How to clean a Hot Dog Roller

Here I will show you how to clean a hot dog roller. The good thing about hot dog rollers is that they don’t require much maintenance from you. However, they should still be cleaned regularly if you want fresh-smelling food always. When buying a hot dog roller, make sure you check with the manufacturer about instructions related to its care and maintenance. Whether you use hot dog rollers for commercial or personal purposes, it is a good habit to clean them regularly.

Regular cleaning not only helps foods to be prepared in a hygienic way, but it also improves the durability & longevity of the hot dog rollers. Here are some steps you can follow to keep your hot dog rollers clean and safe always. If you are using hot dog rollers at a commercial level, you will need to cook hundreds of sausages in a single day. So, you can consider cleaning them between your uses once before giving them a proper cleaning when you close for the day. How do you do these? Keep reading to know more about the same.

Cleaning hot dog rollers between uses

If you deal in the business of selling hot dogs, it is not enough to clean the rollers only during closing time. Cleaning them once every few hours is highly recommended as this will ensure that the hot dogs don’t stick to the rollers, causing unpleasant hassles for you.

• Remember that these hot dog rollers would be hot when you clean them between uses. Always remember to wear heat-resistant gloves before touching them.
• Remove all the food from the rollers. Let the heat of the rollers settle down for some time. Use a soft and damp cloth to wipe down the rollers thoroughly. If the rollers are very hot, you can fill some ice cubes in a cloth, and use it for wiping down the rollers.
• To get rid of all the particles on the roller, you should wipe following the right movement. Always start wiping at the ends, and move toward the middle of the roller.

Cleaning the hot dog rollers during your closing time

This will be a slightly detailed step, as you want the machine to be clean and running for the next day’s work. Wiping down the rollers is not enough at this stage.

• Switch on the rolls for five minutes, and allow the machine to be at its highest heat setting. The food particles, oil, grease and other ingredients stuck on the rollers throughout the day will start loosening up at this stage. You can remove these from the rollers only when they start to loosen.
• After five minutes, let the heat of the rollers be at the “low” or “hold” setting.
• Use a damp cloth to wipe down the rollers properly. In case the rollers are very hot, you can also use a soft cloth filled with ice cubes to wipe the rollers. Always wipe from the ends to the middle of the roller to avoid food particles from getting stuck inside.
• Make a DIY cleaning solution using dish soap and warm water. Dip a soft cloth in this solution and clean the rollers very well. Even for the soapy solution, you should wipe rollers from the ends to the middle.
• Once you have wiped thoroughly with a soapy solution, use a soft & damp cloth to rinse the rollers well.
• The next step is to clean the grease pan properly. Remove the grease pan very carefully from the grill. You will notice that the pan has a lot of grease and food residues on it. Clean the grease pan well by wiping it with a cloth filled with dish soap. For stubborn food residues, you can use a liquid detergent to clean the pan. Let it dry thoroughly. Place the pan back into the grill only after you are sure that it is 100% clean and dry.
• The exterior portions of the grill are as important as the interior parts. Yes, you have cleaned the rollers and grease pan. However, your cleaning process is incomplete until you have cleaned the outside of the grills. Use a soft, damp cloth, or a cloth dipped in a mild soapy solution to get rid of all the grease and food marks on the exteriors of the grill.
• Your grill is now ready and clean to be used at any time.

Generic tips

• Never put any part of the hot dog rollers in water when cleaning it. This will lead to electrical shocks. Always use a damp cloth only for wiping down the rollers and the grease pans. The cloth should never be dripping wet. If water gets inside the rollers, it will lead to short circuit issues.
• Always ensure that you have unplugged the grill before starting to clean the hot dog roller.
• Remember to give ample cooling time to the grills to ensure that the rollers have cooled down before you touch them. Always wear heat-resistant gloves before cleaning the hot dog rollers.
• For hard or stubborn food & grease residues, you should use only mild soap or mild liquid detergent. You should never use abrasive products or powders while cleaning hot dog rollers. These can cause scratches on the rollers, thereby affecting their performance.
• When cleaning the hot dog rollers, you should be careful that food particles don’t get stuck in the bearings of the grill. For this purpose, you have to follow the right direction when cleaning the hot dog rollers. Always start from the ends and move to the middle. If you start in the middle, there is a high chance of food getting stuck in the bearings, thereby hampering the performance of the machine.
• Don’t forget to get rid of the ugly fingerprint marks and grease marks on the outside of the grill. No matter how neat the machine is inside, these external marks can spoil their entire look. When you have customers visiting, it is very important to have your machines neat and sparkling clean always.
• Since these hot dogs have high-fat content, the chances of grease marks getting accumulated on the grease pans are very high. So, you have to keep cleaning between uses, which can be once every 3 to 4 hours.