San Jamar Food Prep Center Cleaning
Your San Jamar food prep center is the hub of your establishment, and like any high-trafficked area, it requires frequent cleaning. However, cleaning and sanitization of food contact surfaces isn’t just something you can let fall to the wayside, it’s a food regulatory standard that should be treated with ritualistic fervor. That’s because cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses are a serious threat to not only your customer's health but the establishment’s reputation and license of operation if you should be the source of a medical emergency.
But not to worry, this guide will cover all the San Jamar food prep center cleaning essentials, including step-by-step instructions, tips and tricks.
Supplies You’ll Need
- Microfiber cloth
- Mild detergent
- Warm water
- Stainless Steel Cleaner
Frequency
- Daily
How Do You Clean Your Food Prep Center
Most restaurants have a commercial dishwasher to rinse, steam and sanitize the dishes to sparkly clean perfection. The good news is all San Jamar plastic food containers are dishwasher safe. But just in case your machine is currently out of commission or you prefer a gold old fashion hand washing operation, we’ll tell you all you need to know and more on San Jamar food prep center cleaning.
- Step 1. Remove the food – Don’t forget to remove all food items from the condiment boxes before beginning! If the food is still fresh, you can transfer it to a new container. The important thing is that all containers in direct contact with food get cleaned at least once a day.
- Step 2. Clean the condiment containers – As already mentioned, cleaning the food containers is as easy as sticking them into the dishwasher for a clean cycle. However, you can still achieve the same results by hand washing them with warm water, mild detergent and a clean cloth. Rinse and dry.
- Step 3. Wipe down the interior – Since the entire San Jamar food prep center can’t be placed in the dishwasher, you’ll have to do this by hand. Grab a clean cloth and with a food-safe cleaner, wipe down the interior.
- Step 4. Wipe down the lids – Wipe down the lids in the same fashion as you did with the interior.
- Step 5. Dry with a clean cloth – Because the exterior is made of stainless steel, it’s important to immediately remove any excess moisture that might have dripped onto the stainless steel surfaces. Take extra care to thoroughly dry the hinges as moisture can easily get trapped here and lead to rust stains later down the line.
How Do You Clean the Stainless Steel
Unfortunately, you can't put your entire food prep center into the dishwasher for a once-and-done, sudsy rinse. Doubly regrettable is the fact you also can’t use the same cleaning procedures for the lid and containers on the stainless steel portions of your prep center, as this could damage the steel and cause corrosion.
- Step 1. Apply stainless steel cleaner – Spray the stainless steel cleaner directly onto a clean, microfiber cloth. You don’t want to spray the solution directly onto the food prep center, as uneven distribution of the cleaner can cause streaks.
- Note: Never use abrasive cloths, steel wool, wire brushes, metal scrapers or acid-base cleaners containing chlorine or ammonia on stainless steel surfaces, as this could damage the finish.
- Step 2. Wipe down the unit – Make sure you are wiping in the direction of the grain to avoid damaging the exterior.
- Note: For tougher stains like food and hard water deposits, you may use a nylon cleaning pad to scrub gently in the direction of the grain.
- Step 3. Pat dry – Remove any excess moisture with a fresh, dry cloth. All liquid from either water or the cleaning solutions must be mopped up immediately because–you guessed it–it can cause damage to the stainless steel surfaces.
If you need an additional reference for troubleshooting, cleaning and more, take a look through our catalog of San Jamar food prep center manuals and diagrams.