How to Clean Kitchen Appliances

Seasoned food professionals know how important it is to keep their appliances clean. It helps combat cross-contamination and ensures equipment stays in top shape. If you’re at home and looking to clean your kitchen appliances just like professionals do, we share all the tips and best cleaning supplies to help you get the job done efficiently and safely.

Tips for Cleaning Your Appliances at Home

Check out these helpful steps on the best cleaning techniques and make sure you purchase cleaning supplies at your wholesale grocery supply store so you can stock up without blowing your budget.

5 Steps to Clean Your Refrigerator

Your refrigerator holds your family’s go-to meals and ingredients - from produce to raw meats, dairy, leftovers, and beverages. Keeping it clean is essential to keep food safe to avoid foodborne illness and bacteria growth. Plus, it will help alleviate those lingering old-food smells.

1. Remove all the food from your fridge and eliminate any old items.
2. Take out all the shelves and drawers and soak them in soapy water.
3. Thoroughly wipe down the interior using soapy water.
4. Clean and dry your drawers and shelves, then put them back in the fridge.
5. Restock your fridge with your food. For extra safety, follow food hierarchy storageguidelines.

Note: Don’t use bleach or harsh cleaning solvents as they can taint your food.

4 Steps to Clean Your Microwave

When microwaving our favorite leftovers, we all have experienced a sauce explosion. While we all intend to wipe up spills as they happen, sometimes we let food splatter build up. Thankfully, cleaning can be a breeze.

1. Take out the turntable and soak it in warm, soapy water.
2. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with vinegar and water, and place it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. The steam helps deodorize the interior and softens cooked on foods.
3. Thoroughly wipe down the interior of your microwave with a sponge.
4. Clean and dry the turntable before replacing it.

Note: If microwave residue needs extra cleaning power, forgo the bowl of water. Instead, spray an appliance cleaner like Dawn Power Dissolver, then turn on the microwave for 2 minutes.

2 Steps to Clean Your Stovetop

Stovetops can accumulate a fair amount of grease, grime, and food debris. With a little bit of elbow grease, those burnt leftovers can be gone in no time.

1. Remove all the burner grates and soak them in soapy water or a multi-purpose cleaner. For gas stoves, take off and clean the burner caps. For electric stoves, disconnect the burner coils and hand wash them with a sponge, making sure to avoid getting the connections wet.
2. Use a stainless steel cleaner for your metal elements and an industrial-strength degreaser on the stovetop.

Note: Wear gloves to protect your hands from any chemical cleaning components. Also, use a soft cleaning cloth or sponge to avoid scratching your stovetop.

2 Ways to Clean Your Oven

Cleaning an oven isn’t everyone’s favorite activity. There can be layers of baked-on grease, burnt drippings from baking, and more collected on the bottom and sides. While a dirty oven can be annoying, it can also be dangerous. Excess grease and food debris can be a fire hazard. So, keeping your oven clean is essential to maintain your family’s safety. 

1. Use the self-cleaning function if available. Follow the manufacturer's instructions precisely to ensure you follow all the safety protocols. Once the oven cleaning cycle has finished, wipe the oven clean. 
2. If your oven doesn’t have a self-cleaning option or you want to do a deep clean, you will want to bring in heavy-duty cleaning supplies: spray-on oven cleaners. Clean any of the large pieces of food off first, then spray the cleaner to remove the grime. 

Note: No matter your chosen method, remove the racks and clean them separately with a heavy-duty degreaser like Easy-Off. Also, make sure you wear gloves and a mask throughout the entire process.

Stock Up on Kitchen Cleaning Essentials at US Food CHEF’STORE

There is a reason why restaurant professionals consider us their go-to for restaurant supplies, professional products at wholesale prices. If you want to clean your kitchen appliances with the same level of exceptional products, CHEF’STORE has what you need and more.

We never require a membership fee and offer many convenient locations. What’s more? We partner with a third-party delivery service to bring our items to your door.