Adhering to operational procedures and best practices minimizes grease and residue buildup, which can compromise the taste and appearance of pizzas and increase fire risks.
Routine cleaning promotes consistent heating, ensuring pizzas are cooked evenly to meet customer expectations. It also prevents costly repairs and downtime, keeping the oven running efficiently during peak hours. Maintaining a clean and well-serviced oven also supports compliance with health and safety standards, safeguarding the brand’s reputation and building customer trust.
Keeping Your Oven Clean: Tips to Minimise Cleaning Frequency
Follow these practical steps to minimise the need for frequent dismantling and deep-cleaning of your oven. Regular oven cleaning can be time-consuming and costly, but adopting these best practices will help prevent buildup and keep your oven in excellent condition.
1. Use a Dustinator-Free Surface for Pizza Screens
Always place pizza screens on a clean, dustinator-free surface, such as a sanitised slap bench, before use. Residue build-up from dustinator-covered pizza screens is one of the primary causes of oven mess.
2. Control Garlic Sauce Portions
When preparing side items like Garlic Cheesesticks, stick to the recommended portion of garlic sauce. Excess sauce tends to drip from the items into the oven during baking, leading to significant residue accumulation.
3. Use Parchment Paper and a Pizza Screen for Side Items
Always place side items on parchment paper and a pizza screen before putting them on the oven belt. This prevents direct contact with the screens and minimises drips or spills in the oven. Never cook the side items directly on a pizza screen.
4. Maintain Sauce Borders for Thin Crust Bases
For Authentic Thin Crust (ATC) pizzas, ensure the sauce border follows the standard ½-inch gap from the dough edge. Excess sauce beyond this border will likely drip into the oven.
5. Use Correct Cheese Portions for ATC
To prevent spills in the oven, avoid placing cheese beyond the sauce border on ATC pizzas. Cheese that is too close to the dough edge will melt and drip during baking. Additionally, using excessive amounts of cheese can also cause drips, leading to unwanted build-up in the oven.
6. Shape Original Crust Edges Properly
For original crust pizzas, create a well-formed edge to effectively contain the sauce and toppings. This helps prevent splattering and spills inside the oven.
7. Balance the Oven Decks Usage
If your restaurant has multiple oven decks, rotate between them regularly to prevent overusing a single deck. During peak times, be sure to use all available decks to manage the increased demand efficiently.
For further guidance, refer to the Papa John’s Operations Manual
Oven Cleaning Cycles
Oven LIGHT Cleaning
The oven exterior, the crumb trays and the oven window should be cleaned daily to maintain cleanliness and prevent build-up.
Oven DEEP Cleaning
A regular deep clean is necessary for optimal oven performance. The frequency of deep cleaning depends on your restaurant’s sales volume. We recommend deep cleaning once every two months for restaurants with fewer than 500 weekly transactions. For restaurants with over 500 weekly transactions, deep clean each oven deck once a month. To reduce the need for frequent deep cleaning, refer to this guide’s Tips to Minimize Cleaning Frequency.
Cleaning essentials
Frequency
Oven exterior, crumb
trays and oven windows
Daily
Oven hoods
Monthly
Oven deep clean
Restaurants over 500 weekly transactions
Monthly
Restaurants under 500 weekly transactions
Every two months
Chemicals
Heavy Duty Degreasing Solution
Supersoak Concentrate
Stainless Steel Cleaner
Sanitiser Mix
Note: Always follow the manufacturers’
chemical use instructions.
PPE
Gloves
Safety Goggles
Apron