One of the most common missed cleaning spots in a restaurant kitchen is underneath (and behind) large kitchen equipment, but this is also one area that the health inspector is guaranteed to check. And we understand, cleaning under these large appliances is a pain: mop strings get stuck in the casters, it takes multiple people to move a 1,000+ pound piece of equipment, yada, yada, yada… but we both know that you still have to get things clean to prevent future issues with rodents and health inspectors.
Whatever is there to do to make cleaning easier?
Turns out Pam McGrew knew what to do. With her first mock-up, which included a pipe flange with a hole, a rubber sink stopper, and some super glue, Pam did a few test runs in her own kitchen and knew she was on to something. Not only did the prototype hold up, it made sliding the equipment easy.
Today, Pam’s invention, named Stoveshoes, can be found in restaurant kitchens around the world. And it really is easy to slide large kitchen appliances away from the wall; in fact, one person can slide an 850 pound double oven like this with only a little force. Pam doesn’t just use Stoveshoes under heavy kitchen equipment though, she’s found that using them even under storage racks helps move fully-loaded racks out of the way without having to remove all of the food from the shelves.
Other great benefits of Stoveshoes include:
[unordered_list style=”green-dot”]- They are guaranteed for the life of the equipment that sits on them. Making them typically last much longer than caster wheels do.
- They don’t get the mop strings tangled in them like casters tend to do.
- They’re rated to pressure of nearly 4,000 pounds per square inch.
- There’s a small whole through them so that any cleaning agents that get on top of them will drip through to the floor, which prevents buildup.
- They don’t destroy your floors when being slid.
Have you tried Stoveshoes in your kitchen? Let us know what you think about them and what advantages/disadvantages you’ve experienced to help others that may be interested in getting them.