# HELPPPP NEED TO CLEAN MY NOODLE/Pasta cooking equipment..



## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

I just started as a manager in a restaurant that does noodles. All old employees are gone and i am stuck with two noodle/pasta cooking equipment that was never cleaned properly and there is almost 1/8 thick scale build up everywhere and not sure how to descale and start a proper cleaning instructions. I have been googling and YouTube looking and seems like no one has this issue.
PLEASE HELP ME KEEP AND MAINTAIN MY POSITION..
Owner nevee new of this- so i have to get the equipment to the original state or close and have instructions in place for the new crew..
Thank you in advance


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## dectra (Nov 2, 2016)

Have you tried a Vinegar and Baking Soda mix, applied to the equpment? I recall Cream of Tartar also may help remove scale from items as well.


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## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

dectra said:


> Have you tried a Vinegar and Baking Soda mix, applied to the equpment? I recall Cream of Tartar also may help remove scale from items as well.


I have tried mixing vinegar / Baking Soda- tried descale chemical- Tried Degreasers and nothing.
So frustrating...


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Have you tried filling them with water and detergent, turning them on, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and letting them go for an hour. Turn off and let cool until you can get in there with a stainless steel scrubber?


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

Looks like calcium buildup from the water your municipality supplies plus it's never been cleaned. Fill it with straight white vinegar and let it soak for a few days. If that doesn't do it I betcha a pressure washer will.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

First try Lime Away. Fill fryer with mostly water, add lime Away, Simmer water for about 15 minutes. Scrape with long handled brush wearing your PPE and long sleeved rubber gloves. Drain, scrub, rinse well. If that doesn't do the trick, you can try Fryer Boil Out in powder form. Same process as Lime Away. Contains sodium hydroxide. A large heavy duty plastic container that your baskets fit in can by used to clean the pasta baskets but the water must be very hot to activate the chemicals. Leave over nite, spray clean.


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## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

chefwriter said:


> First try Lime Away. Fill fryer with mostly water, add lime Away, Simmer water for about 15 minutes. Scrape with long handled brush wearing your PPE and long sleeved rubber gloves. Drain, scrub, rinse well. If that doesn't do the trick, you can try Fryer Boil Out in powder form. Same process as Lime Away. Contains sodium hydroxide. A large heavy duty plastic container that your baskets fit in can by used to clean the pasta baskets but the water must be very hot to activate the chemicals. Leave over nite, spray clean.


Let me try the "fryer Boil Out" Thank because I have tried everything.. This place was purchased recently and looks like the prior owners & workers never cleaned correctly . So now i have make it back to its glory look and implement a daily cleaning process.
Thank you 🙏


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## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

halb said:


> Looks like calcium buildup from the water your municipality supplies plus it's never been cleaned. Fill it with straight white vinegar and let it soak for a few days. If that doesn't do it I betcha a pressure washer will.


Not calcium but starch from Pasta.. vinegar did not work.
But thanks


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## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

cheflayne said:


> Have you tried filling them with water and detergent, turning them on, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and letting them go for an hour. Turn off and let cool until you can get in there with a stainless steel scrubber?


Regular detergent or like degreaser. I tried degreaser and that did nothing..
I let boil & simmer for 3 hours and scrubbed yet nothing!


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

Yeah, makes sense that it could be starch but I have never seen it built up as much. Degreaser isn't going to do anything, it isn't grease. All the other solutions you tried should have done something but apparently it's beyond that. I was going to also suggest contacting the manufacturer to see what they say but when they get done laughing they will only want to sell you new ones. So something to keep in mind is that these may never be able to be used, prepare your employer for the bad news. So I'm back to my suggestion to take them outside and pressure wash. You can make holes in stone with it. Worth a try.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Don't give up. This problem is chemical based. So the question is what dissolves/softens starch. If you find that out, you're halfway there. In layman's terms since I'm not a chemist, every chemical has a counter chemical.
If nothing works so far, I would do some research at your local university in the chemistry department, a restaurant that serves home made pasta, dry cleaners who use starch for stiffening cloth, a professional cleaning company to see what they might suggest, a local chemical supply company. 
Over the years I've come to know that I am not the only one to ever have a particular problem, someone else has already been there. I'm positive there is a solution to this. We just haven't found it yet. I'll keep looking.


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## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

chefwriter said:


> Don't give up. This problem is chemical based. So the question is what dissolves/softens starch. If you find that out, you're halfway there. In layman's terms since I'm not a chemist, every chemical has a counter chemical.
> If nothing works so far, I would do some research at your local university in the chemistry department, a restaurant that serves home made pasta, dry cleaners who use starch for stiffening cloth, a professional cleaning company to see what they might suggest, a local chemical supply company.
> Over the years I've come to know that I am not the only one to ever have a particular problem, someone else has already been there. I'm positive there is a solution to this. We just haven't found it yet. I'll keep looking.


Thank you so much for the encouragement-
I actually called 3 Italian pasta specialty restaurant and not much help. I have to look for the counter part starch dissolver/softener Like you said... That's great help.
Thank you!!


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## Seoul Food (Sep 17, 2018)

It looks like someone put a bunch of joint compound in there I have never seen starch do anything like that before. I don't know if this would work but have you tried something like a drain cleaner like a pequa or something like that?


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

Seoul Food said:


> It looks like someone put a bunch of joint compound in there I have never seen starch do anything like that before.


Me neither. That's why I have a problem with what it is.

Question: I see the "before" picture of a basket so I assume you were able to clean it to look like the baskets in the other picture?

On the subject of drain cleaner, have you tried oven cleaner just to see if it puts a dent in it and how it reacts? If it does, you can get lye (Draino) at any hardware store. Lye is the active ingredient in most drain cleaners and oven cleaners. Fill it with water and dump the lye flakes in, heat it up. THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY DANGEROUS! Maybe not even worth it.


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## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

halb said:


> Me neither. That's why I have a problem with what it is.
> 
> Question: I see the "before" picture of a basket so I assume you were able to clean it to look like the baskets in the other picture?
> 
> On the subject of drain cleaner, have you tried oven cleaner just to see if it puts a dent in it and how it reacts? If it does, you can get lye (Draino) at any hardware store. Lye is the active ingredient in most drain cleaners and oven cleaners. Fill it with water and dump the lye flakes in, heat it up. THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY DANGEROUS! Maybe not even worth it.


Yes the basket were done- i had the kitchen staff submerge the in water and degreaser and scrub.
But the machines themselves are in need. I cant believe prior owner and manager allowed this!!!


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## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

Jerem3303 said:


> Yes the basket were done- i had the kitchen staff submerge the in water and degreaser and scrub.
> But the machines themselves are in need. I cant believe prior owner and manager allowed this!!!


Oh thanks for the danger warning. Lol
I will look into the drain or Lye.
Is it the explosive or chemical smell dangerous?


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## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

halb said:


> Yeah, makes sense that it could be starch but I have never seen it built up as much. Degreaser isn't going to do anything, it isn't grease. All the other solutions you tried should have done something but apparently it's beyond that. I was going to also suggest contacting the manufacturer to see what they say but when they get done laughing they will only want to sell you new ones. So something to keep in mind is that these may never be able to be used, prepare your employer for the bad news. So I'm back to my suggestion to take them outside and pressure wash. You can make holes in stone with it. Worth a try.


Will pressure wash damage the stainless steel?


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

You might look into sand blasting using the abrasive Starblast™. It is used for removing scale and corrosion from steel surfaces.


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

Jerem3303 said:


> Is it the explosive or chemical smell dangerous?


Neither. It will just dissolve your arm if you were to spill any on it. If you have any dead bodies it's a great way to make them disappear.



Jerem3303 said:


> Will pressure wash damage the stainless steel?


No. Quite common for cleaning hoods and other kitchen equipment. Commercial cleaning companies that are called in because the pigs who work there never cleaned, often have to resort to it.


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## Jerem3303 (Jun 2, 2020)

halb said:


> Neither. It will just dissolve your arm if you were to spill any on it. If you have any dead bodies it's a great way to make them disappear.
> 
> No. Quite common for cleaning hoods and other kitchen equipment. Commercial cleaning companies that are called in because the pigs who work there never cleaned, often have to resort to it.


Amen to that-
Thats what happened more likely pigs who neglected and I blame management for letting this happen!


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## dectra (Nov 2, 2016)

Any thoughts on making a bath of Lye Water (sometimes called “Lime Water”) and soak items fully submerged? 

Lye will dissolve anything organic. Bear in mind, you're always at a low-grade risk of burning your fingers or arms on a hot oven or scalding baking sheet, but if you spill lye on yourself, you could get a chemical burn.


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

Already suggested. See post #15.

@Jerem3303: You still haven't explained the pictures of the baskets. The one with "before" written on it and the clean ones in another picture. Was the "before" able to be cleaned or is that just a picture of what the basket looks like too.


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## violetgarlic (Jul 30, 2020)

I found some info that water and acetone can dissolve starch but I won't recommend it using on gadgets somehow connected with food. Have you tried descaling agents for kettles?


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