Deep cleaning protocol for HORECA commercial kitchens

Restaurant, catering and contract catering kitchens build up polymerised grease on griddles and ovens, a grease film on extraction hoods and filters, organic residues on floors and limescale in the dishwasher. This protocol organises the tasks by frequency and assigns each surface the appropriate Instaquim product with the dose, temperature and contact time from its technical data sheet. It fits into the cleaning and disinfection plan required by Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and the establishment's HACCP system.

Materials required

• Griddgrass – degreaser for burnt-on grease on griddles and ovens (neat or diluted up to 10 %, sprayed at 50-60 °C; not for aluminium)
• Hot Gras – hot-application degreaser for griddles, fryers, grills and gratin units (neat, at 70-80 °C; not for aluminium)
• Quimigras – alkaline degreaser for heavily greased surfaces (neat or diluted up to 10 %; not for aluminium)
• Neutro Gras – low-alkalinity degreaser for tiled walls, machinery and aluminium parts (neat or diluted at 3-10 %; suitable for pressure washers)
• Gras Foam – foaming alkaline degreaser for floors and walls (2-6 % at 20-60 °C; not for aluminium)
• Grasnet – degreaser for heavily greased floors and walls (2-10 %; suitable for pressure washers; not for aluminium)
• Forclin – detergent for ovens with an automatic cleaning system (spray bottle or dosing pump)
• Eco Gras – degreaser with EU Ecolabel certificate No ES-CAT/020/026 for worktops, tiles and appliances (neat, sprayed from 20 cm)
• Bacter 100 – bactericidal and virucidal disinfectant for surfaces and equipment (1 % for 5 min or 5 % for 15 min; registration 19-20-04311-HA)
• Deterdur (water hardness up to 40 ºHF) or Deterplus (water hardness up to 65 ºHF) – dishwasher detergent (1-5 g/l at 55-60 °C)
• Deterbrill – rinse aid for the final rinse (0.1-0.5 g/l at 65-80 °C)
• Detercal – acid descaler for the dishwasher (10-20 % at 40-60 °C)
• Floor Clean – floor detergent for scrubber-dryer machines (0.5-3 %; does not attack aluminium)
• Graduated spray bottles, buckets with dilution marks and, where available, foam projection equipment or a pressure washer
• Nylon brushes, griddle scrapers, colour-coded cloths, mops and a surface thermometer

Step-by-step procedure

1. Preparation and waste removal: Switch off the equipment to be cleaned and remove or protect any food. Scrape solid residues off griddles, grills and floors, drain the oil from the fryers and remove the extraction hood filters. Prepare the dilutions in graduated buckets with potable water, never mixing chemical products with one another.
2. Griddles, grills and fryers (daily, hot): With the griddle still hot, spray neat Hot Gras over the surface at around 70-80 °C, leave to act for a few minutes, scrape off the loosened grease and rinse with plenty of water. If the grease is burnt-on and polymerised, alternate with Griddgrass, neat or diluted up to 10 %, sprayed at around 50-60 °C, leaving it to act for a few minutes before rinsing. Neither product is applied on aluminium.
3. Work surfaces and stainless steel (daily): On worktops, tiles and cabinets, spray neat Eco Gras from around 20 cm away, leave to act for a few seconds and wipe off with a damp cloth. For heavily encrusted grease (gratin units, salamanders), replace it with Quimigras, neat or diluted up to 10 % depending on the degree of soiling, leave to act for a few minutes and rinse with plenty of water.
4. Equipment with aluminium parts and machinery (daily/weekly): Aluminium parts do not tolerate strong alkaline degreasers. Use Neutro Gras, neat or diluted at 3-10 % depending on the soiling, sprayed onto the surface; leave to act and rinse with plenty of water, including with a pressure washer. It is suitable for the food industry.
5. Extraction hoods (weekly): With the extractor switched off, spray the inside of the hood and the grease collection channel with Quimigras on stainless steel (neat or up to 10 %) or Neutro Gras if the hood has aluminium parts (3-10 %). Leave to act for a few minutes, brush off the grease film, rinse with plenty of water and dry.
6. Metal hood filters (weekly): Baffle filters are usually made of aluminium: treat them with Neutro Gras diluted at 3-10 %, sprayed on both sides, leaving it to act and rinsing with plenty of water or with a pressure washer. Stainless steel filters tolerate Quimigras or Griddgrass up to 10 %. Dry before refitting. Do not wash aluminium filters in the dishwasher: Deterdur and Deterplus exclude aluminium.
7. Ovens (monthly or according to use): In ovens with an automatic cleaning system, apply Forclin by spraying all surfaces with a spray bottle and running the cleaning programme, or dose it automatically via the oven's pump. In conventional ovens, lukewarm and disconnected, spray Griddgrass (neat or up to 10 %, at around 50-60 °C) over walls, trays and runners, leave to act for a few minutes, scrub and rinse with plenty of water until all the product has been removed.
8. Floors, walls and drains (daily): Sweep. On heavily greased floors and walls apply Gras Foam at 2-6 % at 20-60 °C with foam projection equipment, a spray bottle or by hand, or alternatively Grasnet at 2-10 % by spraying, then brush and rinse with plenty of water or a pressure washer. For daily maintenance scrubbing with a scrubber-dryer machine, Floor Clean at 0.5-3 % in water. Also clean the drain grates and leave the floor dry.
9. Dishwashers (daily and monthly): Dose Deterdur (water hardness up to 40 ºHF) or Deterplus (water hardness up to 65 ºHF) at between 1 and 5 g/l depending on the water hardness, at 55-60 °C, and Deterbrill as rinse aid at between 0.1 and 0.5 g/l at 65-80 °C. Once a month, or whenever scale appears, run a descaling cycle with Detercal at 10-20 % at 40-60 °C and rinse with water until the pH is neutral.
10. Disinfection of surfaces and equipment: After cleaning and rinsing, apply Bacter 100 diluted in water at 1 % (10 g/l) and leave to act for around 5 minutes for a bactericidal effect, or at 5 % (50 g/l) for around 15 minutes for a bactericidal and virucidal effect against enveloped viruses. Rinse with plenty of water in both cases before resuming production.
11. Verification and records: Check that no product residue or grease film remains and that surfaces are dry. Record the date, area, product, dose, contact time and operator in the cleaning log.

Verification and control

Control is based on visual and tactile inspection of each area (no stains, grease or product residue; dry surfaces) and on checking that the doses and temperatures applied match each product's technical data sheet. It is advisable to know the water hardness in order to choose between Deterdur and Deterplus and adjust the dose within the 1-5 g/l range, and to watch for scale in the dishwasher as a sign that a Detercal cycle is due. The cleaning and disinfection log forms part of the HACCP documentation required by Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.

Safety and PPE

• Griddgrass, Hot Gras, Quimigras, Gras Foam, Grasnet, Deterdur and Deterplus are classified H314 (causes severe skin burns and eye damage): wear protective gloves, clothing and eye protection, and respiratory protection if ventilation is insufficient.
• Neutro Gras is classified H315 (causes skin irritation): wear gloves and eye protection.
• Applying Hot Gras to the griddle at 70-80 °C requires thermal gloves and care to avoid splashes.
• Never mix chemical products with one another; in particular, do not mix alkaline degreasers with the acid descaler Detercal.
• Consult the safety data sheet for each product before use and keep it in the kitchen.

Recommended Instaquim products

Instaquim covers every type of soiling in the professional kitchen: Griddgrass and Hot Gras for burnt-on grease; Quimigras for heavily greased surfaces; Neutro Gras for aluminium; Gras Foam and Grasnet for floors and walls; Forclin for ovens with automatic cleaning; Eco Gras (EU Ecolabel) for daily cleaning; Deterdur, Deterplus, Deterbrill and Detercal for the dishwasher, and Bacter 100 for disinfection. Dose, temperature and contact time are always those stated in the technical data sheet.

Applicable regulations: Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs and the HACCP system; Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 on biocidal products (Bacter 100, registration 19-20-04311-HA); Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 on detergents; Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) and Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH).

Frequently asked questions

Which degreaser should I use on griddles and fryers with burnt-on grease?

For hot, polymerised grease, Griddgrass is applied neat or diluted up to 10 %, sprayed onto the surface at 50-60 °C, and Hot Gras is used neat at 70-80 °C. Both are left to act for a few minutes, rinsed with plenty of water and are not applied on aluminium.

Can I use an alkaline degreaser on aluminium?

Griddgrass, Hot Gras, Quimigras, Gras Foam and Grasnet exclude aluminium. For aluminium parts the option is Neutro Gras, a low-alkalinity degreaser (pH 11.3 ± 0.5) indicated for all types of metal, including aluminium, neat or diluted at 3-10 %.

How do I clean an oven with an automatic cleaning system?

With Forclin, formulated for ovens with an automatic cleaning system. It is applied manually, by spraying the surfaces with a spray bottle and running the cleaning programme, or automatically through the oven's dosing pump.

What disinfectant dose do I apply in the kitchen and how long should it act?

Bacter 100 is applied diluted in water: 10 g/l (1 %) with around 5 minutes of contact for a bactericidal effect, or 50 g/l (5 %) with around 15 minutes for a bactericidal and virucidal effect against enveloped viruses. It is then rinsed with plenty of water. It complies with UNE-EN 13697 and UNE-EN 14476 under clean conditions; registration 19-20-04311-HA.

Which dishwasher detergent should I choose according to water hardness?

Deterdur is suitable for water hardness up to 40 ºHF and Deterplus for water hardness up to 65 ºHF. Both are dosed at 1-5 g/l depending on hardness, at 55-60 °C, and must not be used with aluminium utensils. As a rinse aid, Deterbrill is dosed at between 0.1 and 0.5 g/l at 65-80 °C.

How do I remove limescale build-up in the dishwasher?

With Detercal, an acid descaling detergent for the deep cleaning of dishwashing machines. It is used at 10-20 % depending on the scale build-up, at 40-60 °C, and rinsed with water until the pH is neutral. It does not foam and does not attack chrome, enamel or rubber seals.

Is there a kitchen degreaser with the EU Ecolabel?

Yes, Eco Gras holds EU Ecolabel certificate No ES-CAT/020/026. It is used neat, sprayed from around 20 cm away, left to act for a few seconds and wiped off with a damp cloth. It is intended for worktops, tiles and appliances; the data sheet states that it is not designed for large-scale cleaning.