How to Clean Commercial Refrigeration: Tips for maintenance and more

You need a commercial refrigerator for your food business. Cooling everything down to perfection is important. It's important to perform routine cleaning on your unit between routine visits to your mechanic. Not only can a filthy refrigerator cause bacteria to grow, it can also cause your refrigerator to excessive energy consumption and shorten its lifespan. Commercial refrigeration repairs can also be pretty pricey and regular maintenance will prevent this.

We'll cover step-by step instructions for cleaning and organizing your commercial refrigerator, walk in, or freezer to keep the freshest food in the kitchen.

How to Clean commercial refrigeration

Switch off Machine

The first thing you should do if you want to avoid electric shock is unplug your refrigerator/freezer. It’s an easy step, but it is also vital to prevent workplace injuries.

Empty Out the Shelves

The next step should be to remove everything from your refrigerator or freezer. Don't just move the containers from one side of the refrigerator to the other; instead, take them out and put them on the counter where you can sort out expired produce.

Dispose of Any Expired or Moldy Food

Perishable foods can easily be overlooked if they're placed at the back or hidden behind other items in a refrigerator. Food spoilage can cause serious health effects. Don’t keep any food you suspect of having been contaminated – it’s just not worth the risk of food poisoning a customer.

Cans and jars that have already been opened should be thrown out unless they've been properly labeled with the time and date of their opening. Always remember that if you're not 100 percent sure, you should probably throw it out. Anything else you haven’t been using for months or anything you aren’t planning on using in the next several weeks should also be thrown away.

Clean the Interior of the Refrigerator or Freezer

Clean your commercial refrigerator or freezer by using a bucket with warm, soapy water and your choice of sponges. Absorbent microfibre cloths and gloves are perfect for cleaning up messes in the refrigerator and removing any messes that have accumulated during the previous cleanings.

Use a Sanitizer

Bacteria and mold tend to accumulate in a refrigerator over time, so it's important to clean them off regularly. Make sure to use a food safe sanitizer, as eventually you’ll be putting items back into the refrigerators. You don't need to wash everything inside out since you've cleaned the interior already. You don't need to use too much of the sanitizer since a little goes a long way. Avoid using any abrasive cleaning solutions.

Vacuum the Condenser and Coils

Dust and debris saps the power being generated in your refrigeration unit's condenser and refrigeration coils by clogging air intake. Over time, dust and debris can collect on your refrigerator, which can end up clogging the air intake. As a result, your condenser and refrigerator coils will need to use more energy to take in air and keep your refrigerator cool, resulting in a less-efficient fridge and a higher utility bill.

Don't forget to Clean Underneath and On Top!

Bits of food collect underneath the unit as well so make sure to clean that area. Cleaning the area around your refrigerator units can be just as important, if not more so, than cleaning the units themselves. Mop the floor thoroughly under and around the refrigerator or freezer. If your units have casters, be sure to pull them away from the wall to reach the walls and floor behind and beneath the unit. Don't forget to clean the top of the unit as well. You can use a damp cloth to wipe out any dirty surfaces as well.

You can also use highly absorbent microfibre cloths to ensure a thorough cleaning.

How to Organizing Your Fridge

• Label any opened products. Labels help you keep track of how long your food has been stored, so you can throw out expired food.
• Use color-coded containers. Colored bins help your staff easily identify what they're looking for.
• Use the "first in, first out" method. First In, First out (FIFO) is an inventory management method where you use the freshest items first and prevent food from staying in your refrigerator for too long.

Steps to Stock Your Freezer:

Once your refrigerator has been cleaned thoroughly, it’s now time to plug it back in and place food back into its proper places. Make sure that you follow proper food placement procedures when putting food back into your commercial refrigerator.

Here is how you can stock your fridge:

• Things to put on Top shelf: Ready-to-eat foods (such as fruits), fresh produce, butter, etc.
• Things to put on Second Shelf: Seafood
• Things to put on Third shelf: Whole cuts of raw pork and meat
• Things to put on Fourth Shelf: Ground meat and fish
• Things to put on Bottom Shelf: Poultry

To avoid juices and bacteria dripping down onto the food below, place raw meat and poultry on lower shelves.

How to Clean Refrigerator Coils

If you allow a large buildup of dust or debris, it can decrease the efficiency of the unit, which means it consumes more energy, increases operating costs, and reduces the unit’s life span. This can also cause a compressor failure, which may result in a costly repair if not caught early.

Regular cleaning of the refrigeration condenser coils are among the easiest refrigeration maintenance jobs to do. To keep your unit running efficiently and at peak performance, clean it at least once every three months.

These are some simple instructions for cleaning a commercial refrigerator condenser:

1. Empty it out: Remove all the perishables from the refrigerator before you start. Put them into another container or temporary cooler to keep them fresh. 
2. Turn off power to the machine – Unplug the machine from the wall socket or turn off the electricity. Locate the condenser coil (or heat exchanger) and fan – Some models may have them located in the front on the floor or on the back of the unit. Older models may have coils across the back of the unit. Read the manufacturer's guide for more information.
3. Remove the cover or grates – Most units have a cover or grate covering the condenser coil. Make sure to remove it so you can pull out the coils. The grate may come off easily, or it might be held in place by screws.
4. Clean off dust or build-up debris – Carefully brush off the coils and fan by brushing them off with a stiff bristle brush.
5. Use a Vacuum Cleaner for coils and surrounding area – To carefully remove any dust on or near the coils, you can use a vacuum. Do this carefully to avoid damaging the coils.
6. Remove grease – Avoid grease to accumulate to prevent damaging the coils. If there is a lot of stuck-on grease on your refrigerator, use an OEM-approved degreaser to get rid of it. Follow your owner’s instructions for proper cleaning procedures and recommended cleaners.
7. Straighten any bent condenser fins if necessary – If any of the fan fins are bent, straighten them using a fin straightener.
8. Reattach the grate – Once everything is cleaned, reattach the grate to the unit.
9. Switch Power On – Plug the refrigerator/freezer into an outlet and you can now restock your refrigeration unit.

Tips for Maintaining your unit

You need a commercial refrigerator for your restaurant if you want to keep all your beverages and ingredients at their best. It's important to perform regular maintenance on your unit between routine servicing visits. Having a hard time maintaining your unit during hot, summer times? Check out this guide for helpful tips.

Here are some helpful commercial refrigerant maintenance tips to keep your equipment clean and running well:

Clean the interior and exterior consistently.

Try to schedule a regular cleaning of your entire refrigerator on a weekly or biweekly basis.

Make sure that you're using proper cleaning solutions and materials when cleaning stainless steel exterior. Use non abrasive scrubbers or sponges as well as non-chlorine cleaners. You can use a wet cloth or soft brush to wipe off the surface. For routine maintenance, a mixture of warm water and a mild soap or detergent works best. You can also try mixing parts of vinegar and clean water. To get rid of grease or baked-on foods, you could use a baking soda paste or a suitable stainless steel degreaser instead.

Clean the Condenser Coil on a Regular Basis

Cleaning your commercial refrigerator or freezer’s condenser coil regularly is important. Many manufacturers recommend cleaning your vacuum once every three months, but most manuals provide specific cleaning tips for different models. Dusty or dirty coil can make it difficult to keep the proper temperature stable, which can cause overheating and component failure

Follow the instructions listed above to keep your condenser coil clean.

Check the Area by the Evaporator Coil

Like the condenser coils, the evaporator coils are a vital component to your refrigerators. The evaporator coil absorbs heat as warm air passes though the refrigeration system, cooling the unit's interior. Keep the surrounding area near the coils clean and free from food waste or food debris on a regular basis.

Don't fill up the inside of your refrigerator with too many items. If you block air flow by the vents inside the unit, the coil could freeze, causing water leaks and a rise of cabinet temperature.

Make Sure to Check the Gaskets Often

Refrigeration units require gaskets for proper operation. If you're using any type of split or crack, you could be preventing the door from sealing shut. If a gasket needs replacing, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for replacement. For example, when replacing a True fridge gasket, you must replace it using the gasket associated with the serial and model number of your unit.

If there are no cracks or splits, you should still regularly clean the gaskets so that they don't get damaged. If the unit is in a restaurant or commercial kitchen, then it should be cleaned more frequently. Grease and dirt can wear out the gaskets over time if they're not cleaned regularly.

Ensure Air Filters Are Clean

Grease and dust can clog up your commercial refrigerator's air filters. If there is a buildup of dirt inside the unit, then it may not be able to ventilate properly so that's why regular cleaning is important. Use a powerful shop vacuum to remove any dust or loose debris, and use a degreaser to eliminate any thick grease from the surface. Consult your unit's service manual for advice on how to properly clean the filter.

Too much grease and dirt can damage the air filter and regular deep cleaning can prevent this. If you notice splits in the debris, make sure you replace the filter right away.

Ensure that Drain Pans and Tubes are Clean

A commercial fridge or freezer can attract a lot of sludge and slime. If this happens, your unit may freeze up. Check your drain pan and any tubes that might be prone to clogs. If your drain is clogged with gunk and smells bad, it can emit a foul odor throughout your kitchen space To clean drain pans and tubes, use a vinegar solution or soapy water.

If there is excess grease, it can cause the drain tubes to clog up. Check the tubing regularly to prevent significant blockages. If there is a major clogging in your built-in drain hoses, it causes an overflow in your defroster system that leaks onto your floors. If you notice calcium deposits or water spots on the outside of the hoses, wash them with soap and water so they don't cause any damage.

Always Keep Your Refrigeration Unit Dry

Make sure to clean up any liquid that accumu­lates on the shelves or surface of your reach-in refrigerators. Too much moisture buildup can lead to freezing inside your refrigerator or freezer. You should not only clean up spills immediately, you also should check for water buildup at least once a week.

This maintenance schedule applies to walk-in refrigerators too. If you want to prevent slips and falls in your refrigerator, remove any moisture from the floor.

Need Commercial Refrigeration for your business?

Here at Culinary Depot, we carry different types of commercial refrigeration that are perfect for any business.

May it be:

• Reach-In Refrigerators and Freezers
• Prep Refrigeration
• Merchandising & Display Refrigeration
• Undercounter Refrigerators
• Bar Refrigerator
• Undercounter Freezer
• Worktop Freezers
• Worktop Refrigerators

 Contact us or visit our online store for more information about any commercial machines to keep your produce fresh!