NWCE are committed to supporting all our clients wherever possible through the current unprecedented situation. We will try and maintain regular updates through social media, and you can read our business continuity plan on our “About us” page.
We hope the below is helpful in ensuring your catering areas are
clean and safe ready for your return when the government announce it is safe to re-open.
Cooking and worktop areas.
Turn off your gas and water connections, cleaning any pipes and drain lines and ensure these are dry (if professional assistance is required please contact our team). Clean all surfaces and storage areas thoroughly including above and underneath wherever possible. Once the area is sanitised leave it to dry then cover with a dust sheet if you have one. This will ensure you are ready to re-open quickly when allowed. With fryers I would also suggest you leave the drain valve open after rinsing through until the unit is dry.
Combi and Convection Ovens.
Put the unit through a full internal chemical clean if the unit has this option, if not then put the unit on steam for a while to help lift of burnt on products, carry out a manual deep clean internally, including the door seal, door channels and drip trays. Flush through the drains thoroughly to remove grease and fats. Leave the door open so the internal cavity does not trap moisture and is able to dry. Disconnect from the power supply until your return and cover with a dust sheet if available.
Microwaves and Accelerated cooking equipment.
Disconnect from the electrical supply, clean all internal cavity and filters, remove and splash guards and clean, dry off before putting them back in. leave the door open for circulation. This will help dry the unit internally there-fore helping reduce any mould building up etc. Cover with a dust sheet if possible
Fridges and Freezers.
Remove all perishable items and wherever possible disconnect from the power supply. Again, clean all areas including door seals, hinges and certainly the internals. If the unit has a collection tray make sure this is also empty etc. Adequate air circulation will be required during storage so keep the doors open and again where possible cover the unit to protect from dust and damp.
Walk in cold rooms.
Before turning the unit off, Again, remove all perishable items, clean all racking, floors and walls. Make sure to include the door and door seal. Leave to door ajar again for circulation to help dry the room out. One thing we have found that will help keep the damp out here are silica moisture gel or crystals (IN A FOOD SAFE CONTAINER). These can be place in a container within the unit to keep the damp down.
Dishwashers and Glass washers.
Disconnect from power, water and chemical supply. Ensure they are emptied and drained, then thoroughly clean all areas including baskets and strainers and dry thoroughly throughout. Again, leave doors open and baskets and strainers outside the unit if you can.
Extractor hoods and Fans.
Clean all areas including removal and cleaning of filters, drains and grease collection trays etc. Make sure you dry the filters before putting them back into the canopy, If professional advice is required again contact our team.
Drains.
To avoid unwelcome odours flush through thoroughly and seal off where possible. This will also block access for any vermin or insects.
Gas safety and interlocking.
Turn your gas off at the nearest isolation to the kitchen, this should ensure that any gas leaks you may have will be isolated. REMEMBER IF YOU SMELL GAS CALL AN ENGINEER. You will be able to turn your gas interlock system off if you have one by either a key on the panel or a power switch. For any advice give us a call.
Ice machines.
Disconnect from the power supply, clean the internal storage bin thoroughly with an anti-mildew chemical if you can, if this is not possible then hot soapy water will do. It is imperative that the drain is cleaned on an ice machine also, this can be swilled through with boiling water. Again dry out well and leave the door open for air circulation. Cover with a dust sheet once dry.
Stainless steel Fabrications.
It’s important that everyone understands that stainless steel is not self-cleaning and does need the correct cleaning products ( warm mild soapy water )
- Remove any food or grease build up
- Clean it down with blue roll and mild soapy water
- Dry with blue roll
- Never use the same cloth as you may spread from one item to another
- Drain down all items with water and wipe clean and dry.
- On starting back up they must clean down again
- Unplug and isolate any electrical items that are not in use.
Credit Lee Preston Inox fabrications Ltd
Blackburn
Pest Control.
You should ensure you notify your pest control supplier of when you shut down and ask for their advice on how to keep deterrents up to date.
If you require any further advice on safely shutting down and securing your catering areas, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Next time we will be advising on how to turn your kitchen back on safely when we return to work.
If you have any questions at all, advice is always FREE. Just call 01617648688 anytime remember we are this this together and where ever we can help we will!
#inthistogether
