Holiday Equipment Maintenance for Commercial Kitchens
With the holiday season here, increased customer foot traffic means more sales for your operation. It can also mean an increased strain on your commercial kitchen equipment though. Now is not the time to postpone or procrastinate on routine equipment maintenance—doing this could lead to equipment failure at a time when you need your kitchen running at 100%. Here are a few recommended maintenance tasks you and your staff should be performing this holiday season to ensure your equipment continues to work efficiently:
Daily Cleaning
You should have a daily cleaning checklist already, so review these daily responsibilities and procedures with your staff. This is especially important if you’ve recently hired extra help for the holiday season. Make sure these tasks are getting done each and every day, and schedule additional time on employees’ shifts if needed so they are able to complete the tasks thoroughly.
More equipment use means more crumbs, grease, and other gunk building up on your equipment. Normal daily cleaning will help remove this, but depending on the increase in equipment use you experience this holiday season, it may be necessary to clean more than once a day. Removing this buildup from equipment will help ensure your equipment is running properly and can also help to avoid food safety violations. Here are just a few daily tasks that can help keep things clean:
- Wipe down surfaces to clean up crumbs, grease or spills
- Use soap and water to scrub any stuck-on foods
- Sanitize the high-touch areas like counters and refrigerator door handles
Weekly Inspection
Once a week, dedicate time to visually check each piece of equipment used in your restaurant operation. Here are a few things you'll want to check:
- Check gaskets and wiring for tears
- Check pipes and valves for leaks
- Keep an eye open for any potential hazards in the kitchen that could interfere with your equipment and grow into full-fledged problems.
Doing this will not only help you discover upcoming maintenance needs and familiarize yourself with your equipment, but it also can prevent failures before they happen. For a more thorough inspection, call your local commercial kitchen equipment service technician to come do a complete walkthrough and tune-up. The technician will be able to spot issues you may not notice, so hiring a professional is always the way to go.
Water Filter Replacement
High-quality, clean water means you are giving your customers the best and safest product. Now is a great time to check your water filters. Filters typically need to be replaced every six months, but depending on their use they may need to be changed out more often. If you’re close to needing to replace your filters, it may be a good idea to replace them now knowing you may see an increase in customers over the next several weeks. To determine if your filters are working properly, simply taste your water—drink it plain, taste the soda from the fountain, and chew on an ice cube. If there is any odd-taste, discoloration, or funky smell, it may be time to replace your filter cartridges even if their six months aren’t up yet.
Following these simple tips can help make sure you have a successful holiday season and avoid unplanned maintenance and repair and even equipment downtime.