Handy cleaning tips for your catering equipment.

Most of your Catering equipment, butchery equipment, bakery equipment, restaurant equipment, and hotel equipment can be cleaned with vinegar, carbonated soda, lemon or a soft liquid detergent. Omo also works wonders with tough grease on your catering equipment.  Don’t use strong cleaning liquids on your catering equipment. Your catering equipment will last longer and work more efficient if you keep it clean from day one.

1. To clean a blender jar fast after making pesto or purée, squirt in a little detergent and fill halfway with water. Then turn on for 30 seconds and rinse out. The same technique works like magic in a food processor.
2. If you use the same coffee grinder to grind both coffee and spices, clean it between uses by grinding up a piece of white bread, then wiping out the crumbs.
3. If something spills over in your oven, first sprinkle it with salt and remove with a spatula.

4. Never wash a rolling pin (you may wipe it). And never let dough dry on it. Immediately after rolling out dough, wipe the rolling pin clean with a towel and scrape off any stubborn bits with a plastic scraper, then wipe with a damp sponge.

5. After chopping garlic or onions, run a lemon quarter over both the knife blade and the cutting board to remove the odour.
6. A solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda to 500ml warm water will remove most odours from plastic storage containers. Simply give them a thorough dip in the soda solution, rinse with fresh water, and dry.
7. Avoid washing cast-iron pans wherever possible, wiping clean with damp cloth, then drying thoroughly. If you must was use soap instead of synthetic detergent, always store uncovered.
8. When cooking or using the food processor, start with “clean” foods then sticky foods. Save time on dishwashing and dish rinsing.
9. To simplify cleanup, switch to non-stick pans. Always get non-stick equipment, it saves a lot of time with cleaning, and remember don’t use metal utensils in non-stick equipment.
10. To clean automatic coffee makers and similar catering equipment, put 1 to 2 teaspoons of carbonated soda in the pot and pour boiling water over it, the dirt will wash rite of. Carbonated soda is also great for scrubbing butcher blocks.
11. Bain Maries and chaffing dishes are easy to use, they are great for buffets, serving lines and restaurants, and they are portable and ideal for outside catering. It’s very easy to keep clean. Just clean with warm water and a little bit of detergent.
12. . Toasters and grillers are perfect for delis, bars, restaurants.
13. To keep your toaster clean always use foil to cover the plates, if you have to clean it use lemon and carbonated soda or vinegar to get rid of the grease that have build up, try to clean it regularly to avoid old dirt to build up as it will be harder to get it clean.
14. For your butchery equipment, make sure that after you used your band saw and mincer that all blood and meat and bones are removed, use warm water with baking soda and vinegar to remove dirt, always keep the inside clean to prevent bacterial build up.

15. Make sure that you keep your filters and condensers of you refrigeration equipment clean. Just wipe with a cloth and make sure there is no build up. Don’t put your refrigeration equipment near your catering equipment that makes a lot of heat. And don’t overfill your refrigeration equipment.

16. Keep your frying equipment clean by wiping the exterior with a damp cloth to avoid the sticky grease build up from any spilled oil. Also change your oil regularly, as it is very unhealthy to use the same oil over and over. Just empty the oil and rinse with hot soapy water; you can bring the water to boil and just drain and rinse again. Make sure you dry the fryer thoroughly before filling with oil again.
17. Cutting boards are a breeding place for bacteria, after every use clean it with vinegar and carbonated soda or lemon juice. If you still have the wooden boards get plastic cutting boards.
18. When cleaning your Salamander make sure not to clean the elements with a wet cloth, use a dry cloth to clean it. The interior can be wiped with a salt solution.

19. Gas grillers and boiling tables- make sure that you keep the gas pipes clean from all spills, just clean with detergent and warm water, make sure that the flow is kept clear by checking for blockages from food spilled. To clean the griddles on the gas griller if very dirty soak the griddle in vinegar to get rid of the grease build-up, clean after every use to make cleaning easier.

20. Your chicken rotisserie can be kept clean by wiping it with a salt solution after every use. If there is a heavy build up of grease make a paste with Omo and leave overnight and just clean and wipe the next morning.

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