I’ve watched too many TV shows on restaurants that fail to clean under their heavy duty equipment, that it seemed fitting to write a post on exactly how easy it is to clean in a place that may seem hard to reach. Not only is it absolutely disgusting to ignore cleaning underneath and behind kitchen equipment, it violates health laws. Working with our friends from Dormont, here’s a list of how to move that heavy equipment out of the way for easy cleaning.
Moving Equipment for Cleaning
- Before moving anything, make sure the equipment is powered off.
- Your equipment should have casters or Stoveshoes, either of which will easily help move the equipment away from the wall. Stop the equipment when the cables (electric, gas, etc.) become taut.
- Reach behind the equipment and unplug the electricity cord.
- You’ll also want to shut off the gas supply at this point. The valve can be found on the main gas line. The valve needs to be turned to the off position.
- To disconnect the gas line, pull back the sleeve of the quick-disconnect coupling (on Dormont lines). Take care with the coupling and electrical cord, as dropping it on the floor could cause damage to these parts.
- Detach the restraining cable – the cable that prevents the equipment from rolling or being pulled too far away from the wall.
- At this point the equipment should be disconnected from the wall and can easily be moved out of the way, which makes cleaning a bit easier. Don’t forget about the wall while cleaning – it needs to get scrubbed too.
- When cleaning, make sure that no cleaners or detergents get into the electrical outlet, gas line (coupler), or the quick-disconnect coupling.
Reattaching Equipment After Cleaning
- Make sure none of the lines you are reattaching are kinked. If they are, simply untwist them.
- Reattach the restraining cable.
- Reattach the quick-disconnect coupling by inserting the plug end into the coupler.
- Turn the gas valve back to on.
- Re-plugin the electrical cord.
- Carefully push the equipment back into place, making sure one of the cords get twisted up and they aren’t being run over by the equipment.
- Light the pilot, if need be, and turn the equipment back on.