Why should we Maintain a Clean Kitchen?

One of the most important duties of the kitchen steward is not only to wash and clean the whole kitchen but to also maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of the place.  This is, after all, the place where food is prepared, cooked, and prepped to be served to the diners.  But why should the steward department maintain a clean kitchen, and what are the common things done to ensure the cleanliness of the workplace?

Keep the Workplace Clean

There are a lot of very important reasons why the cleanliness and hygiene of a professional or commercial kitchen should be maintained at all times.  As stated above, this is where food preparation happens and this is where food is cooked.  It is the duty of the stewarding department to make sure that the products and ingredients do not come into contact with harmful chemicals like the cleaning agents or with bacteria like salmonella.  For this reason, everything in the kitchen are washed and cleaned regularly, especially the countertops, the utensils and appliances needed in cooking, the walls and floors, the refrigerators and freezers, etc.  A sloppy and dirty kitchen can cause food-borne illnesses, and this incident can lead to losses in clients and revenues.  It can also lead to lawsuits if people get sick because of contaminated food.

As a kitchen steward, you should also always keep in mind that the way your workplace looks and smells speaks a lot about the whole restaurant.  Professionalism starts at the back of the restaurant, the kitchen, so keep the area clean and it will be translated to the front of the restaurant, the dining area.

Lastly, a very clean and very organized kitchen provides a good flow.  Chefs would know where a certain kitchen item is, saving them a lot of time than running around looking for the item.

Ensuring Safety and Cleanliness

Here are some of the common things that the steward department does to ensure safety and cleanliness of the kitchen:

1. After each use of the chopping boards or the counter tops, it should be washed and rinsed thoroughly to avoid cross contamination, after which a sanitation solution is applied over the surface to kill off any remaining bacteria.  The same goes for cooking utensils such as pots, pans, knives, etc.

2. All clothes used to wipe off the counter tops and all the areas where food is prepared and cooked should also be washed thoroughly and rinsed in the same sanitation solution.  Mops used on floors and walls should also be washed in hot water, after which it is hung and left to dry.

3. It is the stewarding department’s duty to make sure that the food and ingredients are separated from the cleaning products.  Make sure that they are kept a good distance away from the food.

4. There should be a regular washing and cleaning schedule for all kitchen equipment so as to avoid debris and grime accumulation.
One thing that should be remembered though by all kitchen employees is that the duty of maintaining a clean kitchen does not rely solely on the shoulders of the Stewarding Department.  Instead, all of them should make a conscious effort in maintaining the cleanliness of kitchen.  If they see a spill on the floor, wipe it off immediately with the floor mop to avoid accidents and then place a sign that warns people that the floor is wet.