Why You Should Regularly Clean Your Commercial Refrigerator
Commercial refrigerators are fantastic pieces of equipment that can increase the appeal of merchandise on display, preserve flowers, or store important medical products. No matter what its purpose, once you purchase and install your refrigeration unit, it is still important to make sure that you regularly clean your equipment and perform regular maintenance. First of all, in a retail environment, it helps maintain a neat and tidy appearance of your merchandise on display in your store. Even if you’re not displaying items for sale, there are still reasons why you should regularly clean your refrigerator. The FDA and many state administrative codes require stores, restaurants, and grocers to comply with food safety and sanitation laws to prevent contamination and protect customers, so regular cleaning is required to remain in compliance with these laws. Finally, cleaning your commercial refrigerator will ensure that it lasts longer and works better for many years to come.
How often should a Commercial Refrigerator be Cleaned?
It’s helpful to think of two types of cleaning when it comes to commercial refrigerators. The first is general maintenance, which consists of emptying out and cleaning the interior and shelves of the refrigerator. Ideally this should be done every day. The other cleaning is a deep clean, which consists of cleaning out the condenser and drain lines of your refrigerator, which should happen approximately every six months.
What are the Benefits of Commercial Refrigerator Maintenance?
The main benefit to regular maintenance and cleaning is that you will extend the life of your commercial refrigerator. When dust, grime, dirt, and debris get lodged into your refrigeration unit, they can work their way into the machinery. Overtime, those debris build up, and can start to affect the various mechanisms that make your commercial refrigerator operate at the highest capacity. The other important benefit is that it protects your customers from contaminants that can attach to your products if they are kept in an unsanitary refrigerator. Furthermore, your customers will notice if the merchandise inside of the coolers is surrounded by dirt and grime. In that same vein, if the health and safety inspector were to notice unsanitary conditions inside your refrigerator, you could face significant fines or penalties for failing to maintain the cleanliness of a refrigeration unit.
What should be done to Clean and Maintain a Commercial Refrigerator?
When doing general maintenance cleaning of your commercial refrigerator, the first thing you should do is unplug the unit. Next, you need to empty out the entire unit, remove the shelving, and discard any products that are reaching the end of their shelf life. The next step is to then thoroughly clean out the inside of the unit with warm, soapy water. Following this step, you should sanitize or disinfect to kill off any mold or bacteria that may have accumulated inside the refrigerator. If you store food and beverage products in your commercial refrigerator, try to be cognizant of any cleaners that you might use inside the refrigerator as you don’t want chemicals leaching into those food products. Then repeat these steps for the shelving.
There are more cleaning steps involved when performing a deep clean of your refrigeration equipment. When performing a deep clean, you will also need to clean out the condenser for your unit. Consult your unit’s user manual in order to learn how to properly access the condenser. Similarly, you will need to clean the coils and drain lines. Again, your user manual for your commercial refrigerator can help guide you on how to remove or access these parts so that it can be properly cleaned. Finally, we recommend that you clean the floor beneath your refrigerator, as well as the top of it. Dust and debris easily accumulates beneath and above your refrigerator, and overtime that debris can make its way into your unit and disrupt its operation. You can prevent this from happening by maintaining a clean space around your commercial refrigerator.
Reach out to Powers Equipment for Tips on Cleaning and Maintenance
Powers Equipment always makes itself available to its customers to help educate and provide tips on the best cleaning and maintenance practices for our commercial refrigerators. If you ever have questions related to tips on how to clean and maintain your refrigeration equipment, we are happy to share our knowledge and ensure that your equipment lives up to your standards. Contact us today to learn more about the proper cleaning and maintenance of your commercial refrigeration unit.