Do you own or manage a restaurant? Do you want to keep your restaurant free from coronavirus? Are you wondering what cleaning methods are most effective against the coronavirus?
With the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the nation, people are starting to adapt to the “new normal.” Businesses, especially restaurants, are beginning to respond and make adjustments in different ways.
But with everyone coming up with their respective methods, which ones should restaurant owners follow? What restaurant cleaning strategies will work best against the spread of coronavirus?
Continue reading below as we look at what should be in your restaurant cleaning list.
Always Start Right
Before preparing any meal, you need to make sure that your workstation is all clear.
Clear up all the mess on the counters. Make sure the sink is empty and wash any lingering dishes. You also want to empty your dish rack and dishwasher.
Go to your stove and see if there is any splatter around the area. Scrub the splatter off accordingly. Wipe down every surface using your kitchen cleaner.
Remember: you don’t need to see dirt and germs for them to exist and infect the food. Even if it all looks clean, take the time to wipe things down.
Disinfect All Surfaces
When it comes to disinfecting surfaces, you want to cover everything. This is crucial especially for surfaces you use to prepare food. To ensure the success of your disinfection efforts, you need to invest in a trusted food service disinfectant.
To ensure the potency of your disinfectant, read the labels carefully. Follow the instructions to the dot. Also, it is best to use a plastic spray container.
This will help you apply the disinfectant easier. It gives you more coverage and mobility. It also protects you from accidental spills especially if you’re using strong cleaning chemicals.
Since there are many kinds of disinfectants out there, finding the right one may be too confusing. Thus, consider using the guidelines from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when choosing the best disinfectants against coronavirus.
Additionally, don’t forget to disinfect all doorknobs. The same thing goes for handrails, chairs, and tables both inside and outside the kitchen.
Appropriate Hygiene for Everyone
Apart from cleaning all surfaces, you need to ensure everyone practices proper hygiene. Proper restaurant procedures apply to how your staff sanitizes themselves too! Your staff is an extension of your kitchen since they are the ones who prepare and serve the food.
Enforce a no handshake and no hug-policy in the restaurant. If your employees want to greet each other, they can do so without making physical contact.
As they enter the door of the restaurant, they need to wash their hands with soap and water. Also, schedule hand-washing reminders for everyone to follow. Furthermore, put signs reminding everyone to cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
If anyone of them is feeling sick, don’t force them to go to work. It is better for them to rest and recover at home than to expose everyone.
You also want to increase ventilation in the work area. Open some of the windows or adjust your cooling system accordingly.
Practice Equipment Sanitation
On top of the surfaces and chopping stations, you also need to pay attention to your equipment. Disinfect and sanitize them accordingly. Your good old bleach solution will help you get rid of those viruses and other pathogens.
To create your solution, mix 8 ounces of bleach with one gallon of water.
If there is one vital equipment that you need to pay extra attention to, it is your ice machine. What you want is to clean both the exterior and the interior portions of your equipment.
To clean the outer parts, pre-wash using warm water. Spray your bleach solution to the exterior and allow it to sit for about five minutes. Thereafter, rinse the area with clean water and let it air dry.
To complete the process, take your bleach and mix two teaspoons with one gallon of water. Spray the solution on the area and let it dry.
For the interior portion, make sure to remove any debris or residue. Spray your bleach solution then wipe accordingly. Rinse the area with water and apply the solution for the second time.
This is for sanitizing the equipment. Simply allow the equipment to air-dry.
Avoid Cross-Contamination
Another important practice you need to learn is avoiding cross-contamination. This means keeping your raw meat from touching your vegetables and other ingredients.
Make sure to assign separate cutting boards for your meat, fish, and vegetables. Never cut pork on your vegetable chopping board.
Also, consider wearing disposable gloves when handling meat and seafood. Thereafter, discard them accordingly.
Mind the Floor
Last but not least, make sure to clean the floor regularly. This covers the main restaurant floor as well as the kitchen floor.
Experts recently noted that the coronavirus can survive on shoes for up to five days. And it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing shoes with rubber, leather, or PVC-based soles. Furthermore, it is the soles of the shoes where pathogens of different kinds can thrive.
Make sure to mop and disinfect your establishment’s floor. Use your bleach solution and apply generously to your floor before mopping.
Also, you may want your staff to bring extra shoes especially if they’re working inside the kitchen. Set up a small area where they can change and keep their shoes for storage.
Take Advantage of These Restaurant Cleaning Procedures
By following these restaurant cleaning procedures, you can keep your restaurant free from coronavirus and other pathogens. But with the pandemic far from over, there is no reason to let your guard down.
You need to expand your knowledge in keeping COVID-19 at bay.
Check out our other articles on health and cleanliness. We discuss different tips and solutions that will help keep your family and business coronavirus-free.
