How Often Should a Commercial Oven be Cleaned?

When it comes to running a restaurant or commercial kitchen, it’s essential that you keep up with regular cleaning and maintenance of your equipment. 

One of the most important and frequently used pieces of equipment is your commercial oven. Ovens can get dirty quickly, but keeping them clean and hygienic is important for both the safety and longevity of your oven, as well as for the quality of the food you are serving. 

But how often should you clean a commercial oven? And how should this be done? Read onto find out.

An Overview

A common question that commercial kitchen owners have is how often should a commercial oven be cleaned? The answer to this question depends on a few factors and can vary from one kitchen to the next. However, there are some general guidelines that you should follow when it comes to keeping an oven clean in a setting such as a restaurant kitchen. 

Daily Cleaning Routine

Ideally, you should clean your oven after every session of use. This includes wiping down the interior walls of the oven, as well as stovetop and trays. If you’re concerned about using industrial oven cleaner so frequently, just warm water and a scouring pad will still have good results. Removing any food particles left behind after cooking will help reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

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Scheduling daily cleans also helps you to manage spills and boil-overs day-to-day, which prevents them from building up to a bigger mess. When food debris becomes burned on and layered over time, it can impede your oven from working in top condition. It also makes it more difficult to clean thoroughly in the future. 

Read our complete guide to Professional Convection Oven Cleaning

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Monthly Deep Cleaning

By law, commercial kitchens must be professionally cleaned every six months. However, we recommend that, in addition to your daily cleaning schedule, you should also give commercial ovens a deep clean at least once a month. 

This should include replacing the baking trays and racks, as well as scrubbing down the interior walls of the oven. During a deep clean, you should additionally inspect the seals and door hinges to make sure that they are in good working order. 

Inspecting the oven periodically throughout the month will help you to make sure that it’s working properly. Make sure to check the thermostat and ensure that the oven is reaching the right temperature. If your oven isn’t reaching the correct temperature, this can affect the cooking time and quality of the food you are serving. 

If your team are frequently using the oven to cook with oil or grease, consider cleaning it more frequently. Grease and oil can build up quickly and, if not removed regularly, can become a fire hazard. Depending on the type and amount of oil or grease you’re using, you may need to clean the kitchen oven as often as once a week. 

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Cleaning Extraction Fans and Vents

Kitchen extraction systems can be more fiddly to clean than the oven itself, but it is vital that your organisation facilitates this at least every twelve months, but preferably more frequently. Your unit insurance policy may give you a specific maximum time allowed between cleans.

Failing to clean your extraction system adequately can lead to gasses and heat building up in your kitchen, creating an inhospitable and possibly dangerous environment for your staff. A build-up of grease in the vents is also a fire risk and may even invalidate your business insurance in extreme cases.

Cleaning the extractor and any removable filters when the rest of the kitchen is cleaned is important for general upkeep. However, a professional cleaning service is often needed for a deep clean.

Read our blog on how A Cleaning Service cleans commercial extraction systems in Bristol, Cardiff, and the surrounding areas.

To sum it up, the frequency of cleaning for a commercial oven depends on a few factors and can vary from one kitchen to the next. However, as a general rule, you should clean your oven after every use, give it a deep clean at least once a month, inspect it periodically throughout the month, and if you are using oil or grease, clean it more frequently. Taking the time to keep your oven clean and in good working order will help ensure the safety and longevity of your oven, as well as the quality of the food you are serving.

If you’re considering calling in the cleaning experts to deal with your commercial oven or extraction system, consider A Cleaning Service. Our trained technicians provide a full assessment of what needs to be done and clean to TR/19 BESA standards. Find out more here.

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