If you are running a commercial restaurant, you would want every single piece of equipment to work without any problems for as long as you can. Commercial food steamers are appliances that are specifically designed to prepare large batches of meals. If your business relies on such appliances, you need to make sure they are well looked after. The only way to do that is by scheduling regular maintenance. Daily and weekly cleaning is done by the staff while inspections and other tasks should be performed by commercial appliances repair experts. Let’s take a look at how to maintain a commercial food steamer to keep it running smoothly for years.

Tips For Increasing A Commercial Food Steamer’s Lifespan

Regular Cleaning

Commercial kitchens tend to be extremely busy places. From servers to chefs, everyone is busy and focuses on preparing and serving meals to the waiting customers. During business hours, the kitchen appliances are used nonstop and accumulate a lot of dirt, oil, and grease.

With time and if left ignored, these accumulations can hurt the quality and taste of the meals. Plus, it also ruins the visual appeal of the appliances. If a customer were to inspect the quality and hygiene of the kitchen, they wouldn’t be happy with the appliances covered with stains and food leftovers.

This is why you need to develop a schedule and follow it. At the end of every business day, the team should clean the steamer or steamers to prevent any complications the next working day. It is neither complicated nor time-consuming. All the team needs to do is use a cleaning agent with a soft brush and wipe away all the remnants.

Educate The Employees

Educating and training your employees about maintenance is equally important as following a regular cleaning schedule. The reason is that if the employees are not trained or educated about cleaning or maintenance, they might land themselves in trouble in terms of injuries.

On top of that, they might also end up damaging the appliances. Surprisingly, maintenance training is not that common in commercial businesses. It is not only limited to cleaning but also protecting yourself while at it. The employees should be provided with gloves and other important equipment to be safe from sharp edges, electric shocks, and all that.

Furthermore, a team should be developed, or some special employees should be given the task of performing maintenance. This way, they will be able to keep a record and know how to disassemble and assemble a particular appliance.

Not every employee is supposed to be good at maintenance. Only choose those who have the skills and follow the protocols.

Clean The Removable Parts

Cleaning the removable parts plays a crucial part in the smooth running of the commercial steamer. Part of the reason these appliances come with removable parts is so that they can be cleaned regularly and easily. For instance, the baskets and trays can be removed and given a thorough cleaning before placing them back inside.

It is necessary to clean the removable parts at the end of each working day, as they can directly impact the quality of the food. If not possible, you should hire an expert who will get it done both easily and safely.

Descale Regularly

Descaling is a popular term used for thoroughly cleaning and maintaining commercial appliances. Since a food steamer uses steam to prepare food, scaling likely occurs due to salts. If left ignored, the salts can harden and impact the food quality.

The best and most cost-efficient way to descale a commercial food steamer is by using vinegar. Simply make a mixture of vinegar and water and use a soft cleaning brush to descale the steamer. If the scaling tends to be a lot more stubborn, you should consider using a commercial descaling agent.

But make sure to pick the right product. Not every cleaning agent is supposed to get the job done and might damage the steamer. To be on the safe side, consult the user manual and pick accordingly.

Descaling a commercial dishwasher is also vital. If your dishwasher stops cleaning dishes properly, descale it before considering commercial dishwasher repair Fairfax.

Follow Proper Cleaning Procedures

To clean and maintain a commercial food steamer, you will need to first shut down the unit from the main power supply. If the unit was recently used, ensure that it is cool enough for you to work. If it is hot, allow some time to cool off.

Next, you will need to wear gloves and other protective equipment to cover the exposed body parts. Use a cleaning agent and spray it all over the accumulation. Let the solution sit for a while in order for it to break down the layers.

Then, use a soft brush and scrubbing chemical to further break down and remove the accumulated layers. Then, use a soft cloth to wipe away all the layers and rinse the area. Allow the area to dry before plugging the unit back into the power socket.

Pick The Right Professional

While educating the team on appliance cleaning and maintenance is one thing, there are certain factors that require a professional. Commercial food steamers can be very easy to clean from the outside, but not the inside. Many areas are not easily accessible and sensitive parts that could easily become damaged.

This is where a professional jumps in with their special tools, skills, and experience to inspect and maintain the unit inside and out. An expert will not only clean the unit but also look for any potential repairs and replacements. This will help prolong the life of the unit and make the most of it by keeping future problems at bay.

In addition to that, you should always ask your friends and family members for any referrals. This way, you will get to pick someone who is already tried and tested. The market is saturated with experts nowadays, and it can be very easy to pick someone offering tempting, cheap rates.

Always pick a professional who is licensed and certified by the state to perform maintenance.

Keep An Eye Out For Issues

Although commercial food steamers do not produce much noise while functioning, if you come across weird noises and sounds, it could mean there is something wrong. Most business owners tend to ignore such signs and wait for them to go away on their own.

But, this is only calling for trouble as the problem might turn worse by then. If you hear strange noises, shut off the unit immediately and call a technician. The last thing you would want is the machine running out of order just when the clients are walking in.

Conclusion

Maintaining commercial appliances is easy if you know the procedures. All you need to do is keep up with the maintenance schedule and never ignore signs of problems. Plus, you should also invest in professional maintenance and hire a commercial steamer repair Springfield technician if an issue arises because it will help keep the entire kitchen running without any problems. If anything, you will be able to prevent a lot of future problems that hurt both the business and customers.