The Complete Guide to Cleaning and Organize a Commercial Fridge
Commercial fridges are commonly used in food stores and restaurants. They can store a large quantity of food and beverages. However, if they are not cleaned in a regular manner, a lot of bacteria can accumulate on the surfaces in the refrigerator. Cleaning your commercial fridge is very important in order to maintain its cleanliness and sanitation. It is also necessary to prevent the growth of bacteria that may produce harmful substances.
The purpose of cleaning your commercial fridge is to keep it clean and free from bacteria.
Step One: Gather the Necessary Supplies
It is important to know the supplies that you will need for your industrial fridge cleaning job before you begin.
Some of the supplies that you should bring include cleaning chemicals, sponges, detergents, paper towels, dishwasher detergent tablets and gloves.
Perform Comprehensive Cleaning: The first step in the process of cleaning a commercial refrigerator is performing a comprehensive cleaning. This means that you must deep clean the entire fridge, including the walls, shelves, doors, back wall, flooring, wires and any other crevices or corners where food particles or liquids could have collected. You can use bleach for this purpose if it is commercially available near you because it will kill any bacteria that might be present on these surfaces. However if bleach is not available near you then it would be best to find another sanitizing cleaning product that contains chlorine dioxide.
Step Two: Vacate the Fridge of Items
A commercial refrigerator is made for the food industry, so it contains many shelves and containers to store all different sorts of items.
When unloading a commercial refrigerator, it is important to keep in mind the temperature inside the fridge. The temperature needs to be maintained at 33 degrees Fahrenheit or less, otherwise there may be an impact on food quality.
The third step in the process of refrigerator cleaning is to thoroughly clean the inside surfaces. Before this, remove all of the items inside of the refrigerator. This includes food, condiments, drinks, etc.
Once everything has been removed from inside of the refrigerator, wipe down all visible surfaces with a damp cloth or sponge.
To avoid spreading bacteria around your kitchen keep your sponges clean by washing them regularly with hot water and soap after use.
After wiping down all visible surfaces with a damp cloth or sponge it is time to start vacuuming out any dust or dirt that might be on the bottom of your refrigerator.
Step Three: Disinfecting the Interior Walls of Your Commercial Refrigerator
Disinfecting the interior walls of your commercial refrigerator is the most important step in getting rid of bacteria.
Firstly, make sure to empty your refrigerator. This can be done by placing your recycling bin in the fridge to collect all the empty containers and food packages you have accumulated. Next, take a cloth or paper towel and wipe down all the shelves that are removable. If you have a turntable for stacking food, make sure to scrub it as well with warm water and dish soap. With your shelves clean, take out any old food.
Second – Disinfect the exterior of your refrigerator by removing all shelves and racks and then spraying the white, glossy surfaces with a mix of one tablespoon bleach and nine cups water. Scrub any grimy areas with a gentle abrasive. Rinse the surface with clean water and dry it thoroughly to avoid mold growth.
Third – Cleaning and disinfecting the interior walls of your commercial refrigerator is a crucial part of maintaining your food safety. Cleaning not only reduces bacteria and odors, but also removes built-up grime that can harbor germs and cause illness.
You need to do the following:
1. Use a brush to scrub the interior walls, where water would have pooled during a power outage.
2. Pour disinfectant over the surface regularly for 5 minutes to get rid of all bacteria and mold spores that are growing on it.
3. Let it dry for at least 12 hours before turning on the compressor again to avoid condensation buildup that would lead to water pooling on its surface again in case of a power outage.”
Materials: Oven cleaner, dish soap, floor mats, clothespins or paper clips (to attach to dishwear), disposable rags, rubber gloves.
Step Four: Restocking and Organizing a Commercial Refrigerator
Restocking a refrigerator can be a real pain. You have to spend a lot of time going through all your inventory and organizing it according to the type of food. This task is not only time-consuming, but also very monotonous.
Luckily, there are various strategies that you can use to make this process faster and less strenuous. These strategies include: categorizing your food by type, using labels, drawing images on the containers, and using colored stickers to identify certain products.
A commercial refrigerator is typically designed to hold large quantities of food and has multiple shelves, often with doors on both sides. The first layer should always be the freshest items, such as raw meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. Raw meat should go underneath cooked and ready-to-eat food because it has a shorter shelf life than cooked or ready-to-eat food does. These items should be stored below products that are cooked or ready-to-eat. This will prevent cross contamination.
Refrigerators should also be organized with similar food together to make it easy for employees to locate products when they need them for preparing meals and snacks. When arranging items in a refrigerator, it’s best to use “first in first out” guidelines.
Understanding the “first in first out” method is key to easy and efficient organization. The “first in first out” rule is really about taking the oldest-purchased items and getting rid of them first. This way, we don’t end up with a refrigerator full of food that’s either expired or not as fresh as it could be.