Poll enough caterers and you’ll see just how many people get into the business because they love to cook.  Cleaning on the other hand…  well there’s always some aspect of being in business that just sucks.  Simply put.  Cleaning your catering equipment, the transport van or your car, uniforms and aprons, equipment, pans the cleanup always seems to take longer than everything else.  But it’s necessary.

There are established guidelines for cleaning, not to just to make it easy but to make things safe for guests.  700 major restaurant chains (primarily fast food including McDonalds, Taco Bell, KFC, etc.) had more than 600 critical food service violations on inspection.

We know, you’re not fast food, you’re a mobile catering operation or a professional banquet hall.  That doesn’t mean cleanliness isn’t an issue.  Effective cleaning gets rid of bacteria on catering equipment, food surfaces and most importantly – you.

Here are some tips to keep your chafing dish sets and the rest of your operation clean.

1. Make sure your staff is regularly washing their hands, especially while they’re cleaning.  It’s extremely easy to re-contaminate your catering equipment and catering dishes after they’ve been cleaned by touching them with dirty hands, gloves, towels, etc.

2. Clean your food service, prep and clean up areas regular amid other tasks.  You should be training to kitchen staff and servers to clean as they go.  This reduces the potential for cross-contamination and makes clean up easier at the end of the event.

3. Use cleaning products that are suitable for the task.  Remember “the right tool for the right job” applies to cleaning as well as cooking.  Follow manufacturer instruction, MSDS sheets and avoid using any non-organic cleaning agents around food.  Poisoning guests can ruin your day.

A cleaning schedule is an ideal way to maintain a cleaner operation.  Everything else you do for events is on a schedule so apply the same strategies and tactics to keeping your catering equipment cleaned.  A schedule is also a great way to control supply costs so you’re not overusing or wasting cleaning products.

Work out what needs to be cleaned for each event or on a daily basis.  Here are guidelines for your cleaning schedule:

• Determine what needs to be cleaned (catering equipment, dishes, equipment, utensils, walk-in walls, floors, ovens, etc.
• Establish how often each item needs to be cleaned (is it daily, hourly, weekly, etc.)
• Decide how the cleaning should be done, specifically what products are used (sponges, wire brush, terry cloth, soaps, degreaser, etc.)
• Give clear direction on how the products should be used, how they should be diluted, how long to maintain surface contact, etc.
• How cleaning products are stored, and how equipment, catering equipment and dishes are handled post-clean as well as how to store them.

Remember that when it comes to your catering business, it’s all on you.  A lack of cleanliness is one of the most common causes of prosecution and/or civil lawsuits in the food service industry.  Keep yourself safe, your guests happy and your food tasting great by keeping things clean.