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Steam Cleaner Guide
The Best Steam Cleaners for Commercial Kitchens
In the culinary world, cleanliness is an absolute necessity. Whether you are running a busy restaurant or a small cafe, maintaining a clean kitchen isn’t just about appearances; it’s about ensuring food safety, preventing contamination, and upholding health standards. A clean kitchen not only promotes a positive working environment but also safeguards the well-being of customers.
Traditionally, kitchens are cleaned by using chemical degreasers and disinfectant sprays. At Kranzle, we supply a range of Tecnovap steam cleaning machines that are ideal for hygienic kitchen cleaning of all surfaces and appliances. Steam cleaners are the ideal cleaning machines as they produce high-temperature steam that melts grease effectively and thermally sanitises the surface on contact. We have found that they are most popular in the use of degreasing canopies and ovens, detailing stoves, sanitising workbenches, and refrigerator rooms.
How to Clean Commercial Ovens
Commercial ovens should be cleaned regularly to keep them grease and odour free. This ensures that no bacteria or other growth occurs in the ovens, which could potentially pose a health risk to customers. Cleaning the oven regularly significantly reduces cleaning time compared to periodic cleaning. If left without cleaning, grease has time to bake onto the surface of the oven, making it more difficult to clean.
Using a steam cleaner for oven cleaning eliminates the need for chemicals, which can leave the oven smelling harsh and can be a time consuming task. Additionally, using chemicals leaves the possibility of the smell transferring to the food.
For cleaning ovens you won't require a vacuuming function, we recommend using the Tecnovap EVO 304 Steam Cleaner.
Steps to Clean Ovens with a Steam Cleaner
- Start by removing the oven racks and trays to allow for easier cleaning of the oven ceiling, walls, and floors. If the racks are heavily greased, it can be a good idea to soak them in a degreaser. Then, inspect the oven to determine the best cleaning method.
- For Heavily Greased Ovens: Use the Tecnovap Steam Lance attached with a nylon brush and cloth. Begin inside the oven, focusing on the ceiling. Start with a small area to melt the grease, then wipe away the residue with a cloth. Repeat this process until the oven is clean. For stubborn, baked-on grease, use a stiffer brass brush or steel wool ball, ensuring it does not scratch the surface.
- After degreasing the racks, detail clean them using the Steam Lance with either a Steel Detailing Brush or Steel Wool Ball. Finish by wiping them down with a cloth.
- For Lightly Greased Ovens: Use a steam lance with a cloth to dry, or the triangle swivel with a cloth to steam and remove grease. Spray the steam lance near close contact and wipe the surface dry. Start cleaning on the ceiling or higher up and work your way down, as dirt will fall.
How to Clean Commercial Oven Canopies
Cleaning commercial oven canopies is crucial in any commercial kitchen, whether it's a restaurant, hotel, or small cafe. This area is particularly important for insurance purposes, as heavy grease buildup can be a significant fire hazard in kitchens.
Traditionally, these canopies have been cleaned using a hand brush and hazardous chemicals. However, this method often leaves a residue on the canopy and may not be as effective as using a steam cleaner.
We recommend using a steam cleaner with a vacuuming suction however without one will still get a great cleaning result. With the Tecnovap Carmen Plus Inox Steam Cleaner, it gives you a wide range of applications whether it be in the kitchen for the oven canopies, floors or in the bathrooms.
Steps to Clean Oven Canopies
The method for cleaning oven canopies depends on the steam cleaner being used and the degree of grease and oil present on the surface.
Using a Steam Cleaner with Vacuum Function:
For Heavily Greased Areas:
- Start cleaning in small sections, starting at the top.
- Use the steaming function to melt the grease and oils. Steam cleaners operate at temperatures above +155°C, effectively cleaning and sanitizing the area.
- Once the grease has liquefied and loosened from the surface, use the vacuum function to extract it. This leaves the surface clean, degreased, and dry.
- Repeat this process, working down the canopy until it's completely clean.
For Lightly Greased Areas:
- Start at the top and simultaneously steam and vacuum the surface. This method is quicker if the canopy extractor is regularly cleaned.
- This process will melt and extract the grease in a single pass, leaving the surface clean and dry.
Using a Steam Cleaner without Vacuum Function:
When using a Tecnovap Steam cleaner without a vacuum function, a triangle steaming tool or rectangular floor tool with a cloth is used for cleaning.
For Heavily Greased Canopies:
- Use accessories with bristles for heavy-soiled canopies and extractors. This allows for a steaming and scrubbing action to loosen the grease.
- Steam the surface while holding a cloth in the other hand to wipe off the grease.
- If the cloth becomes too greasy, replace it with a new one and continue the process.
For Lightly Greased Canopies:
- Wrap a microfiber cloth around the triangle or rectangular steaming accessory and steam the surface.
- The heat of the steam will melt the greasy oils, and the cloth will collect the emulsified grime.
How to Clean Commercial Fridges
Regularly cleaning and maintaining commercial fridges is crucial to keeping them hygienic and odour free. This is especially important in large refrigerators where food can be pushed to the rear and start to perish unnoticed.
Unlike chemicals, steam is safe to use around food items, eliminating the need to clear out the fridge during cleaning. Steam cleaners are effective for cleaning refrigerator racks, defrosting freezers, and killing mould, as well as removing odours.
Steps to Clean Fridges with a Steam Cleaner
Using a Steam Cleaner with Vacuum Function:
- Choose the Right Equipment: Use a steam cleaner with a vacuum function, such as the Tecnovap Carmen Plus Inox, with the upholstery tool featuring a squeegee function. Alternatively, steam-only tools can also be effective.
- Start from the Top: Begin cleaning from the top shelf, using simultaneous steam and vacuum. The steam effectively melts dirt and grease, while the vacuum extracts excess liquid. Repeat this process as you clean down the shelves. For cleaning racks and corners, it may be easiest to use the Steam Lance, followed by wiping away excess liquid.
Using Steam Cleaning Only Function:
- Select Appropriate Accessories: For best results, use the triangle steam accessory with a cloth wrapped around it. In larger refrigerators, the rectangular tool can also improve efficiency.
- Begin Cleaning: Start from the top shelf using the triangle tool with the cloth wrapped around it. The steam will melt grease and dirt, while the cloth collects the melted grime. The lower pressure ensures that dirt is not blown to other parts of the fridge.
How to Clean Greasy Floors
In most commercial kitchens, non-slip floors or profiled tiles are commonly used to reduce injuries in these workspaces. However, for these floors to remain effective, they need to be kept clean, which can be challenging due to their profiled surfaces.
The traditional method of using a wet mop often exacerbates the issue, as profiled surfaces become filled with grime and grease over time.
The ideal steam cleaner for these floors is one with a vacuum function. This ensures that the steam melts the grease, oils, and fats, while simultaneously extracting the emulsified grime. While steam-only functions can be used, they are less effective on profiled floors and require frequent changing of cloths.
Cleaning Kitchen Floors with Steam and Vacuum Function:
To clean greasy floors effectively, use the steam vacuum floor tool with a squeegee.
For Heavily Greased Floors:
- Work in small areas, starting from one end of the kitchen and working backward.
- Begin by steaming the floors with a light scrubbing action to break up the grease and start melting it.
- Once the grease has begun to melt and loosen from the floor, activate the vacuum function while keeping the steaming function on.
- Extract the melted grime with the vacuum, leaving the surface clean and degreased.
- Repeat this process until the entire floor is cleaned.
For Lightly Greased Floors:
- Start the cleaning process at one end of the kitchen, working in longer motions forward and backward to increase efficiency.
- As the grease levels and dirt decrease, simultaneously steam and vacuum the surface.
- This method will melt and extract the grease in a single pass.
- It's recommended to perform this cleaning procedure daily to prevent heavy grease buildup, which would increase cleaning time.
How to Clean Kitchen Equipment
In a commercial kitchen, maintaining cleanliness is crucial for ensuring hygienic conditions. A variety of equipment and machinery in the kitchen, such as sinks, food processing equipment, mixers, mincers, cooling racks, shelves, and countertops, require regular cleaning due to their high-contact areas with food.
Traditionally, kitchen equipment has been cleaned with a sponge and warm soapy water, but this method has proven to be inefficient and time-consuming. A better option for cleaning kitchen equipment is to use dry saturated steam, which reduces cleaning time, physical effort, and eliminates the need for chemical degreasers. This is particularly important as you want to avoid transferring chemical residues into food, affecting its taste.
Steps to Clean Kitchen Equipment:
- Remove Excess Residue: The first essential step is to remove as much excess food residue as possible. This allows the steam to clean more effectively and efficiently, reducing the mess blasted into other areas of the kitchen.
- Utilize Steam Lance and Nylon Brush: In most cases, using the steam lance with a nylon brush is the most effective method. Additionally, have a microfiber cloth on hand to wipe up any excess residue left behind.
- Start from the Top: Begin cleaning from the top of the equipment, working your way down. Steam small areas to melt any dirt and grease from the equipment. Starting from the top ensures that dirt runs down, minimizing the need to clean the same area twice.
- Address Heavy Baked-On Dirt: If dealing with heavy baked-on dirt, use a stiffer brush to increase agitation. A brass brush is recommended for these areas as it proves to be more effective.
Recommended Steam Cleaners
FAQS
- What are the benefits of a steam cleaner?
Steam cleaners are highly effective at removing bad smells, fungus, mites, germs and bacteria without the use of chemicals, which are harmful to the health of whoever is exposed to this from the kitchen areas. While it is highly effective it is also an eco-friendly solution, dry-saturated steam is 100% ecological and natural.
- What other application can I use my steam cleaner for?
Making an investment into a steam cleaner for your commercial kitchen will have endless application uses in your restaurant. Use it for glass cleaning, cleaning bathrooms, sinks and as far as maintaining your furniture that is exposed to dirt.