Commercial Oven Cleaning and Maintenance Tips

While they can vary in use, commercial ovens are an integral piece of equipment in the restaurant industry. Making sure your commercial oven is functioning efficiently can be a key factor in your success as a restaurateur. Of course equipment can fail and parts need to be replaced after wear and tear, which is why we stock replacement parts from various commercial oven manufacturers like Bakers Pride, U.S. Range, and many more here at Parts Depot. 

While you’re most likely going to find yourself replacing some aspect of your commercial oven at some point, there are plenty of maintenance and cleaning procedures you can perform to keep your oven operating optimally for a very long time:

Cleaning Tips:

Cleaning your restaurant oven is a pretty straightforward process, but making sure to clean it regularly can make all the difference when it comes to minimizing the risk of fires, smoke, or worst of all…bad tasting food.

·         Clean the interior daily – The cleaner the interior is, the better your oven will perform. We know it can be tough with late closing times, but aim to clean the interior of the oven at the end of each day with a mild detergent. Any crumbs should be removed from the bottom of the oven, as those will eventually burn. Make sure to remove the oven racks and clean them separately. Wipe up any spills immediately to ensure the food doesn't bake on to the oven, making it harder to clean later on.

·         Clean the exterior weekly – To avoid grease and other by-products of your oven use from building up, clean the outside of your oven once a week. Most commercial ovens exteriors are stainless steel, so for these you should use a mild soap with a soft cloth or soft brush to scrub. More abrasive materials can damage the finish of your oven and cause corrosion.

·         Monthly Deep Clean – View this like you would an oil change for your car, every so often you flush out the old dirty oil for a fresh new one to keep your engine running optimally. The same goes for your oven, once a month you should thoroughly scrub the interior of the oven and follow procedures listed in your owner’s manual for approved chemicals and steps to follow.

General Maintenance

Along with regular cleanings, follow these procedures for maintenance to keep your oven working at its full potential for you:

·         Regularly Check the Seal – Heat can and will escape if the door isn’t sealing as it should. Escaping heat means it will take longer to cook your food, and in turn causing your utility bill to go up. You can easily check the condition of your seal by sliding a dollar bill between the door and the jam, if the dollar bill slides out easily, then you have a seal issue and should replace the gasket.

·         Accuracy of Temperature – If the temperature of your oven is off, food will either take longer to cook, or over cook. You should inspect the calibration of your oven temperature every few months. Use an oven thermometer to make sure that the cabinet of the oven is as hot as the digital display or knob says it is. If temperatures are off, you either need to adjust the calibration of the controls, or the oven thermostat is malfunctioning and must be replaced.

·         Don’t Leave Heavy Objects on the Door – While most commercial oven doors open by swinging down, and are equipped with hinges strong enough to hold a lot of weight, and just because you can use it to hold items, doesn’t mean you should. The longer a heavy object is left on the door, the more strain will be put on the hinges. This will cause them to wear out quicker.

5 Tips for Restaurant Equipment Maintenance

At Part's Depot Inc, we consider ourselves Restaurant Equipment Connoisseurs! With nearly 20 years of experience, we have seen all the ins and outs of restaurant equipment use - from parts lasting an incredibly long time because of diligence and detail with maintenance, to parts malfunctioning almost immediately out of the box due to user error and lack of experience.

With that said, Part's Depot Inc. is here to help guide you through the confusing world of restaurant equipment maintenance so that you can always get the best bang for your buck with restaurant part longevity! Follow our equipment maintenance tips and your restaurant equipment may just outlive you!

1. Reference the Owner's Manual
• First off, you should ALWAYS read through your owner's manual, which comes with each piece of equipment. The owners manual will always tell you exactly what needs to be done to keep your equipment in excellent working condition. Lost your manual? You're in luck because most most manufacturers have their manuals available for download on their websites.
2. Educate Employees on Proper Use and Procedures for the Equipment
• One of the leading causes of restaurant equipment malfunction is misuse and abuse by uneducated employees. This is especially important because most warranties will not cover repairs resulting from this kind of misuse. Be sure to teach employees how to properly use, clean, and maintain your restaurant equipment in order to keep everything up and running at all times. 
3. Clean All Restaurant Equipment Daily
• This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is often overlooked in the hectic world of restaurant management and activities. Daily cleaning may be the most important maintenance tip for maintaining your restaurant equipment. This prevents dirt, grime, grease, and food scraps from building up and eventually causing damage to the machine parts. On top of that, health inspectors often closely look at how clean your restaurant equipment is.
4. Frequently Inspect your Restaurant Parts and Equipment
• Any time you perform a thorough cleaning on your restaurant equipment, be sure to inspect any moving parts, utility connections, and other components. Check for wear, tear, and leaks throughout the equipment. Correcting small issues early on can save you from expensive and time consuming repairs in the future. Not sure how to inspect your parts? Local manufacturers often have service contracts available in which a rep will come in and inspect your equipment for you. 
5. Follow Chemical Cleaning Instructions
• An often overlooked detail of equipment maintenance is using manufacturer specified chemicals to clean your equipment and parts. Regardless of if you are using the chemicals to clean the equipment, or the equipment uses chemicals itself (such as a dishwasher), be sure you have thoroughly read the instructions on the labels and manual. Using improper chemicals can cause equipment to degrade quicker and even potentially malfunction.