Walk in Freezer Wiki

Commercial kitchens make use of walk-in freezers as well as chillers to store their fresh food products.  After all, the restaurant will be feeding a lot of diners, and the establishment is going to need a bigger space where they can store the food products.  For this reason, it is very important that the walk-in freezer and chiller are always kept clean and free from grime and dust as these can increase bacteria buildup.  Bacteria buildup can lead to health problems for the diners and legal problems for the restaurants.

Why Clean the Walk-In Freezers and Chillers?

As stated above, it is for heath reasons that the walk-in freezers and chillers should be cleaned regularly by the stewarding department.  A dirty walk-in freezer and chiller will greatly reduce the quality of the food products even before they are prepared and cooked.  This is because the dirt and grime may have contaminated the food products.  Furthermore, since walk-in freezer and chiller are very chilly, you might not notice the bad odor coming from a rotting food product simply because it has been frozen and the liquid is not giving off the bad odor.

Common Dirty Areas of the Walk-In Freezer and Chiller

The most common areas where dirt, grime, and other solid particles tend to accumulate in walk-in freezer and chiller are the bottom tray as well as the freezer.  The trays as well as the gaps also accumulate dirt and grime, and bacteria buildup can also be found on the fridge flooring.  As part of the Stewarding Department, kitchen stewards should also check the filter and the fan of the walk-in freezer and chiller and make sure that you include these areas when you clean the walk-in freezer and chiller.

Common Guidelines in Cleaning Walk-In Freezer and Chiller

There are some dangers associated in cleaning walk-in freezer and chiller, so care should be taken by the kitchen stewards to avoid accidents.  For one, the stewards run the risk of freezing because of the very low temperature inside the walk-in freezer and chiller.  Plus, they could also slip inside the walk-in freezer and chiller and sustain an impact injury.

For this reason, here are some common guidelines when it comes to cleaning walk-in freezer and chiller.

  1. The chief steward should always make it a point to show the stewarding department staff where the emergency release handle or button is.  Furthermore, the stewards should be taught how to use the handle or button in case one of them gets locked inside the walk-in freezer and chiller.
  2. Never, ever clean the walk-in freezer and chiller when you are feeling weak or sick.  Make sure that you have somebody with you to help you out, or better yet, inform your chief steward that you are ill or sick since you will be working near food products.
  3. In case that you will be cleaning the walk-in freezer and chiller alone, make sure that another kitchen steward knows exactly where you are and what you will be doing.
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