Chef Whites: The Best Ways to Maintain Chef Uniforms

The iconic white chef jacket and hat are a universally recognised uniform, but keeping them white and pristine can be challenging when you’re working in a kitchen all day and night. Our guide to caring for your chef whites is here to help you find the best ways to keep those linens fresh and clean for every service! Keep reading to find out more.

Caring For White Chef Jackets

Stains and marks are inevitable in the kitchen, so keeping your chef whites nice and clean may seem like a challenge. However, there are a range of things that you can try to help keep those chef jackets looking brand new!

Stain Removal & Prevention

When it comes to stains, the last thing you want is for them to linger or permanently ruin your commercial linen. But, this is difficult during busy shifts, so afterwards, proper linen care needs to be carried out to prevent permanent staining.

 

A good place to start is with stain prevention. Using aprons over chef whites, and having a readily available stock of aprons can make a huge difference to the amount of stains that appear on the chef whites themselves. Aprons will catch most of the stains, and can be washed regularly too. Aprons are extremely popular in hospitality kitchens as they are pretty effective in keeping stains from getting to chef jackets.

 

With that being said, stains and marks will inevitably still make their way to a chef jacket, so removing those stains after a shift is crucial. Try using these tips on a chef jacket immediately or before a wash to help get the stain out more effectively.

 

• Water Based Marks - This could include anything from sauces to other water based liquids, which can be easily removed with a damp cloth and some salt
• Fat Splashes - These can be remedied with a small amount of soapy water, which will help break down the fat molecules
• Vinegar & Club Soda - Also great stain removers, vinegar is great on tomato or coffee stains and wine stains. Club soda is also good for wine stains too.

The best course of action is to saturate the stain as much as possible, dabbing rather than rubbing as this will help to stop the stain from lingering or worsening.

Washing Procedure

There are a few things you need to consider when it comes to washing the chef whites to ensure that they are always thoroughly washed and ready for the next shift.

Presoaking Chef Whites

When it comes to stained uniforms, it is generally recommended to wash the uniform as soon as possible to remove the stain faster. Prompt washing will help to ensure the stain doesn’t linger. However, it may not always be possible to wash the uniforms right away. So, the next best course of action is to pre-soak the chef whites. 

 

You could try filling a large sink or container with warm water, laundry detergent and baking soda to soak the uniforms before they go to wash.  Completely submerge the uniforms and ensure they are fully soaked before washing. This is a start of the process to remove stains and odours. If your chef whites or uniforms are colour you can still soak them, as long as you are soaking the whites and colours separately.

Can I Bleach My Chef Whites?

Bleaching your chef whites to keep them pristine may seem like a good idea in the short term. However, using everyday bleach on your fabric can actually cause more damage. Not only can it damage the fibres in the fabric, but actually turn the fabric yellow or faded. Additionally, if you have any colour or embroidery on your chef whites, this is likely to fade with bleach too.

 

Vinegar is a good alternative to bleach, as it will not destroy the fabric. You can also use an oxygen based bleach and detergent in approximately a gallon of water to help. Doing this can help keep fabric from lingering stains as well as keeping them brilliant white.

Washing Out Stains

When you’ve soaked your stains and uniform, washing the actual linens is the next part. You can wash your chef jackets with a heavy duty detergent and a high water temperature, or whatever is recommended on the label of the uniform. Additionally, if you’ve pre-soaked your uniforms, the stain removal process is likely to be much more effective, as the stain has not dried and set yet.

 

When you have washed your chef whites and want to take them out, it’s important to check if there are any remaining stains on the clothing. If you spot remaining stains, do not let those items go into the dryer yet. Drying the jacket will only set the stain and make it even more difficult to get out. The items that retain staining need to go through the stain removal and washing process again.

Try to refrain from ironing any clothing with stains in too, as this will make the stains nearly impossible to remove in the long run!

Linen Rental Services

Washing and maintaining your linen in house can often seem like a lengthy process, which is why a lot of hospitality industries opt for a linen rental service.

 

A linen rental service or hire company can be useful for a range of reasons. They will typically drop off fresh linens and collect the old ones to be washed and maintained. This means that a business will have constant access to fresh and clean linens, without having to worry about washing the linens after every service.

Benefits Of Linen Hire

A few of the benefits of linen hire include:

 

• Consistent level of cleanliness - By using a linen service, one thing you don’t need to worry about is making sure that everything is washed and prepared to the appropriate standard. By using a linen company, they take care of the entire cleaning process and maintain the same level of cleanliness throughout. So, you no longer need to stress about having a dirty batch of linen or a randomly stained piece of uniform.

 

• Less in-house stress - With a linen hire service, they are almost taking care of everything. You will only have to collect all the linens ready to be sent back with the company, which creates far less in house stress, as you don't have to worry about cleaning and preparing linens for shifts every day. This can also free up time for staff members in other areas.

 

• Time saving - Alleviating staff from having to worry about collecting, washing and preparing linens for shifts will free up much more time where other tasks can be completed. Freeing up time by not having to deal with commercial linen will benefit the business and take away lots of the stress.

 

• More cost effective - You may find that using a linen hire service actually works out cheaper than doing all of your linen washing in house. If this is the case, it can be far more convenient and cost effective to go with a company to take care of your linen troubles for you.

 

Chef Uniforms Near Me

We understand the importance of keeping your linens clean and well maintained. First impressions and the appearance of a business is vital. Our services are designed to keep you fully stocked and replenished. From kitchen linen to restaurant and hotel linen, we offer a range of services and delivery options to help cater to your business’ needs and get your delivery to you in a timely manner.

 

If you’re looking for a reliable linen hire service with a quick turnaround, we provide an excellent level of service for all of our clients. For further enquiries about what we do or how we can help, feel free to get in touch with us today. Our team will be happy to speak to you, answer any questions or discuss your requirements to help find you the right option for your business.