CLEANING AND HYGIENE IN THE KITCHEN

What are the main challenges when it comes to cleaning in take-away activities and how can you overcome them brilliantly?

Our experts answer.

What are the cleaning and hygiene challenges for the kitchen of a takeaway business? For example, do takeaway kitchens tend to be more cramped and cluttered, and possibly less well equipped than in dine-in restaurants?

Kitchens are extremely sensitive areas that need to be handled with extreme care, to maintain a high level of hygiene. In these environments, cleaning and sanitizing must be applied rigorously, complying with the relevant provisions.

Beyond that, we should consider that takeaway kitchens are usually smaller than the dine-in restaurants’ ones, thus their cleaning should consider some specific needs: in particular, they require suitable equipment to guarantee a thorough and long-lasting level of cleanliness and ready-to-use solutions for prompt interventions. All the equipment must be compact so that the pass easily through confined spaces.

Is speed of food delivery particularly important in a takeaway? Does this mean all equipment and surfaces need to be cleaned more quickly to facilitate a fast throughput?

Speed is pivotal in a takeaway, both in terms of food delivery and cleaning. Therefore, it is essential to use professional products and systems that allow achieving thorough cleanliness in a short amount of time.

Equipment needs to be handy, lightweight, and user-friendly to make cleaning and sanitizing operations easier and faster.

Are customers more likely to watch their food being prepared in a takeaway than in a restaurant? Should all hygienic practices be highly visible as a result?

Customers are certainly more likely to watch their food being prepared when they are in a takeaway rather than in a restaurant. It is reassuring to see that cleaning is done regularly, even more since the advent of Covid-19: by showing that takeaways pay attention to cleanliness, they will also enhance their image and perceived quality of service adding considerable value. Assuming this, takeaways need discreet and functional cleaning products and systems whose aesthetic contributes to refine the service standards, by increasing the sensation of the well-being of both employees and customers.

What types of cleaning products and systems do you offer for use in takeaway kitchens? What makes them suitable for smaller areas where food has to be prepared quickly and visibly?

Cleaning takeaway kitchens requires suitable products and systems: to this end, Filmop has designed specific professional solutions that perfectly combine efficiency, ergonomics, and ease of use, ensuring high hygienic standards. Its equipment features an extreme care for details, both aesthetically and from a design point of view.

Filmop suggests ErgoDrop for floor cleaning in small to medium environments: it cleans every surface in an instant and it is ideal in all situations where fast and immediate intervention is required. The system makes cleaning simple, fast, and effortless: it allows dosing the necessary quantity of cleaning solution according to the surface to clean and the dirt degree, preventing accidental spillage. Moreover, its compact size allows you to clean even hard-to-reach areas with ease and the 360° rotation of the grips and the distinctive design of the mop holder joint facilitate the “S” movement, preventing fatigue.

Filmop also offers Top Clean, a system ideal to clean horizontal and vertical surfaces: thanks to its frame, it can be used over a larger area, compared to traditional manual cleaning, thus speeding up and simplifying operations. Top Clean is designed to be used with Filmop high-performing microfiber mops: this combined action easily removes stains, dirt, and dust from any kind of surface, guaranteeing considerable savings in time compared to traditional manual systems.

What effects has Covid-19 had on the takeaway industry? Have kitchen hygiene protocols become stricter, for example, and has there been a growing emphasis on the use of disposable products?

The whole world has been facing a sanitary emergency that has required taking even stricter measures to struggle against the spreading of the Covid-19 virus. Today more than ever, it is pivotal to keep the environments strictly cleaned and disinfected, even more so in case of sensitive ones in contact with foodstuff.

Cleaning each area with a new and fresh cloth prevents the transmission of viruses from one surface to another: using disposable cloths is, therefore, the ideal choice to maintain high standards of hygiene, counteracting the risk of spreading the new Coronavirus as well as dangerous bacteria.

Filmop's wide range of equipment includes disposable cloths and mops that ensure effective surface and floor cleaning while combating cross-contamination. One of the latest products is Mono-Roll, the disposable pierced layer TNT cloth that optimizes surface cleaning and disinfection operations, satisfying every need: it can be used with spray or soaked in the 4 lt plastic bucket, pulling the cloths out of the central opening of the airtight cover. In both cases, it ensures high performance: it removes and traps dirt, leaving the surface clean and sanitized. It also guarantees maximum efficiency thanks to the high absorbency and homogeneous release of the cleaning solution.

Is there likely to be more focus on takeaway businesses in future? And will there be new hygiene solutions specifically developed to serve this sector?

The main Cleaning goal in all food-related environments will always supply suitable tools to preserve a high level of hygiene and ensure maximum safety, in compliance with regulations. Filmop will continue to be committed to analyzing the specific needs of the sector to offer high-performance equipment that thoroughly supports the cleaning and sanitizing activities.