Just as the lack of “a ha’peth of tar” might spoil the ship, so too will neglecting cleanliness in your pub and especially so in the kitchen.
By implementing an effective cleaning program and adopting a “Clean As You Go” policy you can get rid of harmful bacteria and prevent their spread to the food you store, cook and serve.
With the huge variety of cleaning materials available you can never say that you haven’t got the right cleaner for a particular job and with this choice of cleaning chemicals the first thing to do is always read the manufacturers’ instructions. Not only will you be fulfilling your obligations under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations, you’ll be using the right cleaning material for the job in hand and won’t be wasting money using the wrong chemicals.
The “Clean As You Go” maxim has long been accepted as an essential safe method of working so that you are automatically clearing and cleaning work surfaces between different tasks and properly cleaning the catering equipment in your kitchen after you’ve used it.
Implementing a Regular Cleaning Schedule
One cannot stress the importance of regular cleaning, not only will it keep your kitchen safe and hygienic, protect your business and your customers’ health and ensure a high EHO rating it will also save you money, “little and often” in relation to cleaning means you won’t have to spend out huge amounts on deep cleans more than is recommended. Many suppliers of cleaning materials will provide you with free posters etc to record your cleaning schedule and remind your staff what needs cleaning, how it’s to be cleaned and when to clean it.
The first thing to do is to complete a “walkthrough” of your pub kitchen, food storage and refuse bin areas and make a comprehensive list of everything that needs cleaning, the frequency at which they should be cleaned (after every use, daily, weekly, monthly etc) and the type of cleaning to be undertaken (light cleaning, disinfecting, deep cleaning etc) with which cleaning material (polish, anti-bacterial solution, disinfectant, bathroom cleaner etc).
Things to be Cleaned and Disinfected include:
- Work surfaces,
- chopping boards,
- equipment and utensils,
- fridges and freezers,
- sinks and soap dispensers,
- re-useable clothes,
- ice machines,
- rubbish bins,
- brushes, dustpans and brooms
- door handles, light switches & power points, taps & controls
- telephones
- can openers
Things to be Cleaned include:
- floors, walls and ceilings
- waste and storage areas
- drains and sumps
- microwave ovens, dish and glass washers, display cabinets, bottle coolers
The most important thing to remember that cleaning a work surface where food is prepared requires a “6 Stage Clean”.
This is important for pre-cleaning a work surface prior to preparing food or for “Break cleaning” for example when a food surface has been used for raw food and then for cooked “high risk” food.
The process is as follows:
1.Pre-clean the surface to remove any debris or heavy soiling.
2.Wash (hot soapy water and a brush or cloth).
3.Rinse with clean water and a clean cloth.
4.Disinfect using a food grade product (or use a sanitising spray) allowing for sufficient contact time.
5.Rinse with clean water and a single use disposable cloth (clean paper towel).
6.Air dry or dry with paper towel.
Below is a handy video from Tork on effective surface cleaning …
It sounds a bit of a faff but EHOs will expect this is done in the workplace. Simply washing a table with soap and water or spraying sanitiser and wiping it off won’t effectively remove harmful bacteria from a food contact surface by itself.
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