Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Methods

From full-service restaurants and hotels to hospitals and healthcare facilities, regular cleaning and sanitizing are essential to ensuring food safety wherever food is handled in a commercial kitchen.

Many food-borne illness outbreaks occur as a result of poor cleaning and sanitizing procedures, and different kitchen items will require a different approach.

When deciding on the best approach to take for cleaning and sanitizing, these are some aspects to take into consideration:

• The item to be cleaned
• The type of soiling
• The water supply
• The water temperature available
• The appropriate cleaning and sanitizing agents

The three most common cleaning methods used in commercial kitchens are:

1. Manual cleaning
2. Mechanical cleaning
3. Clean-in-place cleaning

Note: To ensure food safety, cleaning must always be followed by sanitizing. For the purpose of this article, "cleaning" refers to cleaning and sanitizing. 

Let's explore each method in a little more detail. 

Manual cleaning

Manual cleaning of a commercial kitchen is a six- or seven-step process, depending on the sanitizing method used. It involves:

• Removing dirt, grease and food scraps
• Rinsing
• Cleaning with an appropriate cleaning agent (e.g. detergent, degreaser)
• Sanitizing using a chemical sanitizer or hot water
• Air drying

Visual reminders of the cleaning and sanitizing process, as well as quick reference guides for cleaning and sanitizing agents, can be very useful for staff training and for ensuring food safety in a commercial kitchen or community feeding organization.

CIFS members can download these resources and more from the CIFS Resource Library. Learn about the benefits of CIFS Membership.

Mechanical cleaning

Mechanical cleaning involves using a dishwasher or other automated cleaning equipment. Most food businesses use a combination of manual and mechanical cleaning and sanitizing for their commercial kitchens.

Some machines use a high-temperature rinse to sanitize, while others use a chemical sanitizer.

If using a mechanical dishwasher to clean and sanitize items, the steps are similar to manual cleaning. To start, scrape and rinse off as much food residue as possible before loading the machine.

Avoid overloading the machine, as this can prevent items from getting properly cleaned and puts unnecessary wear and tear on the machine.

Depending on the sanitizing method used by the machine, some or all of the following checks should be performed daily:

• Maximum water temperature
• Chemical concentration

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the mechanical dishwasher and keep it in good repair. Failure to do so could cost you points on your next health inspection.

Clean-in-place cleaning

Some commercial kitchen equipment is designed to be ‘cleaned in place.’ Clean-in-place cleaning is generally done if the item being cleaned is too large or too cumbersome to be moved, or if it is fixed in place. Soft-serve ice cream machines, pop dispensers and espresso machines are all examples of the types of machines that would require the clean-in-place method. 

These types of machines are usually designed with pipes or other features that allow cleaners, sanitizers and hot water to be flushed through the system, eliminating built-up grime and microorganisms.

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid damaging the machines or contaminating food/beverages with harsh chemicals that could make somebody sick.

The importance of cleaning and sanitizing

Commercial kitchen cleaning and sanitizing is crucial. If you or your Food Handlers are not adequately cleaning and sanitizing, you’re putting your customers and your business at risk.

Additionally, effective cleaning and sanitizing:

• Prevents pest infestations, which can increase operational costs and damage your reputation
• Helps to ensure that your business/organization passes its health inspections and avoids costly fines or closures

• Helps to protect customers/clients/care recipients from food poisoning and other health risks, like allergic reactions to food ‒ the outcomes of which can include severe illness or even death

Food Handlers must receive food safety training to ensure they know how, what, and when to clean and sanitize, as well as the risks of not following proper procedures. Frequent, rigorous cleaning and sanitizing of your commercial kitchen will help to prevent this from happening in your food business.

To learn more about food safety training, contact the Canadian Institute of Food Safety.