How to Keep Your Mobile Kitchen Trailer Clean

One challenge that mobile kitchen trailers tend to face is keeping their kitchen clean. Remember this is a commercial kitchen and you are providing food services, so cleanliness, sanitization and safety always need to be top priorities. 

It can be difficult to find the time during the day to keep your mobile kitchen clean—especially when you have large food service quantities or busy “rush” periods. This is why it is so important to make cleaning part of your daily regimen. Here are a few tips you can follow to keep your mobile kitchen trailer clean:

Clean All Day

You may only do a super deep cleaning at the very end of the day when the kitchen is shut down for food service. However, there are necessary cleaning steps to take throughout the day for improved safety and sanitization. The checklist below should help you get started with a few of the basics.

• Clean every cooking surface between each shift. 
• Switch out cutting boards regularly. 
• Empty the trash at least once every hour or two.
• Empty, wash and sanitize coolers storing food or drinks
• Clean coffee machines and all small appliances
• Remove baking racks and clean as necessary
• Clean all cookware after use
• Clean any utensils, including can openers

Meat Safety

Raw meats are used in most every commercial kitchen. All standard health codes and food-handling safety requirements should be observed by your staff to minimize unsanitary conditions and prevent dangerous bacteria like salmonella from thriving. Some raw fruits and vegetables can have bacteria hazards, as well. If you are dealing with raw ingredients like beef, pork, poultry or fish, you should have very strict cleaning processes in place. 

Scrape grilling surfaces in between orders, don’t reuse cutting boards and sanitize any surfaces, utensils or cookware before and after it comes into contact with meat products. Even utensils that are near raw meat, but never used, should still be cleaned and sanitized properly. Germs and bacteria can spread between surfaces very easily. Clean and sanitize your cooler, refrigerator and freezer where meats and other ingredients are stored. 

Deep Clean

The above steps are small, but necessary, steps you should be taking throughout the day to keep things clean and safe. At the end of the day, you may perform a more thorough deep cleaning of the entire kitchen. Clean and sanitize all surfaces (including floors). Throw out any trash or spoiled ingredients. Check and clean all your cold and dry storage areas as necessary.

Periodic Cleaning 

Some cleaning activities may not need to happen every single day. We’re talking about cleaning the grease trap on your grill, removing oil and cleaning a deep fryer, cleaning out dust and grease from behind appliances, cleaning ovens, etc. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning and maintaining any appliance. This is very important when you own a mobile kitchen trailer or are renting for a longer time period. Some steps may not be necessary for short-term mobile kitchen trailer rentals. 

It’s always smart to keep your mobile kitchen trailer clean, healthy and safe for your kitchen staff and your customers. 

To learn more about custom mobile kitchen trailers for rent or purchase for your special event or other temporary uses, contact Mobile Kitchens USA.