order and The Food Standards Agency is the Public Body responsible for overseeing and policing this area in the UK.  Often referred to as the Environmental Health Agency,  Government bodies are very helpful organisations in general and will definitely help you if asked.

You do not want to be on the wrong side of the Food Standards Agency as they have the power to immediately close down a business and prosecute the business owners.

The Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is led by a board appointed to act in the public interest.

The Food Standards Agency gives a great deal of information about this subject on their very helpful website.

Routine Cleaning

Food businesses need to be clean and kept clean: the level of cleanliness depends on the activities. Cleaning removes visible dirt, grease and debris. Equipment and areas that are used in contact with food or hands will also need to be disinfected (reduces bacteria and viruses to safe levels). Many food businesses use sanitisers which combine cleaning and disinfection and are therefore an effective and efficient way to clean and disinfect on a routine basis. For more detailed cleaning and disinfection, specialised chemicals designed for that purpose may be needed. A culture of “clean as you go” ensures that dirt, debris and, therefore, bacteria do not build up and contributes to a pleasant working environment. It also promotes a positive food safety culture by making all food handlers responsible for cleanliness.

A cleaning schedule is required to identify the cleaning and disinfection that needs to be carried out on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. The schedule must specify:

What is to be cleaned, when and how

Frequency of cleaning

Chemicals and equipment to use

Who is responsible for cleaning and monitoring (signing off)

Specific requirements for safety (eg protective clothing).

Staff responsible for carrying out the duties of the cleaning schedule must be trained and supervised. The correct selection, maintenance and use of cleaning and disinfecting chemicals and equipment is vital to prevent contamination of food, and to ensure that dirt is removed from surfaces and bacteria are reduced to a safe level. Chemicals must be suitable for the food industry.

Deep Cleaning

Some areas of the food business and some equipment will need specialised cleaning, eg ventilation hoods that are not accessible or high-level cleaning that staff are not permitted to carry out. Deep cleaning will be covered on the cleaning schedule and may require specialist contractors. Some deep cleans will be carried out by staff.

Note:

Grease and dust build-up in ducting has been the cause of many major fires in catering premises: by providing fuel and oxygen which is ignited from heat sources. Effective cleaning therefore contributes to fire safety.

Bacteria and viruses

You are removing harmful bacteria by cleaning with warm, soapy water or by using disinfectant cleaning products. You should regularly clean your:

Hands

Work surfaces

Chopping boards

Knives

You are not actually killing the bacteria when you wash in this way. To kill the bacteria you need to wash the surfaces at temperatures above 70°C and maintain that temperature for some time. This temperature is too hot for your hands without the risk of serious scalding.

However, by washing with warm, soapy water, the lather and physical motion will detach the bacteria from the surface. The bacteria will be washed down the drain and will be removed from the waste water by the water treatment system.

While it is possible to clean with cold water, warm water will ensure that the soap or detergent lathers up properly. It is important that the soap lathers so it can be more effective at removing the bacteria.