Meat slicers are used frequently for a household as well as commercial purposes. It is a versatile appliance as you can slice meat, cheese, make sausages etc. using the meat slice. If you want that your slicer should work flawlessly for a longer time, you need to clean and maintain properly. The improper cleaning leads to bacteria, harbor and causes food-borne illness. So, here are sharing some guidelines and tips on how to clean and sanitize a meat slicer.
Why Is Cleaning Of Meat Slicer Important?
Most of you use meat slicer in a daily basis to slice the meat, cheese etc. It comes into contact with raw meat. So, there is a high risk of contamination and ultimately foodborne illness. It is important to dismantle and clean properly after each use. There are various hard to reach nooks and crannies which should be cleaned appropriately. Otherwise it leads to bacterial growth due to food residue. These bacteria contaminate your next food which is very harmful to your health. If bacteria are not removed wholly, it can transfer to the next food that you are going to be sliced. This leads to change in the taste and flavor of your food.
When And How Often Should A Meat Slicer Be Cleaned?
You should clean a meat slicer thoroughly on daily basis ensuring there is no any food residue left on slicer. It is important to clean a meat slicer while the switch from the meat, cheese and other food. This helps for maintenance. Most importantly it prevents the bacterial growth and maintains the hygiene.
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Meat Slicer Problem Area That Are Hard To Clean
The blade guard, ring guard mount and slicer handle are problem areas you may find hard to clean off your slicer. So, carefully examine for any cracks, break down or missing parts. There is a high possibility of food soil accumulation at the ring guard, inside the blade guard and under the handle. So, it is the perfect areas for bacterial growth. Monitor the seals and gaskets on the daily basis whether they worn out and additional cracks if any. Never use a slicer with broken or missing parts.
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Tips Before To Start Cleaning
- Always use protective gloves for cleaning especially while handling the blade.
- Read and follow the manufacturer’s instruction.
- Never use steel wool for cleaning as they can spoil the slicer.
How To Clean And Sanitize A Meat Slicer?
- Unplug the meat slicer from the socket.
- Set the blade setting at zero.
- Wear the cut-resistant gloves.
- Wipe out the large food residue with paper towel or cloth.
- Disassemble the meat slicer. Take out the blade plate and guard plate. Remove the knife sharpener also, if your slice has.
- Fill the sink with hot water and transfer dish detergent to the water and dilute it well to create a bubble. Clean the meat slicer with the instructions given in the manual.
- Rinse the parts thoroughly with hot water to remove the detergent.
- Scrub the areas like the screw, handle and knobs with using a small brush.
- If your slicer comes with knife removal tool, we strongly recommend to use it.
- For sanitizing a meat slicer, clean the slicer using the bleach solution. Allow it to dry completely its own.
- Apply the thin layer of cooking oil to the slicing blade.
- When the slicer makes dry completely, reassemble the parts.
- Again connect to the power source. When plugged in ensure that the device is turned off.
Following is the video that shows how to clean a meat slicer step by step. Take a look.
How To Maintain A Meat Slicer?
1.The Blade
You can maintain a meat slicer blade by following easy ways:
- 1.Follow the instructions manual for use. Use the meat slicer for intended purpose only.
- 2.Clean the meat slicer blade often. You need to use the sharpening stone to sharpen the blade.
- Clean and disinfect the blade before sharpening it. Sharpen the blade helps to prevent from rusting.
- After each use dries the blade with a cloth. Apply the cooking oil on edge of the blade using a dry cloth.
2.Replacement of parts
If you use meat slicer more often, you need to replace the parts sooner. The blade became dull after the longer time of use. Thanks to the warranty, you normally get at least 1-year warranty for your slicer. If there is any problem occurs during the warranty period, you can return the appliance to the manufacturer. Before buying the slicer, assure that there is after sales service offered by the manufacturer.
3.Proper storage
After slicing work is done, cover the device and keep it in the cupboard. If it didn’t come with cover use towel to cover it properly.
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How To Sharpen The Meat Slicer Blade?
- Unplug the power cord from a socket, so that appliance will not turn on accidentally.
- Take out the blade cover. Clean the blade with mild detergent using a soft cloth.
- Coat the surface of the blade with sharpening oil. If you don’t have sharpening oil, you can use cooking oil which is easily available.
- Place the sharpening stone in the right position on a meat slicer. Place the surface of stone near an edge of the blade. Use the manual to get to know the secure the sharpening stone to the blade.
- Plug in the slicer and turn on the power. Allow the blade to sharpen for 2 minutes. Turn off the slicer and check the blade whether it is sharpened correctly or not. If it is not sharpened rightly or yet it is dull, repeat the process.
- Remove sharpening stone and place back all parts of the device to its original position using instruction manual.
- Clean the blade with detergent and water before next use.
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