New Year Reset: Your Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

The holidays push commercial kitchens into overdrive. Between seasonal menus, last-minute orders, back-to-back events, and crowded prep spaces, November and December can feel like a whirlwind. By January, your kitchen has seen everything and probably still has some things hiding under a fryer or in the back of a fridge drawer.

For many foodservice teams, early to mid-January is your first real chance to slow down, take a breath, and look around the kitchen with fresh eyes. It’s the moment when you can finally step back from the holiday rush and reset your space for the year ahead.

Think of it as your kitchen’s version of a New Year’s resolution: clean, safe, efficient, and ready for whatever comes next.

Below is your annual end-of-year commercial kitchen cleaning checklist to help you start the year with confidence. We’re sharing this now so you have time to review the checklist, plan ahead, and add any cleaning products or supplies you may need to your next BradyPLUS order before January rolls around.

Before You Get Started

This guide focuses on deep-cleaning tasks that tend to get pushed aside during the busy holiday season. These tasks support (not replace) your established daily and weekly cleaning routines, like wiping down prep surfaces, emptying the trash, changing fryer oil, or sanitizing slicers.

A deeper reset in January helps you start the year ahead of buildup, safety risks, and equipment strain.

1. Food Prep Areas: Reset the Foundation

This is where the magic (and the mess) happens.

• Clean and sanitize all prep counters, including edges and seams
• Deep-clean cutting boards
• Sharpen and sanitize knives; check handles for wear
• Remove all wall-mounted tools, racks, and rails for cleaning
• Wipe down shelves and replace torn shelf liners
• Inspect and replace cracked utensils or containers

Why it matters: Cleaner prep zones mean safer food and faster workflow.

2. Cooking Equipment: Give Your Workhourses a True Reset

December is rough on your equipment. January is the time to make it right.

Ovens

• Remove racks; soak and scrub
• Clean interior walls, doors, and fans
• Check and recalibrate temperature accuracy
• Polish exterior with stainless steel cleaner

Ranges + Grills + Griddles

• Degrease cooking surfaces with commercial-grade products
• Remove carbon buildup using approved scraping methods
• Disassemble burners and pilot assemblies for detailed cleaning
• Clean and inspect drip trays and grease catchers

Fryers

• Complete a full boil-out using manufacturer-approved solution
• Clean filtration components
• Wipe down exterior and areas around the fryer
• Replace oil if it’s due for a reset

Hood + Ventilation Systems

• Degrease hood interior and exterior surfaces
• Replace or deep-clean baffle filters
• Schedule professional duct cleaning if not done within the last 6–12 months
• Inspect for airflow issues or grease buildup on ceiling tiles nearby
• Polish exterior with stainless steel cleaner

Why it matters: Clean equipment lasts longer, cooks evenly, and reduces fire hazards. If you have an open-concept kitchen, finish your deep clean with an industrial-strength stainless steel polish to give guests a clean, polished view of your space.

3. Refrigeration + Storage: Out with the Old, In with the Safe

Holiday leftovers, forgotten sauces, mystery containers—this is their time to go 

• Empty and sanitize refrigerator and freezer interiors
• Remove shelves; clean and sanitize individually
• Defrost low-temp freezers if needed
• Audit all cold and dry storage for expired or damaged items
• Deep-clean dry storage floors, corners, and pest monitoring stations
• Polish exterior with stainless steel cleaner

Why it matters: Clean, organized storage protects food safety and improves visibility.

4. Dish Area + Sinks: Refresh the "Clean Zone"

A clean dish area keeps the entire kitchen running smoothly.

• Delime the dish machine using proper descaling chemicals
• Clean and unclog sprayer heads and nozzles
• Sanitize handwashing and 3-compartment sinks
• Remove drain covers; clean drains and traps
• Check for mold or mildew around splash zones
• Polish exterior with stainless steel cleaner

Why it matters: Clean water zones = clean dishes, clean tools, and fewer issues later.

5. Floors, Walls + Ceilings

Grease splatter and food particles love to hide here.

• Use a commercial degreaser to scrub floors
• Clean walls, baseboards, corners, and ceiling tiles
• Move all equipment and clean underneath
• Inspect grout and repair if needed
• Look for water damage near dish or mop areas

Why it matters:You eliminate slip hazards, odors, and long-term damage.

6. Small Appliances + Tools

These items get daily use and deserve thorough cleaning too.

• Disassemble and deep-clean mixers, slicers, and processors
• Lubricate moving parts per manufacturer guidelines
• Replace worn gaskets, blades, or attachments
• Sanitize blender jars, lids, and bases

Why it matters: Better performance, fewer breakdowns.

7. Waste, Recycling + Environmental Areas

You’ll be amazed at how much this impacts cleanliness overall.

• Remove liners; scrub and sanitize trash bins
• Clean recycling and compost containers
• Sweep and power wash dumpster area (if allowed)
• Check and reset pest control traps or bait stations

Why it matters: Odors disappear and pests stay away.

8. Safety + Compliance: Start the Year Protected

January is a great time to reset safety systems.

• Inspect fire suppression system (including hood nozzles)
• Review and update SDS sheets
• Ensure chemical storage is labeled and compliant
• Replace worn PPE (gloves, aprons, etc.)
• Check all first-aid supplies
• Review cleaning logs and set up a new-year tracking sheet

Why it matters: You stay compliant and avoid mid-year surprises.

Final Thought: Start the Year Clean and Confident

Your kitchen survived the holiday madness; now give it the reset it deserves. A deep clean doesn’t just make things look nice. It protects your team, keeps your customers healthy, extends equipment life, and helps you start the new year strong.