CLEANING AND SANITISATION

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1 DEFINITIONS

There are two elements to maintaining a clean, safe workspace, kitchen and food storage
areas – cleaning and sanitising:

 Cleaning is the removal of dirt, grease, food waste and pest waste.

 Sanitisation is where heat or chemicals are used to kill bacteria.

2 GENERAL PROCEDURES

There are two general areas to consider when cleaning and sanitising the kitchen – the
physical environment and equipment:

 Physical: The physical environment includes floors, walls and ceilings, benches,
shelves, cupboards, light fittings, sinks, handwash basins, ventilation ducts and pipes.

 Equipment: For example, pots and pan, utensils, crockery, powered items such as
food processors.

LIFT THE LID

Review the following fact sheets on cleaning and sanitising or source ones from your own state and
territory.
Website: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/20180309-eat-safe-fact-sheet-
cleaning.pdf
Website: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/20180309-eat-safe-fact-sheet-
sanitising.pdf
What are the key points mentioned in the fact sheets? Share your ideas in a group discussion
facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Each organisation should have a clearly defined cleaning schedule that describes:

 when to clean  how to clean

 what to clean  who is to clean

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CLEANING

1 WHEN TO CLEAN

It is important to follow a regular, set procedure for cleaning and sanitising. A cleaning and
sanitation procedure will make it clear who cleans, what is to be cleaned, how it is to be
cleaned, how often and with what materials. A business will often have a cleaning
schedule that outlines all the tasks to be completed and when.

An example of a schedule could be:

Clean surfaces and utensils after each use

Clean ovens weekly

Clean sinks between uses

Clean fridges and freezers monthly

Clean bins weekly

Clean ventilation systems every three months to one year

2 ESSENTIAL CLEANING MATERIALS

Essential cleaning materials for a kitchen include:

 mop buckets and mops

 buckets

 cleaning trolleys

 dustpans and brushes

 brooms

 paper towels

 cleaning cloths and dish clothes, including those made from microfibre, bamboo etc
(which come either as individual cloths or on rolls)

 disinfectant wipes

 sponge scourers

 copper scourers for delicate items

 grill cleaners

 squeegees and scrapers

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 cleaning gloves

 cleaning products such as:

o multipurpose cleaner

o detergent

o weak acid

o sanitisers

o deodorisers and cleaners

o dishwashing liquids

o dishwasher liquids and powders

o floor cleaners.

Mops and brooms come with colour-coded handles to prevent cross contamination, or the
handles can be purchased separately. Buckets, cleaning cloths and gloves also come in
colour-coded options.

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CLEANING TASKS
Always wear gloves when cleaning!

1 CLEANING FLOORS

Kitchen floors need to be swept and washed at least once every working day. This
includes all food preparation areas as well as the wash-up area.
Any spills should be mopped and dried immediately otherwise they become hard to clean
later and people might slip.

2 CLEANING WALLS AND CEILINGS

In the kitchen, walls should be cleaned with warm water and detergent at least once a
week. Splashes on the wall should be cleaned immediately.
Each month brush and sweep ceilings and remove dust from the top of girders and piping,
window ledges, door ledges and electric light fittings.

3 CLEANING FOOD PREPARATION AREAS

These areas need daily cleaning due to constant food preparation and the risk of
contamination.
Cleaning usually happens at the end of the day, but if a lot of food preparation is done it is
important to clean sooner and more often.
Most shelves, counters and tables in the food preparation area are stainless steel. They
are easily cleaned with hot detergent and a brush, then rinsed with water and dried.
Stainless steel should also ideally be wiped down with a weak acid solution once a week to
keep stainless steel bright and shiny. It is important to wash the acid off with a fresh water
rinse and then wipe dry.

It’s important to always wear gloves when using caustic or acidic washing solutions.

CLEANING STORAGE AREAS

The following cleaning duties apply to storage areas:

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 Clear and clean shelves and cupboards used for storing linen and crockery at least once a
month.

 Do the same for food and utensil cupboards once a week.

 Clean the outside of small refrigerators daily and then clean and sanitise the inside once a week.

 Clean cold rooms and freezers daily.

 Sanitise freezers monthly and cold rooms weekly.

Cleaning of storage areas also provides a good opportunity to check drainage holes, door seals and
light bulbs.

CLEANING CROCKERY AND UTENSILS

Cleaning of crockery and utensils is achieved by:

 scraping off all food scraps

 rinsing

 washing

 rinsing a second time to remove all traces of detergent.

Washing can be done either by hand or machine. The water temperature should be 65ºC. The
detergent is rinsed off using clean water at 85ºC.
Commercial dishwashers are often also used and can be set at minimum temperatures to ensure
utensils are free from bacteria. Once the dishwasher cycle is finished and the items cool down, store
them straight away.
Ideally crockery and utensils should be air dried and put away as soon as they are dry.
Note that not all equipment, utensils and knives, can be washed in the dishwasher as the abrasive
detergent can ruin the surfaces. Always check manufacturer’s instruction or check with your
supervisor if you are unsure.
Sometimes you might notice chipped or cracked items. These must be thrown away as chips and
cracks can harbour bacteria and can also cause injury.

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CLEANING POTS AND PANS

In many kitchens pots and pans are cleaned by hand, therefore it is important that excess dirt is
removed before washing and that water is changed frequently.
Soaking will be required if food is baked on.
Stack and clean pots, saucepans and frypans in order from least to most dirty.

CLEANING LARGE POWERED EQUIPMENT

In general, when a major item of equipment is purchased, it comes with an operating manual and
cleaning instructions.
Before cleaning major machinery and equipment make sure you read the manufacturer's cleaning
recommendations, or ask for help from your supervisor.

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WHAT’S COOKING?

If you are completing your learning in conjunction with a practical unit, your trainer will provide
some practise tasks for cleaning.
Trainer: If students are completing their learning in conjunction with a practical unit, provide them
with relevant tasks in relation to cleaning so that they can practise safe handling techniques.

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OTHER CLEANING AND SANITISATION TASKS

1 MAINTENANCE

Generally, maintenance of major kitchen items will be completed by specialists, but as a

food handler you may need to do minor/basic maintenance such as cleaning out the
vacuum cleaner, refilling cleaning bottles and replacing cleaning materials. Make sure you
understand what your responsibilities are.
If you identify an item that is faulty or is not working the way it should, report it to your
supervisor.

2 ENVIRONMENTAL SWABBING

Sometimes a food business may choose to undergo an environmental swabbing process.

This can be known as bacterial swab and count. This process informs food business
owners and food regulators about the cleanliness of food processing areas.
Environmental swabbing involves the microbiological testing of food preparation surfaces,
equipment and utensils using various swab techniques. Results will identify if pathogens
are present.
Swabbing is used to verify whether food business’s cleaning and sanitation programs are
effective, and also in ‘seek and destroy’ missions where a food business is concerned that
a foodborne illness pathogen is present in the food processing area.

3 CHEMICAL TESTING

Chemical testing involves testing food for the presence of heavy metals or pesticide
residues.
A supplier may choose to do chemical testing on their produce as part of the quality
assurance process, or a health authority may do chemical tests as part of an investigation.
A third-party laboratory will test samples of produce to ensure compliance with regulatory
requirements and customer satisfaction.

4 PEST CONTROL

Pest infestations are a serious contamination issue in kitchens due to their ability to rapidly
spread harmful bacteria and destroy food. Checking for pest infestations is very important
and must be done regularly.
Areas where pests may be found include:

 waste disposal areas  outdoor areas

 food storage areas  dining areas.

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 food preparation areas

Signs of pest infestation include:

 droppings  unusual smells

 disturbances in areas where food  bite or tear marks in foods or

is stored packaging.

If a pest infestation is detected, report it immediately to your supervisor.

5 REDUCING THE RISK OF PESTS

Actions that can be taken to reduce the risk of pest infestation include:

 making sure food is stored off of the floor

 sealing holes and cracks around doors, windows, trims and so on

 using flyscreens on all windows and doors

 disposing of rubbish regularly

 making sure external bins are emptied regularly and are not overflowing

 placing rubbish in bins (and not beside them)

 making sure external bin lids are closed

 having a professional pest controller check the premises regularly.

LIFT THE LID

Review the following fact sheet on pest control.

Website: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/20180309-eat-safe-fact-sheet-pest-
control.pdf
What are the key points mentioned in the fact sheet? Share your ideas in a group discussion
facilitated by your trainer.

The workplace must have safety data sheets on file for all chemicals that are available and
being used on premises. These documents provide information about the safe handling,
storage, use and transport of hazardous substances. It is important to read these before
using any hazardous substances.
There are some hazardous substances that should never be mixed together. Always read
the SDS and chemical label on the container to make sure you are doing the right thing.

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