Stewarding Department Training Guidelines – Knowing When to Clean the Kitchen

Being a kitchen steward is by no means an easy job. It’s the kitchen steward’s duty to make sure that every item in the kitchen is ready for use and these items include the utensils, dishes, tools, and the whole kitchen area itself. This is to make sure that the customers don’t experience any troubles and in turn, the restaurant doesn’t get into trouble. This is also to make sure that the establishment you are working for presents its best to its new customers, which will possibly welcome them back in for future dining, thus keeping the restaurant up and running. In order to do a thorough job of being a kitchen steward, you should know how to properly clean the kitchen and all of its tools and how often you should do it. After Every Cooking shift These items should be cleaned every time a cooking shift ends. The items include the fryers, the grill, the sanitizing buckets, the trash bins, the cleaning cloths or rags, the chef aprons and coats, the meat and cheese knives, the kitchen floor and the floor mats. Of course, you should also wash and sanitize all surfaces including the prep tables, the cutting boards, the line, and so on. After the Day These items are those that need to be cleaned once after every day has passed. Your responsibility is to make sure that the grease traps are cleaned, the foil linings of the grill, range and flattops are changed, the can openers are cleaned, and most importantly, the filters of the kitchen hood is washed. After a Week These are your responsibilities that you can check on once a week at the least. Make sure that you wash and sanitize the reach-in coolers and ovens. You also need to clean the sinks and faucets and use drain cleaning products on the floor drains. Also, you need to make sure that the knives are in top condition and sharpen them if needed to. After a Month These are the items that don’t need to be cleaned very often, but you should still remember to clean then once a month at least. Make sure that the oven, stoves and fryers are free of any grease buildups which can be a fire hazard if left alone for long periods of time. Clean the freezers and ice machines and make sure to defrost them as well. Check the ovens, thermometers and other heating materials and recalibrate them. Sharpen the knives, slicers, cutters, and the like. Make sure that the walls and ceilings are clean. And of course, check on the safety data sheets. Every Year Here are the things that you need to be cleaned at least once a year. The exception of course is the kitchen hood which needs to be cleaned at least twice a year. Make sure that you dislodge any solidified grease. Another very important thing you need to check is the fire extinguishers and the fire suppression system in the kitchen. Safety is always a top priority at the workplace.