How to clean and maintain a commercial steamer cabinet?

Cleaning and maintenance of commercial rice steamer cabinet is to extend the life of the equipment, to protect the key aspects of food safety, the following are detailed operating guidelines and precautions:
I. Daily cleaning steps (after each use)
1. External cleaning
Surface Wiping: Dilute neutral cleaner (such as detergent) with water and wipe the shell, control panel and door handle with a soft cloth to remove grease and stains.
Avoid scratching: Prohibit the use of steel wire balls or hard tools to prevent damage to the stainless steel surface rust layer.
Detailed treatment: door cracks, button gaps and other parts can be cleaned with a toothpick or soft bristle brush to clean up the residue and prevent the accumulation of dirt.
2. Internal cleaning
Steam Tray and Steam Rack: Remove the steam tray and steam rack, rinse with warm water and match with detergent to remove food residue, if necessary, use a soft sponge to brush to avoid scratching the coating.
Inner liner cleaning: Wipe the four walls and bottom of the liner with a damp cloth, if there are stubborn stains (e.g. rice crusts), soak in warm water for 10 minutes before wiping, and prohibit the use of steel wool.
Drainage: Open the drain valve at the bottom, drain the condensate and residue, and flush the drain port with water to prevent clogging.
3. Steam system cleaning
Water tank cleaning: If it is an external water tank, pour out the residual water regularly to avoid scale deposits; if it is a built-in water tank, open the lid after cooling and wipe the inner wall with a soft cloth.
Steam pipe inspection: check the steam pipe interface for debris, wipe the pipe with a damp cloth to ensure smooth steam flow.
II. In-depth maintenance (weekly / monthly)
1. Scale Treatment (Key!)
Scenario: In areas with hard water (high calcium and magnesium ion content), the water tank and heating pipes are prone to scale, which affects the heating efficiency and even damages the equipment.
Operation method:
Every week, use citric acid solution (1:50 to water) or special descaling agent to inject into the water tank, run the steamer cabinet for 15-20 minutes, then drain the solution and repeatedly rinse with water 2-3 times.
Remove the heating tube every month (operation after power off and cooling), wipe the surface with a soft cloth dipped in descaling agent, and prohibit scraping with hard objects.
2. Seal maintenance
Check aging: check whether the door sealing tape has cracks, deformation or fall off every month, if the sealing is not tight, it will lead to steam leakage and affect the heat preservation effect.
Cleaning method: use a damp cloth to wipe the surface of the adhesive tape oil stains and food residues, avoid smearing grease (may accelerate the aging), if the adhesive tape is damaged need to be replaced in a timely manner.
3. Circuit and component inspection
Power failure check: After turning off the main power supply every month, check whether the control panel buttons are sensitive and whether the line connections are loose (such as the heating pipe terminals), if there is any abnormality, you need to contact a professional maintenance personnel.
Sensor maintenance: temperature control sensor and water level sensor if covered by scale or stains, may lead to malfunction, use a soft cloth dipped in alcohol to wipe the surface.
III. Special scene maintenance
1. Treatment before long-term deactivation
Thorough cleaning: After treatment according to daily and deep cleaning steps, open the door and drain valve of the steamer cabinet to let the interior completely dry to avoid moisture breeding mold.
Rust protection: Apply a thin layer of edible oil (e.g. olive oil) to the exposed stainless steel surface of the outer shell and inner liner to prevent rust from prolonged inactivity.
Covering dust: Cover the equipment with dustproof cloth or plastic cover to avoid dust accumulation.
2. Gas type rice steamer cabinet additional attention
Gas pipeline inspection: weekly with soapy water coated gas interface, if bubbles need to immediately close the valve and contact the gas company for maintenance, prohibit private operation.
Burner cleaning: remove the burner cover every month, remove the internal accumulation of ash and debris to ensure full combustion and avoid carbon monoxide leakage.