Clean me up before you go, go  ̶  Hygiene practices for professionals

People who work in and with commercial kitchens already know the importance of hygiene and cleanliness to their business – Which includes their refrigeration systems. In fact, hygiene and cleanliness are central to healthy, modern living. They play fundamental roles in the commercial refrigeration of any professional environment, whether it’s a gourmet kitchen, florist’s cabinet or cold storage unit.

In this blog, we’re going to dive deeper into the most common problems and the best practices regarding hygiene for professionals who work near kitchens, cold storages, cold rooms, and cooling cabinets.

A clearly outlined maintenance and cleaning program, performed regularly, is simply the best practice for your business. That’s because when it’s carried out in the manner and times specified, it can protect against costly scenarios, like refrigeration equipment failures, wasted produce, and lost customers—any one of which would be difficult, if not impossible, for a business to bounce back from. A routine maintenance and cleaning program also leads to increased efficiency and longer life for your cooling units, saving your business time and money in the long term.

Food safety is a fundamental building block that requires attentiveness and dedication. It's good to acknowledge that keeping sales floor refrigeration units clean involves much more than just keeping the exterior surfaces sparkling clean. In fact, if proper sanitation and temperatures are not maintained, you run the risk of growing microorganisms which affect the safety and quality of your food products negatively.

Cleaning helps, of course, but we, at Viessmann, added an extra antimicrobial SmartProtec powder coating to our cold rooms. The coating is designed to prevent the formation of biofilms, making fungi and bacteria easier to wipe off.

Viessmann cabinets have been designed for easy cleaning, featuring smooth surfaces and many removable parts.  However, make sure that the unit is unplugged before beginning the internal cleaning process involving any electrical components. And further, note, that it is impossible for us to give fool-proof instructions on cleaning as it totally depends on the use, the conditions and the location of your units. 

• Keep your cabinets clean by emptying shelves and wiping them down with a moist towel and mild liquid detergent (non-toxic, pH 6-8). 
  
• In cabinets with integrated machinery, clean the condensers to maintain optimum heat transfer performance. Vacuum the condenser fins and check that the spaces between the fins are unobstructed.
  
• Wipe cabinet doors with a damp cloth and dry with a squeegee; but avoid using products containing alcohol, ammonia or abrasive substances when cleaning the glass doors, because such products can weaken the door handle attachment and harm the glass surface. 
• Use specific professional cleaners especially for stainless steel surfaces.  
  

These tips in mind will help you to maintain an exceptional level of hygiene and food safety which will help you to keep your products and produce fresher for longer - Which is good for business!

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We have recently carried out a survey where we interviewed German food inspectors to find out how they experience the hygiene challenge in commercial kitchens and how we as a manufacturer can support the industry. 

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