Stainless Steel Equipment Care And Cleaning - True GDM Series Technical & Service Manual

STAINLESS STEEL EQUIPMENT CARE AND CLEANING

NAFEM - North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers
So, what does all this mean?
At this very moment you're gritting your teeth and
saying,
"Well, what am I supposed to do now? The only way
to get that crusted lasagna off my stainless steel is to
use some kind of scouring pad, and I certainly need
to use a cleaner, and the water in this town is hard
enough to cut diamonds."
Don't Despair!
Here are a few steps that can help prevent stainless
steel rust.
1. Use the proper tools
When cleaning your stainless steel products, take
care to use non-abrasive tools. Soft cloths and
plastic scouring pads will not harm the steels pas-
sive layer. Stainless steel pads can also be used
but the scrubbing motion must be in the direction
of the manufacturers' polishing marks.
you how to find the polishing marks).
2. Clean with the polish lines
Some stainless steels come with visible polishing
lines or "grain." When visible lines are present,
you should always scrub in a motion that is paral-
lel to them. When the grain cannot be seen, play it
safe and use a soft cloth or plastic scouring pad.
3. Use alkaline, alkaline chlorinated or non-chlo-
ride containing cleaners
While many traditional cleaners are loaded with
chlorides, the industry is providing an ever
increasing choice of non-chloride cleaners. If you
are not sure of your cleaner's chloride content
contact your cleaner supplier. If they tell you that
your present cleaner contains chlorides, ask if
they have an alternative. They probably will.
Also, avoid cleaners containing quaternary salts
as they also can attack stainless steel and cause
pitting and rusting.
4. Treat your water
Though this is not always practical, softening
hard water can do much to reduce deposits. There
are certain filters that can be installed to remove
distasteful and corrosive elements. Salts in a
properly maintained water softener are your
friend. If you are not sure of the proper water
treatment, call a treatment specialist.
5. Keep your food equipment clean
Use alkaline, alkaline chlorinated or non-chlo-
ride cleaners at recommended strength. Clean
frequently to avoid build-up of hard, stubborn
stains. If you boil water in your stainless steel
equipment, remember the single most likely
(Step 2 tells
cause of damage is chlorides in the water.
Heating cleaners that contain chlorides has a
similar eff e c t .
117
DON'T USE
Steel Pads
Wire Brushes
Scraper