In our last post we began to discuss cleaning food-contact surfaces, but found it extensive, and decided to make two shorter blogs. Today, we’re getting it to more detail about the correct and safe usage of chemical sanitizers. The proper method of cleaning dishes in three compartment sinks has been previously covered in our blog Wash, Rinse, Sanitize-How to Clean Equipment and Utensils in a Compartment Sink , so in this post, we’ll look at dish machines and cleaning food-contact surfaces which can’t be fitted into either a sink or a dish machine.
When using a dish machine , a newer model will have the steps mentioned in our previous post featured as its cycles, but scrape first anyway. If your machine uses hot water sanitation, the temperature needs to be 180F. For chemical sanitizers, it needs to be lower, but at least 120F. Your dish washer needs to be checked daily for cleanliness, and you need to very regularly check the temperatures of various cycles to ensure proper temperatures. Also, keep your machine in good repair.
Some food-contact surfaces can’t be washed in a sink or dish machine. These have to be washed by hand, with towels and buckets of water. In these cases, the steps are basically the same, but the procedure isn’t.
- Remove any visible pieces of debris. (This is why they make rubber gloves.)
- Use a clean bucket, set aside for kitchen cleaning use, and new disposable towels or towels which haven’t been used since being laundered and sanitized. Make sure you have enough towels on hand to use a fresh one for every step of the process.
- Wash surface with detergent, fresh towel, and 110F water.
- Rinse with fresh water, in a fresh bucket, with a fresh towel, at the same temperature.
- Sanitize. Using a spray bottle for your sanitizer is best at this step. Sanitizer water for this spray bottle can be collected from an appropriate sink of sanitizer water already prepared. Don’t use a towel for this stage. You’re risking contamination.
- Air dry. Always
If you’re cleaning equipment with multiple parts which can be taken apart, do so, and clean the parts individually. Also, don’t shy away from using solvents to remove burned grease from surfaces, acid cleaners for mineral deposits and soils that detergents won’t remove and abrasives for built-up soils.
We know these are multiple steps, and washing high chairs in hot water is uncomfortable, but when you consider the well-being of your business, your customers, and yourself, they’re worth it, and regularly practiced, they become a habit that doesn’t seem so taxing.
