Navigating Kitchen Cleaning Pitfalls: Unveiling Common Mistakes and Expert Tips for Equipment Maintenance

If left unaddressed, conventional kitchen cleaning procedures can lead to unforeseen repercussions and expenses. Foodservice Equipment Reports delve into their archives to highlight a couple of persisting equipment cleaning errors that, if taken care of correctly, are easy to avoid:

Steve Pfaehler, Senior Technical Trainer and CFESA Master Technician at Smart Care, warns against using a power washer on the exterior of a powered sink. According to Pfaehler, the control compartment is water-resistant but not waterproof. In the event of water infiltration, the likely solution involves replacing the controller and associated components. Repair costs for powered sinks can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the extent of the damage.

Cliff Kolinger, a technician at EMR in Salisbury, Md., cautions against the "sheet pan method" commonly employed for cleaning gas grills. This method involves placing a sheet over the grates and turning the heat to high to burn off residue. Kolinger notes that the excess heat concentrated at the front of the unit can lead to issues, recounting a service call where the customer reported melting knobs. Kolinger suggests using a grill brush instead of the sheet pan method to keep grates clean, emphasizing that a more prevalent issue than melting knobs is cast iron grill grates warping due to excessive heat.

Robert DePue, a technician at Sam Service's Suwanee, Ga. office, dispels the notion that soda water soaks are sufficient for cleaning soda fountain nozzles. DePue clarifies that soda water is just CO2 in water and does not effectively clean anything. DePue recommends soaking the nozzles in hot water (not too hot to touch) mixed with a food-equipment safe sanitizer. Subsequently, each nozzle should be scrubbed with a toothbrush or a similar tool.

In addition to dispelling the above misconceptions among staff, technicians emphasize the importance of adhering to manufacturer-specific recommendations, such as the choice of dish soap for use with a powered sink.

—Original reporting by Lauren Coughlin and Derek Fleming