My Commercial Kitchen Nightmare & What Finally Worked

Alright folks, this week was brutal. Got hired by this local pizza joint downtown to deep clean their kitchen for health inspection. Looked like a grease bomb exploded back there. I've done home kitchens, but commercial? Whole different beast.

Here's exactly what I did, step-by-step:

Step 1: Admitting I Was Clueless

First mistake? Thinking home stuff would cut it. Grabbed my usual dish soap and sponge Monday morning. Yeah, big fail. The flat-top grill laughed at me. Grease was baked on like concrete. Spent 20 minutes scrubbing one tiny spot. Boss walked by shaking his head. "Need the heavy stuff, son." Lesson learned: Ditch the dish soap. Stat.

Step 2: Playing Detective & Gathering Weapons

Tuesday morning: mission supply run. Hit the janitorial shop downtown. Stared blankly at shelves.

• Green liquid degreaser? Grabbed two gallons.
• Razor blade scraper? Looked useful. Took three.
• Industrial scrub pads? The kind that bites your fingers. Yes.
• Pressure washer? Hired one after seeing the hood vents.

Felt like a janitor superhero. Gear cost a chunk though.

Step 3: The Actual Battle Plan

Wednesday – D-day. Shut down kitchen early. Put on rubber gloves up to my elbows. Ugly job needs ugly gear.

Phase One: Melt the Grease

Sprayed that green goop everywhere – grills, fryers, oven doors. Let it sit while I tackled floors. Waited 10 minutes like the bottle said. Saw the magic happen: grease started bubbling up! Felt like science.

Phase Two: Scrape Like Mad

Grabbed the scraper. Went at the flat-top first. Pushed chunks of yellow gunk off like snowplowing. Sounded awful. Scritch-scratch! Gross but satisfying.

Phase Three: Scrub Everything in Sight

Arm started burning after the first hood vent panel. Used the scrub pads with more degreaser. Wore my cheap gloves THROUGH. Lesson: Buy thick gloves next time. Water kept turning brown.

Phase Four: Pressure Washer Fury

Hood filters looked lethal. Carried ’em outside. Fired up the pressure washer. Aimed. Pulled trigger. Grease flew EVERYWHERE. Covered my face just in time. Hit ’em from all angles. Watched months of buildup wash down the drain.

Step 4: Rinse & Repeat (Seriously)

Thought I was done Thursday. Boss pointed at fryer baskets. Missed the crust inside the wire mesh. Had to re-spray, scrub tiny squares one-by-one. Took two hours. Details make you or break you.

The Ugly Truth & Results

Took three days total. Lost feeling in my fingers. Smelled like chemicals for a week. BUT... passed inspection Friday morning with flying colors. Boss paid extra. Got a regular gig now.

Simple blueprint that saved my hide:

• Find the nastiest degreaser you can. Cheap stuff lies.
• Soak time is sacred. Walk away. Let it bubble.
• Scrape before scrubbing. Your arms will thank you.
• Pressure wash hood filters OUTSIDE. Trust me.
• Check nooks twice. Fryer baskets are traitors.

Commercial cleaning ain’t pretty. It’s messy, loud, and fights back. But man, seeing that grease disappear? Worth the stink.