Cleaning Cafeterias, Kitchens and Break Rooms Where “Food” Is Involved

“Food Area Concerns” Basic sanitation requirements… Odor control Bacteria control Insect control Rodent control

The Problem Food particles allowed to remain… On the floor Under counters In corners In/on / under kitchen mats In drains In containers Garbage cans not emptied or washed Food attracts vermin; vermin carry diseases Rotting food produces odors

Two Area Types Food preparation areas Food consumption areas Kitchens & serving lines Cafeteria Home-economics rooms Snack bars Break rooms (refrigerators & microwaves) Food consumption areas Dining rooms Patios Everywhere else in the building Parties & potlucks

Cleaning Products For A product to be “food safe” No color No fragrance Degreaser vs. Stripper Both highly alkaline Stripper formulated for floor finishes Degreaser formulated for grease & oil Acid cleaner Must rinse thoroughly

Kitchen Clean-Up Food service workers usually clean the “food contact surfaces” Custodians usually clean the ceilings, walls, floors & hoods Note: there are many types of vent hoods, some with automatic cleaning systems, many have screens or filters. Follow manufacturers recommended cleaning procedures. Note: most food service workers are pretty good about “cleaning as they work” or calling for spill clean-ups as they happen.

Kitchen Maintenance Routine maintenance Interim maintenance Daily, weekly, monthly schedule Interim maintenance To return specific parts of the area to “clean” (catch-up) To keep the area from getting out of control Renovative maintenance A.K.A. – “Top-down” cleaning To return the entire area to “clean” You can renovate parts of the area

Daily Kitchen Clean-Up Sweep the floor “Spot sweep” during preparation as much as possible Prevent soil being walked-into grout, etc.

Daily Kitchen Clean-Up Broom vs. Dust mop… Sweep the floor under counters, tables, appliances – all the way to the walls Don’t spread fryer oils with the broom

Daily Kitchen Clean-Up Wipe the hood exterior Clean interior per mfg. Instructions Wipe appliance fronts & sides Reach-in glass Wipe the walls In the immediate vicinity of fryers & grills Spot clean as necessary Clean anti-fatigue/anti-slip mats Degreaser & hot water Brush & hose (outside)

Daily Kitchen Clean-Up Damp mop or auto-scrub the floor Mopping – change water frequently Use heavy-duty cleaner or degreaser Use a deck brush to maintain grout Don’t let it build up – stay ahead of it Auto-scrubbing Use brushes on uneven surfaces; red pads on finished floors Clean under kitchen equipment – wall-to-wall Don’t damp mop walk-in freezers with water

Additional Routine Tasks High dusting A/C registers and return grilles, lights, etc. Appliance tops Roll-up door covers

Interim Procedures The more thoroughly you perform daily cleaning tasks, the less frequently interim procedures will be necessary…

Interim Procedures Light fixtures Appliance tops Degrease diffusers (exterior) Appliance tops Degrease Many commercial reach-in refrigerators have mechanical equipment on top of the box; keep air circulation openings free of accumulated dust (bound by grease)

Interim Procedures Wipe walls top to bottom If a small section is done daily – as part of daily routine, this won’t be a project Acid clean mineral deposits and rinse thoroughly Sinks Steam tables Dishwashers Floor Drains

Interim Procedures Clean hood screens Clean hood interior Spray with degreaser, blast clean with hot water & hose pressure – or; need dwell time for chemicals to work Soak them while doing other tasks, then rinse Clean hood interior Even the best automatic cleaning systems miss some corners and edges Clean above the screens Residual oils, dust, cleaning product residues

Interim Procedures If using auto scrubber daily Double scrub Use deck brush around edges & under Wet-vac where the scrubber won’t reach Rinse

Interim Procedures If daily damp mopping (no auto-scrubber available)… Uneven, unfinished floors – use a floor machine with a brush and heavy-duty cleaner or degreaser Scrub the floor to remove residual oils Pick up with a wet-vac Rinse twice Use a deck brush in corners and areas the floor machine can’t reach

Interim Procedures Finished floors – scrub & recoat Use a floor machine (buffer) & A blue pad Use heavy-duty cleaner or degreaser Give floor a quick top-scrub Wet vac up, 2 – 3 clear-water rinses – let dry Apply 2 coats floor finish Finished floors – gloss restoration Apply mop-on restorer & burnish or spray-burnish with spray-on restorer

Renovation Top-down cleaning Clean lights – inside & out Clean ceiling panels All ceiling fixtures Clean hoods inside & out Clean roof caps Wipe down all walls; walk-in fronts & doors Wipe down all appliance tops, fronts, sides and backs if possible

Renovation Finished floors Unfinished / uneven floors Strip & refinish Unfinished / uneven floors Scrub with floor machine & brush Degreaser or heavy-duty cleaner Wet-vac up Rinse twice Use A deck brush where necessary

Freezer Cleaning Do not mop or scrub running freezers (walls, racks or floors) with water-dilutable cleaning products Turn freezer off, let come to “room temperature”, then clean & scrub walls, racks, & floors Allow to dry with the door open for 24 – 48 hours before turning the freezer back on If you must clean freezers while running use a methanol-based freezer cleaning product Won’t freeze

About Floor Drains & Grease Traps Floor drains with removable grates (large ones in front of steam cookers) should be cleaned daily to remove food particles Enzymatic cleaners (liquid trap-shooter or liquid enzyme II), especially with automatic metering system, will help keep grease traps and floor drains from clogging and will help control odors

Dining Rooms Tables Chairs Floors Where do soils hide? Walls Serving Lines Rails Windows Doors Garbage Cans Where do soils hide? What does it take to remove the soils?

Daily Dining Room Clean-Up Empty garbage Clean inside & outside of cans Let dry Reline

Daily Dining Room Clean-Up Wipe Tables Top Side Edges Folding Edges Seating

Daily Dining Room Clean-Up Wipe Chairs Seats Backs Wherever hands touch

Daily Dining Room Clean-Up Spot clean Walls Windows Doors Glass Handles Where hands touch Hand rails Serving line fronts

Daily Dining Room Clean-Up Floors Sweep Damp mop Change water frequently Auto scrubber Finished floors With white or red pad Unfinished or uneven floors With brush Vacuum carpeting & walk-off matting Spot-clean spills

Interim Maintenance Clean ceiling vents Clean lights Wash windows – both sides Wash walls Wash rails Wash serving line fronts Wash doors Wipe table & chair legs Remove gum from undersides

Interim Maintenance Floors Finished floors Restore gloss Mop-on & burnish or spray-burnish Unfinished or uneven floors No auto scrubber Scrub with floor machine & brush Wet-vac solution Damp mop rinse With auto scrubber Double scrub Extract traffic lanes Walk-off matting

Renovation Refinish finished floors Extract carpeting Scrub & recoat Strip & refinish Extract carpeting as necessary

Break Rooms Same as dining rooms, only smaller Additionally, may have Sinks ( soap & paper towel dispensers) Counters Micro-waves Refrigerators Telephone

Daily Break Room Cleaning We’ve already covered most items… Disinfect telephones Wipe counters & disinfect sinks daily Check soap & towels

Break Rooms Micro-wave ovens Daily Wipe down outside Weekly Clean inside Zap a wad of moistened (w/ water) paper towels for 30 seconds to one minute – wipe down inside – repeat if necessary – wipe away streaks

Break Rooms Refrigerators Wipe door handles, front and sides daily Clean inside weekly Disinfectant, followed by clear water rinse Wipe dry

Break Rooms Refrigerators Obtain permission Post a sign stating clearly when cleaning will take place

Break Rooms Refrigerators Clean inside weekly Discard left-overs Remove condiment containers Wipe down all interior surfaces – including racks with disinfectant/cleaner Must be followed by clear water rinse Wipe dry to prevent mildew Replace retained items Note: if you post the sign, you must follow through – if you only clean it once in a while, you’ll surprise people when you throw away something they wanted

Food Area Cleaning Rules No food particles left overnight Tables Chairs Walls Floors No trash left – wash the cans daily Thoroughly clean your tools & equipment Brooms & dustpans Mops & buckets Auto-scrubbers

Cleaning Cafeterias, Kitchens and Break Rooms Are there any Questions?

Quiz (T/F) food attracts vermin. If you remove the source, you remove the problem. (T/F) staying on-top of the area makes cleaning quicker and easier. The final task of the day is to . Keeping grease traps and floor drains clean will help control . The biggest challenge to kitchen cleaning is .

Quiz “Food Safe” cleaners have no or . (T/F) Cleaning “Food Areas” is basically the same as cleaning most other areas – just paying more attention to details and using different products. (T/F) Use disinfectant cleaners to clean everything in “Food Areas” to control germs. When using a non-”food-safe” cleaning product, you must follow with . (T/F) Use very hot water to clean running freezers.

Answers (T) Food attracts vermin. If you remove the source, you remove the problem. (T) Staying on-top of the area makes cleaning quicker and easier. The final task of the day is to clean your equipment . Keeping Grease Traps and Floor Drains clean will help control odors . The biggest challenge to kitchen cleaning is grease or cooking oils .

Answers “Food Safe” cleaners have no color or fragrance. (T) Cleaning “Food Areas” is basically the same as cleaning most other areas – just paying more attention to details and using different products. (F) Use disinfectant cleaners to clean everything in “Food Areas” to control germs. When using a non-”food-safe” cleaning product, you must follow with a clean (potable) water rinse. (F) Use very hot water to clean running freezers.

Cleaning Cafeterias, Kitchens and Break Rooms Thank you for your participation.