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You are here: Home > Environment > Environmental Health > Food Safety > Business Advice > Best Practice > Cleaning

Cleaning

This section provides information and guidelines on best practices of cleaning in an environment where food is prepared.

To help ensure the safety of your food, it is essential that surfaces and equipment are:

• visually clean 
• free from excessive levels of harmful bacteria 

The following definitions must be understood, if your premises are to meet these requirements:

Cleaning

The removal of food residues, dirt, grease and other undesirable debris. This requires physical energy, e.g. scrubbing, heat and/or chemicals.

Disinfection

The reduction in levels of bacteria to a safe level.This is usually done by the use of special chemicals e.g. sanitisers, intended for food use, or by heat (hot water around 82°C or steam).

Detergent

A chemical used to remove food debris, dirt and grease, e.g. washing-up liquid. Disinfectant (sanitiser) – a chemical used to reduce the numbers of bacteria to a safe level, e.g. Milton.

Final rinse – remove all moisture.

Cleaning Schedules

A cleaning schedule is the simplest and most satisfactory way of organising this routine programme of work, ensuring that equipment and premises are effectively cleaned.

When planning a cleaning schedule the following points should be considered: 

• What is to be cleaned? – An inventory of all areas and equipment which need to be cleaned
• When is it to be cleaned? – The frequency with which it should be cleaned.
• How is it to be cleaned? – The method of cleaning, together with the equipment and detergent/sanitiser to be used, should also be indicated.
• Who is responsible for cleaning? – Ensuring staff know their duties and possibly using a system for ‘signing off’ the job.
  
  However, all staff should be trained to ‘clean as they go’. i.e. to clean up any spillages immediately to prevent any unnecessary build-up which may cause a problem later.
  
  All cleaning chemicals should be stored in a lockable cupboard away from any food room. Employees should also be made aware of any precautions that should be taken when using them.
  
• How effective has it been? – It is important having set up the procedure to make regular checks to ensure that it is being followed correctly and is achieving the right results.
  
  This is a management responsibility not to be overlooked. Where cleaning schedules have fallen down it is often because proper checks have not been made and so cleaning becomes less of a priority within the business.