Running a Food Truck is a great way to have your own little restaurant without the stress of running a full on eatery. One thing you can’t avoid by going mobile though is the cleanliness needed to run a proper kitchen. A clean and collected mobile kitchen is crucial to any food truck, and today we’re going to run you through our Food Truck Cleaning Guide. 

Ideally, you should do a daily cleaning before and after your operations. This doesn’t need to be a thorough deep cleaning, however, you should be sure to do the following:

• • Brush your grill when you are switching between meat, poultry, and fish.
• • Switch up and clean cutting boards throughout the day. 
• • Clean up and wipe down the cooking line and prep areas.
• • Empty the trash.

And when you’re done with your shift be sure to do the following:

• • Clean the equipment such as fryers, grills, microwave, cooking utensils,  etc.
• • Clean and sanitize all cooking surfaces including the cooking line and prep areas, cutting boards, and service window / ledge.
• • Sweep and mop the truck.
• • Replace foil linings where necessary.
• • Rinse down the hood filters.

We recommend performing the following tasks weekly as well:

• • Clean out your freezers
• • Clean hood grease baffle filters. 
• • Empty and clean the ice machine.
• • Clean and wash the dry storage areas.

We recommend performing the following tasks monthly as well:

• • Clean your exhaust hood and filters
• • Check your exhaust fan to make sure it is working properly and free of grease.
• • Clean and wash behind your equipment such as the stove, oven, and fryers.
• • Clean and wash down the walls and ceilings.
• • Calibrate equipment such as the ovens and thermometers.

Every 6 months or so you should do a more thorough cleaning and check of the food truck:

• • Check the fire extinguishers
• • Check the fire suppression systems
• • Clean the pilot lights on your gas equipment.

Obviously, every Food Truck is different and upkeep can differ based on the amount of food cooked, the location, time of year, etc. However following this basic cleaning schedule should keep your Food Truck clean and up to date to tackle any day of cooking!