Health and safety commercial refrigeration clean

How to properly clean your commercial refrigerator

It probably goes without saying, but keeping your commercial refrigerator clean at all times is of paramount importance.

Not only can you show off an attractively organised refrigerator to whoever opens its doors, but you can also be sure that your perishable products are protected from any unwanted damage.

Whether you work in food, hospitality, or even medicine, refrigerators compromised by dirt and bacteria can have a negative impact on your business.

Do you know how to keep your commercial fridge in peak condition to prevent this from happening?

If not, don’t worry – the commercial refrigerator experts at J&M Refrigeration are on hand to give you the tips you need!

At J&M Refrigeration, we specialise in the installation and maintenance of commercial refrigeration and air conditioning units, so we’ve seen the importance of regular upkeep first-hand.

With health and safety at the forefront of our industry, today we want to share our top tips for cleaning your commercial refrigerator – no matter which sector you work in!

Why is it important to keep your commercial refrigerator clean?

A huge number of our customers work within the food and hospitality industries, where hygiene, health, and safety are crucial.

For this reason, we have gone above and beyond for our customers to ensure they can maintain their commercial refrigeration between scheduled maintenance checks.

Not only does cleaning your refrigerator regularly keep it in the best possible condition, but it also maintains good practices that you should be following throughout your business operations.

You wouldn’t leave your shopfront to deteriorate if it needed cleaning, so why should you disregard your commercial refrigerator?

Regularly cleaning your commercial refrigeration unit can offer the following benefits:

  • Avoiding contamination
  • Preventing illness
  • Keeping on top of stock/keeping fresh produce in rotation
  • Complying with FSA regulations
  • Maintaining high standards and reputation
  • Preventing loss of profits
  • Improving the lifespan of your refrigerator
  • Preventing food wastage

How to clean your commercial refrigerator in five easy steps

  • Appropriate attire – wear gloves!

The chances are that if you handle medication or fresh produce, you wear gloves.

So, when it comes to cleaning your commercial refrigeration solution, why should the rules be any different?

Using a fresh pair of undamaged gloves every time you do a deep clean of your commercial refrigerator not only keeps hygiene standards high, but it also prevents damage to your hands from harsh cleaning chemicals.

Thank us later!

  • Remove all existing items before you start to clean

We advise that every time you clean your commercial refrigerator, you should always remove the contents before doing so.

Not only is this smart from a logistical standpoint, but it also improves the hygiene of your system.

Trying to clean around items that are in your fridge can increase the risk of contamination, and means you are missing large surface areas that could require cleaning.

Once you have emptied the refrigerator entirely, it will be much easier for you to spot any spillages, dirt, or staining before the deep clean commences.

It will also give you a clear view of which products you have, allowing you to place stock nearing its expiration date towards the front of the refrigerator.

  • Deep cleaning your commercial refrigerator

Once you are happy that the surface dirt has been removed, it’s time to go in with a deep clean.

The first thing you need to do is remove any shelves, as these will be easier to clean separately.

Using hot water and an approved detergent, begin by cleaning the interior of your fridge with a clean cloth.

Once you’re satisfied that all surfaces have been covered – and any remaining residue has been removed – it’s time to use a disinfectant.

Using an approved disinfectant solution, go over the entirety of your refrigerator to ensure all areas have been appropriately cleaned of any remaining bacteria or dirt.

You can then follow the same steps for any shelves that have been removed from the refrigerator.

We advise letting your refrigerator air dry. If this is not possible, wiping it dry with a clean dry cloth is also suitable.

  • Reassembling your commercial refrigerator

Once all the components and your refrigeration unit are fully dry, it’s time to reassemble, ready for restocking.

We recommend that older produce is displayed towards the front and newer produce at the back to avoid wasting goods and money.

This is also an ideal time to check that your products aren’t spoiled. If appropriate, you may want to give your goods a wipe-down before placing them back in the refrigerator.

  • Keep up with regular maintenance checks with J&M Refrigeration

You may already be on top of keeping your commercial refrigerator clean, but how often do you get it serviced?

How often should commercial fridges be cleaned?

When it comes to your commercial fridge, its interior should be wiped and sanitised between each shift and given a deep clean once every week.

This includes removing the shelves and making sure they’re all clean as well. If any spills occur, you should tend to these as soon as possible to make sure your fridge-freezer is in the best possible condition.

Fridge hygiene can have a massive impact on the quality and safety of your food, so it’s important you keep up with your cleaning duties.

What can happen if I don’t clean my commercial fridge?

As a professional caterer, you’re legally obligated to meet the regulations set by the Food Standards Agency.

If your business isn’t up to scratch, you’ll likely fail the FSA’s regular hygiene inspections, and be forced to close until you resolve the issue – or worse, have your food licence taken away.

In addition to this, a poor food hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency always gives a bad impression. If you’re required by law to display your rating to customers, this could result in you losing business.

According to the FSA, not cleaning well enough is one of the most common reasons for food businesses receiving poor ratings and facing prosecution.

Putting off cleaning duties and leaving dirt to build up could potentially cause your fridge-freezer to fail and lead to costly repairs.

On top of this, bacteria build-up will also contaminate the contents of your fridge, and you run the risk of your customers falling ill with food poisoning.

Choose J&M Refrigeration for all your fridge maintenance needs

At J&M Refrigeration, we do more than provide refrigeration for your business. In fact, we also offer 24/7 emergency maintenance and a range of other upkeep options to suit your needs.

Without regular check-ups to ensure your refrigerator is running at the best possible standard, you may have a faulty machine that ultimately means you may need to call upon a commercial fridge repair service to fix it as soon as possible.

As competitively priced as the service from J&M Refrigeration is, this can often result in a sudden blow to your budget, which can cause avoidable distress and frustration.

If you want to get the most out of your money and keep your commercial refrigeration set-up working for years to come, then we can certainly help.

So why not get in touch with us today?

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