No matter how much you love your walk-in cooler or freezer, it’s likely that it could use some TLC once in a while. You may not know the best way to clean your walk-in, but this article will show you just that! Whether you have carpeted floors or easy-to-clean tile, this guide on the best way to clean your walk-in will help you get back on track with keeping your operation running smoothly and at peak efficiency.
Step 1: Gather all the supplies you need
An old mop, cleaning spray, rags and paper towels. Goggles and a mask to keep you safe. A respirator is recommended if you’re using chemicals.
Step 2: Remove everything from your walk-in cooler or freezer
Remove all items from your walk-in cooler or freezer. If you run a restaurant, grocery store, deli, bakery, etc., and have perishable foods in your walk-in cooler or freezer that can’t be stored outside at 50°F (10°C) or less for more than 4 hours: Do not leave these perishables inside of your refrigerator services near me during deep cleaning. These foods will be fine as long as they are kept out of temperatures over 50 degrees Fahrenheit and are properly packaged.
Step 3: Give the Walls and Ceiling a Thorough Washing
Start in one corner of your walk-in cooler and use a damp cloth with mild, nonabrasive detergent. Work your way across until all visible dirt is gone. To clean vents, fans, knobs, and other hard-to-reach areas, use an old toothbrush—it will get into nooks and crannies that won’t be reached by cloth alone.
Step 4: Sanitize your equipment
After cleaning your walk-in cooler, it’s time to sanitize. This step is often overlooked, and there are many different methods for sanitizing your equipment. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends using a mixture of chlorine bleach and water. The EPA also says that bleach is effective on kitchen surfaces like countertops, but cautions that you should use great care in its use.
Step 5: Remove odors with vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice
A strong smelling cleaning solution can overwhelm your senses, masking odors instead of removing them. To give your refrigerator an odor-eliminating deep clean, combine vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice in a 1:1:1 ratio. Spray onto areas that need deodorizing and let sit for an hour. Remove all food from shelves before you clean so you don’t contaminate it with potentially harmful chemicals.
Step 6: Wash down your shelves, racks, door bins, and drawers with soap and water
Scrub your shelves and racks with soap and water, being sure to hit corners, edges, crevices, and cracks. Once they’re clean, wipe them down with a damp cloth to remove any grime. If you don’t have time for an in-depth cleaning job right now, at least make sure these parts of your cooler are sanitary enough so that neither food nor bacteria linger there—cleanliness is essential when dealing with food storage.
Step 7: Rinse everything thoroughly
Soap residue and dirt won’t come off if you don’t rinse everything well. Rinse down walls, shelving, flooring and equipment until all soap has been rinsed away. A power washer is an ideal tool for washing away stubborn dirt. If you choose not to use a power washer, be sure to let your walk-in air dry completely before replacing items in it.
Step 8. Organize everything as you put it back in your walk-in cooler or freezer
If you cleaned up your walk-in cooler and freezer with just water and soapy water, dry everything off before you organize it back into its proper place. If you were using a sanitizing agent like bleach, don’t worry about drying anything off—just make sure that no part of your product comes in contact with bleach. Either way, be careful not to scratch any metal parts as you put things back together.
Step 9. Enjoy your clean walk-in cooler!
After we’ve deep cleaned your walk-in cooler. It will be nice and shiny—even better than it was when you first opened your restaurant. After all that hard work, there’s no way you won’t be tempted to go in there and enjoy your fancy new space! So go on; open up that door and head right in—we don’t blame you one bit.
