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Cleaning Tips: How to Clean a Commercial Oven

chef cooking pizza in commercial oven

Why Clean The Oven?

If your oven is used every day it’s important to clean the inside of it every day, no matter what. Professional services should be called upon from time to time to ensure that the oven, the grills, the interior lights, and the kitchen equipment in its entirety receives an intensive deep scrubbing. 

Using professional services at least once annually is sufficient to work in tandem with daily washing and will ensure that all areas of your oven are as hygienic as possible. If not cleaned regularly there may be performance problems, taste problems, or food particles that could fall into crevices which could cause constant smoke and can also pose a serious fire hazard if allowed to build up. 

Keeping your restaurant kitchen clean also means avoiding mouse infestations, food-borne illnesses, and other hazards. The daily washing routine should include washing the oven, stove, grill, salamander, deep fryer, and ventilation system. 

Also, keep in mind that it may take several efforts to remove tough and resistant baking grease stains inside of the oven which may contribute to any heating, cooking, and food taste inconsistencies you may experience. Making this a routine activity will cut down, or eliminate, these problems before they begin.

Before You Start Cleaning

Make sure you read the manufacturer’s instructions and follow how to wash your oven for optimum maintenance, as each oven is different. Some manufacturers may also suggest that you open the windows, turn on the exhaust fan, and use specific techniques for their specific ovens. So, being mindful of their recommendations for maintaining your oven is best.

Cleaning Checklist

While most commercial kitchen workers scrub the exterior of the hood as part of their regular checklist for commercial kitchens, interior washing also needs to be tackled daily to ensure the safety and optimum preparation of food. In fact, according to the Food Code, you should clean your kitchen appliances at least every 24 hours. 

After using certain washing agents to clean the inside of the oven, ensure to wipe down the inside of it with baking soda and vinegar to remove the smell, (which can affect the taste of food) that can be transferred to the food after washing the inside with certain agents. 

Scrubbing down the interior with a clean towel, sponge, or steel wool, and using the baking soda and vinegar mixture after each washing, will go a long way in keeping your oven clean.

Who Should Clean a Commercial Oven

Although there are many applications you can administer yourself, regular professional cleaning services and technician checks are required for restaurants and food establishments for commercial kitchen maintenance in general, as it is an important part of operating a clean and efficient industrial kitchen. 

However, it’s also important that you keep an eye on the clean-up habits of your cooks since regular washing ensures that the kitchen employees who use the ovens adhere to your standards of cleanliness.

Tips for Cleaning a Commercial Oven

You want to ensure that your restaurant and oven functions smoothly and meet industry hygiene standards. And since the outside is the first thing anyone notices let’s start there.

 If you are more inclined to using a natural approach to washing your oven, you can use baking soda, vinegar, and water instead of detergents or oven cleaners. Although most commercial ovens can be cleaned with detergents you should check the operating instructions if the oven requires a different washing method.

Cleaning the Outside of the Oven

  • The outside of the oven door should be cleaned with non-toxic warm water.
  • The oven racks should also be removed and cleaned with non-toxic warm water.
  • The oven shelves should be removed and cleaned with an environmentally friendly cleaner, water, sponge, and/or brush.
  • If the hood of the oven needs washing you need to remove and use hot soapy water and a nylon washer to remove grease and dirt, which may not be necessary to do daily.

Cleaning the Inside of the Oven

  • Before Starting it’s recommended to fill the sink with warm water and a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap in preparation to soak the oven racks for at least an hour. It’s a good idea to do this at the same time the outside of the oven is being cleaned, well before you move on to the inside of the oven to cut down on time.
  • Once the shelves are taken out of the oven, submerged in the soapy water.
  • You can use a sponge to soften the food soil on the bottom of the oven before wiping it up.
  • Another tip is to set a high cooking temperature (between 47.1° C and 88.0° F) for no more than two hours depending on how dirty the inside is, and remove burnt food remnants, spilled fat or crumbs from the oven and turn them into fine dust to make wiping them up a piece of cake.
  • Wipe down and clean the inside with a solution best suited for your commercial oven, or with steam.
  • If your oven is made of stone, never use liquid to clean the surface, as it can cause the stone to crack.
  • After the racks have soaked for an hour, scrub clean, rinse with water and return to the oven.

It’s that simple. These daily tips work side-by-side with a professional annual cleaning service toward keeping your commercial oven squeaky clean. 

Not only will the kitchen staff breathe easier due to a well-maintained, smoke-free, and a healthier environment by making this a daily routine, it will become a habit.

Decreasing any chances of damage to the oven, or potential kitchen fires that can damage your establishment can be avoided with daily wipe downs. 

Your oven will run smoothly as intended, your cleanliness standards will be met, and the quality of the food won’t suffer.

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