Monthly Archives: January 2024

Glass Cooking Top Cleaning Best Practices

Ceramic glass top stoves are sleek, minimalist, and costly but rapidly become discolored with spills and grease. And if they are not properly cleaned, the damage might be permanent. Unlike regular stovetops, these stovetops feature hidden burners that are only visible when heated and become red.

There is no doubting the aesthetic attractiveness of glass top stoves, but they, like luxury cars, must be handled with caution. As a rule of thumb, properly clean the surfaces.

To help you out, here are cooktop best practices to ensure that your surfaces remain as straightforward as possible.

Don’t let the cooktops remain dirty for too long.

A clean glass top stove is lovely, but its flawless appearance rarely lasts long. After use, water stains, oil drips, or dried food globs are always present.

Unfortunately, according to cooktops repair professionals, even little spatters are visible due to the surface’s dark and lustrous appearance. And if you continue to use it without cleaning the surface, the muck will accumulate, heat up, and cool down, making it much more difficult to remove, and the crustiness may leave scratches when you wipe it off.

Leaving food stains on a glass-top stove impacts its cooking performance. Messes like these form barriers on top of the surface, affecting how heat is transported to cooking pots and pans. As a result, your food may cook unevenly.

Grease stains can potentially catch fire if not handled properly. Most people don’t have time to clean a glass top stove right after meals, but try to do it as soon as possible. Being careful about this can help extend the life of the glass top stove, which is expensive to replace.

Always wait for the cooktops to cool down before cleaning them

Glass top stoves feature heat indicators to alert you that they are still hot. You should look out for a little, additional light near the knobs or touchpad. If the light is on, you should avoid touching the cooktop.

Attempting to clean it before the surface has cooled may result in burns and even fires (if you use a cloth or towel). Although we indicated that removing crusted-on food from a glass-topped burner is more difficult, you must still wait until it is safe.

Even if you don’t feel the heat or see the burners ignite through the glass top, the entire surface might be extremely hot.

Unwanted fumes are another reason to hold off. If you apply a cleaning product on a still-hot stove top (hot vinegar smells incredibly unpleasant), the product evaporates and becomes less effective.

If you wish to speed up the cooling process, use a fan or open the window. Do not touch the surface until the indicator light turns off. If yours does not have one, consult the manufacturer’s instructions to determine how long you should wait.

Don’t use abrasive cleaning products.

Don’t use abrasive cleaning products as much as you want to keep your surfaces clean.

Abrasive cleaning products, such as steel wool pads, are effective for cleaning pots and pans but should never be used on a glass-topped stove. This is because glass may be scratched by anything tougher than it, even steel.

Steel wool pads are made of bundled fine metal wires (steel is a type of metal) with abrasive edges, available with or without cleaning chemicals; steel wool is sometimes used instead of sandpaper.

Should you use that to clean your glass-topped stove? It’s not wise to do it.

Don’t throw away your steel wool pads; you can still use them at your sink or workbench. They’re also useful for blocking up openings where mice and other pests try to enter.

Since it is too abrasive, you should avoid steel wool when cleaning stainless steel, plastic, and non-stick coatings. Do yourself a favor and keep those pads and other scouring pads away from the glass-top stove so no one accidentally grabs one.

The same rules apply to scrub brushes and abrasive scrubbing pads. You might think these are ideal for removing cooked-on gunk off glass stovetops, but they can also leave visible scratches.

Use the recommended cleaning products.

Now that you know that glass top stoves cannot accept abrasive cleaning materials and tools, what are your options? A few companies make solutions designed to clean these delicate surfaces, which you may purchase in stores or online.

To be safe, use non-abrasive stovetop cleaning products containing feldspar, quartz, and citric acid. When handling such products, use a cloth and keep your hands away from your eyes.

To use the product, scrape any dried or burnt-on food debris with the scraper before wiping down the surface with a soft towel. Next, apply the cleanser to the scrubbing pad and remove the stains.

Use the product once per month or as needed for the best outcome. You should use a clean, dry cloth instead of a pad to buff the surface to a good shine.

Don’t use a glass cleaner.

Glass cleaning products might be an excellent choice for ceramic glass top stoves and cooktops, but they may contain harsh chemicals and create stains. If you use them too frequently, they may cause permanent discoloration.

Glass cleaners contain surfactants such as lauryl dimethyl amine oxide and 2-phenoxyethanol, as well as isopropanolamine (a solvent), fragrance, and colors. These products could induce discoloration on glass stovetops, so avoid them.

Use vinegar

Vinegar is a well-known cleaning agent, so have a large quantity in your home. In the kitchen, you can use it to clean and disinfect cutting boards, floors, and counters and polish your glass cooktop.

You can use it straight from a spray bottle or diluted with water. You can also mix it with a drop of baking soda or dish soap.

The best way to clean a glass cooktop is to spritz it with a 50/50 vinegar and water solution. Spray it over the surface, then wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth.

Vinegar is acidic, so it dissolves filth and dirt. According to appliance repair Northern VA professionals, using vinegar reduces accumulation, and you have an easy time cleaning the surfaces.

What You Need To Know About Kitchen Appliance Repair Service Providers

commercial appliance services

When your kitchen appliances develop problems you should hire a commercial appliances repair professional to fix them.

How to find a good commercial kitchen appliance repairs professional

There are two main ways in which you can find a reputable professional: Doing online research and getting recommendations from friends, relatives and fellow business people.

Online research: One of the best places for you to find trusted appliance repair professionals is on the Internet. All you need to do is use Google, Bing, or Yahoo and find the top ranked repair professionals in your area. You can find a high-quality professional by typing a keyword such as commercial oven maintenance professional Arlington. When doing your research get as much information about the professional as possible. Pay attention to the reviews left by previous customers.

Recommendations from friends: If you don’t trust the online reviews you should get referrals from friends, relatives, and fellow business people. Chances are that your friends and relatives have faced the same problems as you are facing with your kitchen appliances thus know of a reputable service provider that can fix them.  The cool thing with getting referrals is that you are sure that the professional has the experience and ability to fix the problem that your appliances have.

Factors to consider when hiring a commercial kitchen appliance service provider

When hiring, you shouldn’t hire any contractor that comes your way. Kitchen appliances are complicated and one simple mistake can result in you replacing the appliance which is expensive. The factors that you should consider when hiring include:

Certification of the repair service provider: The certification of the professional is an important factor to consider when hiring. As rule of thumb ensure that that the professional you hire is certified to operate in your local area.

The experience of the professional: You should also consider the number of years that the kitchen appliance service provider has been operating. Just like in any other industry, the more the experienced the service provider is, the higher the quality of work that you should expect. An experienced service provider has come across many kitchen appliance problems thus won’t have problems fixing any problem that your unit might be having

Conclusion

This is what you need to know about fixing kitchen appliances. For ideal results hire a contractor that is experienced in fixing specific appliances. For example, if it’s the refrigerator that has problems, hire a commercial refrigerators services provider.

Commercial Garbage Disposal Service: Reasons Why You Should Install A Garbage Disposal

commercial garbage disposal maintenance

As a restaurant or hotel owner, it’s paramount that you have a garbage disposal in your property. This is because there are many benefits that come with having the unit. The benefits recommended by commercial garbage disposal service providers are:

Garbage disposal aids in environmental preservation

When you dispose food in a landfill, it rots and emits methane gas. According to the US environmental protection agency, methane causes global warming up to 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Due to the installation of the garbage disposal, you don’t have to worry about the food finding its way into the landfill as it’s caught by the unit.

Having a garbage disposal means fewer food scraps in your trash. This translates to fewer garbage bags in the truck for transport. Due to this, the trash truck makes fewer trips thus saving plenty of fuel. This also aids in environmental preservation.

Garbage disposal makes it easy for you to clean your kitchen

In the restaurant, you deal with a lot of plates and you have to clean them as fast as possible. If you don’t have a garbage disposal in place you have to scrap each dish carefully into the trash in order to avoid clogging your drains. This greatly slows down the dish cleaning process. With the garbage disposal system in place, you don’t worry about food getting into the drains.

You only need to turn on the water to flow into the sink drain and then after a while drop all the waste food into the garbage disposal. You should then turn on the garbage disposal and let it grind the waste into tiny particles. After this flush the waste down the drain and into the sewer management system. For effective grinding of the waste, commercial kitchen appliance service providers recommend that you regularly hire a professional to inspect the system and fix it.

The commercial garbage disposal saves you a lot of money

With the garbage disposal in place, you have fewer drainage problems. This means that you save the money that you would have spent on drain pipe unclogging and repair.

Conclusion

These are some of the reasons why you should consider installing a garbage disposal in your business. How well the unit functions and how long it lasts depends on the commercial garbage disposal maintenance service Fairfax that you provide. For peace of mind hire a professional at least once a year to inspect the system and fix any problems that it might be having.

Commercial Refrigerators Service: Tips On How To Keep Your Commercial Refrigerator In Top Condition

For generations, refrigerators have been used in restaurants and other commercial areas to keep food cool. To avoid contamination and keep your refrigerator in good working condition you should take good care of it. Here are some of the ways of going about it:

Keep your commercial refrigerator cool

Refrigerators are meant to keep the food put in them cool but according to commercial refrigerators service providers you should also work at keeping your unit cool. One way of accomplishing this is to limit the amount of food items that you put in your unit. Remember that the more the items you put in the refrigerator the less air will be able to circulate thus the less cool the unit will be.

You should also avoid placing the refrigerator in direct sunlight or next to heat producing appliances. Commercial kitchen appliance repairs recommend that you shouldn’t leave the refrigerator door open longer than it should. Remember that the cooler you keep your refrigerator, the more efficient it is thus the less the amount of energy you use to cool your food.

Maintain your commercial refrigerator at the right temperature

For the air conditioner to be effective in its working you should maintain it at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. To help you monitor the temperature inside your unit place an appliance thermostat in the refrigerator. If your property has had a power outage for a long time, avoid taking the food that you might have placed in the refrigerator as it’s most likely contaminated by bacteria.

Regularly clean your commercial refrigerator

Regular refrigerator cleaning not only maintains the unit in good condition, it also aids in keeping food inside fresh. For a clean look use a clean sponge and warm water and clean both the inside and outside of the unit. Avoid using chemical cleaners as they have negative effects on the taste of food. Chemicals have also been shown to degrade the refrigerators. After cleaning the unit, use a piece of cloth or paper towel to dry it.

Store the products properly in the refrigerator

How you place the food products has a great impact on the effectiveness of the cooling process and the durability of your unit. Store fish, meat, poultry, and other food products at the bottom of the refrigerator. To avoid damaging the refrigerator door, commercial kitchen appliance service Alexandria recommend that you only place light products there. These can be butter, sodas, and condiments.

Commercial Oven Repair: Common Oven Problems

commercial oven repair

Just like any other unit in your kitchen, it’s common for the oven to develop problems. According to commercial oven repair professionals, your oven can have many problems including:

Inability of the gas oven to light

A gas oven is loved by many people for its rapid on-off time. Unfortunately, it tends to develop ignition problems. When the igniter is working properly you will hear it click a few times before the gas gets ignited. When the igniter has problems you will hear a few clicks and then the sound stops entirely. If your unit is behaving this way, you should turn off the gas to avoid catastrophic gas leaks.

In some cases, the gas oven may have delayed ignition that is brought about by blocked ignition ports. Whether the ignition isn’t working entirely or you are experiencing delayed ignition you should hire a commercial appliances service provider to inspect the unit.

Electric oven doesn’t heat

Your electric oven won’t heat if the fuse has blown. If the fuse is intact, you should check the circuit breakers and test them. If there is power to the oven but it still doesn’t heat, you should inspect the heating elements for damage. All you need to do is turn on the oven and wait for the element to glow. A telltale sign that the element is damaged is the failure of one-half of the element to glow.

In some cases, the oven will heat but it doesn’t heat evenly. This is a sign that the heating element is burnt out. Here the element is burnt out on one side affecting one corner of the oven. You can easily replace the element but if you aren’t sure where the problem is, ask a commercial repair professional to have a look at the oven.

Gas odor in the gas oven

If you can smell gas when the oven is in use, it means that there is something wrong. The most common cause of this problem is defective gas valves. The valves might have opened up too soon thus failing to allow the gas ignition to reach the right temperature. This lack of synchrony may result to gas leaks. The odor may also come about due to damaged gas valves. The valves might have got old or a hole might be present.

A gas leak is a serious issue and should be fixed as soon as possible by a commercial kitchen appliance repairs Falls Church.

How to Get Rid of Fridge Smells

If you have a smelly fridge, you should work on getting rid of the smells as soon as possible. This is because the smells make storing your food in the refrigerator undesirable. Sometimes, the smells are too strong that your kitchen is unlivable.

To make your kitchen more comfortable and fun, you need to get rid of these smells. To help you out, here is how to go about it:

Wipe down the fridge

To keep the refrigerator odor-free, clean it regularly by wiping all inner surfaces with a moist cloth.

You should then dry it well with a soft cloth. Clean the outside using a washing-up liquid solution, wiping down any metal parts with a damp cloth. For the best outcome, use a general-purpose e-cloth.

You can do all the wiping yourself without hiring a refrigerator repair professional.

Get rid of the spoiled food.

Spoiled food is the primary cause of a smelly fridge, so you should eliminate it. And there is no magic to it. You simply need to reach the insides of the refrigerator and remove any spoiled or expired products.

To be safe, remove all the materials and only return what is expired.

Use baking soda

You should place an open box of baking soda or a small cup of baking soda on the refrigerator’s shelf. This will help to remove unpleasant odors by absorbing them. You should replace this box every 1-2 months for optimal results.

Use coffee grounds

Like baking soda, coffee grounds will also absorb the smells. You should place a bowl of freshly ground coffee in the refrigerator. The coffee grinds will absorb and hide odors. To keep your fridge smelling fresh, replace the grounds every several days.

Make use of vanilla.

Here, you need to soak a cotton ball or piece of cloth in vanilla extract and refrigerate. Vanilla has a perfume that will disguise other odors.

Mask the smells using citrus peels.

You need to soak a cotton ball or piece of cloth in vanilla extract and chill. Vanilla has a pleasant aroma that can mask the odors.

Tricks to keep your fridge smelling fresh

Prevention is always better than cure. Instead of working hard to restore your fridge smelling good, you should keep it fresh all the time, negating the need to use smell-killing materials.

Some of the things you need to do to achieve this include:

Make use of the humidity controls

You need to keep your food fresher for longer by storing it in the ‘crisper’ drawer, a dedicated section where you can manage the internal moisture level.

Most of the modern humidity drawers have two settings: you should place farmers’ products, such as fruits and leafy greens, in the high-humidity drawer, while poultry and fish are best stored in a low-moisture environment to avoid condensation and bacteria from forming.

Use airtight containers

The thrifty will be familiar with keeping leftovers to reduce food waste. The rookie mistake you can make is putting leftovers in a bowl with clingfilm or tin foil on top (tin foil is the worst because it makes it difficult to see what food is inside!)

Using airtight containers will keep the food fresher for longer and prevent any unpleasant odors from escaping if you mistakenly leave it in the fridge past its prime.

Be organized

So, you have your airtight containers, but do you recall when you put the leftover lasagne in the fridge? Labeling and dating your leftovers will not only keep you from getting food illness but also keep the food from spoiling.

This is because you can tell when the food will get spoiled and remove it.

When labeling the food, do it in an open area where everyone can see it. You also should write the dates in bold, big letters so that someone doesn’t have to fish for them.

Keep your shelves clean.

You need to clean any movable portions of the refrigerator, such as the shelves and drawers. Thankfully, most modern fridges simplify this by providing easy access to glass shelves and drawers you can easily remove.

All you have to do is soak them in warm, soapy water for a few minutes before using a kitchen sponge to remove stains. Allow the shelves to air-dry completely as you thoroughly clean the refrigerator.

Make it a habit to remove spills immediately.

It’s a good practice to wipe up spills and drips right away. If you don’t do this, you might have to deal with them when they’ve caked up and started to smell. And you don’t want this, do you?

Besides cleaning the spills immediately, you also should line the shelves of your fridge with fridge liners. The liners will absorb unexpected spills and are easy to dispose of. When a mess occurs, just remove and wash the affected liner rather than cleaning the entire fridge.

Watch the temperature of your appliance.

Bad odors are frequently produced by food rotting, which is why fridge temperature is critical. A high temperature causes food spoiling, but a low temperature may cause energy waste. Ideally, adjust your refrigerator to 0 to 4 degrees Celsius and freezer to -18 degrees Celsius.

If your fridge or freezer is still not cold enough after you’ve adjusted the temperature, it could be a sign of a bigger problem.

Call an appliance repair Alexandria professional to inspect your refrigerator for leaks, drip pan issues, or a malfunctioning defrost drain. If not addressed, these concerns can boost refrigerator temperatures and cause food to spoil prematurely. Which, in turn, leads to the bad smells that you don’t want.

When hiring a repair professional, don’t hire just any other. Take your time to find a reputable one that knows what they are doing. The last thing you should do is to hire a contractor who causes more harm than your unit had.

Guide To Professional Commercial Garbage Disposal Maintenance

commercial garbage disposal

Many people have voted the garbage disposal as one of the greatest kitchen appliance discoveries of the 20th century. In addition to preventing your drain pipes from getting clogged from the things that you flush down there, it also brings about convenience. It also keeps your kitchen clean and comfortable to live in. To keep your appliance working for long you should undertake proper garbage disposal maintenance Vienna. To help you out, here are tips on how to go about it:

Keep the garbage disposal biodegradable

To avoid constant commercial appliances repair you should be cautious of what you put there. To be on the safe side ensure that you only put organic matter there. You should avoid fibrous materials such as onion skins and corn shucks as they can get wrapped around the blades causing them to jam. In worse situations, the blades can malfunction. You should also never put oils in the garbage disposal.

Regularly use the garbage disposal

It’s common for some restaurant owners to have more than one garbage disposals. If this is the case with you, you shouldn’t completely ignore the disposal that you don’t regularly use—you should sometimes fire it up. According to commercial garbage disposal maintenance professionals, regular use of the unit prevents the moving parts from corroding. This aids in ensuring that the unit doesn’t lock up.

In addition to regularly using the unit, you should also regularly clean it. The best way of doing it is using hot water and dish washing soap. The soap will get rid of sludge and bad smells in the unit. To avoid damaging your unit, avoid using harsh chemicals to clean it.

Hire professional garbage disposal repair

Even with the best care, it’s common for the garbage disposal to stop working from time to time. When the unit stops working you should hire a professional commercial garbage disposal service provider to repair it. There are some restaurant owners that make the mistake of hiring their friends or anyone that says that he/she can fix the unit. While you will save money by hiring anyone, you will have declared the death of your unit as the person you hire won’t give the service that your unit deserves.

Conclusion

These are maintenance tips for your commercial garbage disposal. When your unit gets jammed, never reach into the unit with your hands as the blades are extremely sharp. If the unit develops problems, hire an experienced commercial kitchen appliance service provider to fix it.

Commercial Dishwasher Repairs: How To Maintain Your Dishwasher

commercial dishwasher repairs

The dishwasher saves you plenty of time and energy as it does the work for you. To avoid expensive commercial dishwasher repairs Vienna you need to take good care of your unit. To help you out here are tips on how to take good care of it:

Properly load the dishwasher

The way that you load the unit greatly determines how it works and how long it lasts. To avoid damaging the racks you need to load it carefully. The racks are made of steel wire and coated with a vinyl material that gets damaged when used roughly. Your dishes also have sharp edges that can cut through the vinyl coating thus exposing the metal wire to rust. By carefully loading the dishwasher you protect it from damage thus it lasts for a long time.

Regularly repair the dishwasher racks

Even with the best care of the unit, it’s common for the dishwasher to wear out with time. To prevent the damage from getting extensive thus requiring you to undertake expensive repair, you need to repair the parts as soon as you notice a flaw. If there are any areas in the unit where the vinyl material has come off, you should recoat it to prevent it from becoming too rusted. Due to the movement of the racks, it’s common for them to wear out. If the racks are getting difficult to move, remove the wheels and replace them as soon as possible. The cool thing is that you can easily replace them without requiring the services of commercial appliance services.

Listen to the dishwasher while it’s running

Just because the unit is working properly it doesn’t mean that everything is okay. Sometimes broken glass and bone fragments can enter the pump area causing serious damage to the filters, seals, and impellers. To avoid damage you should make it a habit of listening to the unit while it’s running. If you notice grinding, scraping or rattling noises you should stop the machine and ask a commercial kitchen appliance repairs professional to take a look at it.

Regularly inspect the dishwasher

There is nothing as bad as running your unit blindly without minding of its condition. To avoid being required to undertake expensive emergency commercial appliances repair, you should regularly inspect your unit. You should inspect the door gasket and other parts and ensure that everything is perfect. For ideal results, inspect the unit at least once a week.