What is kitchen cleaning?
Kitchen cleaning covers food preparation areas, where cleaning is a food safety control rather than a matter of appearance and is subject to inspection by environmental health.
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<img src="https://cleanoptix.co.uk/glossary/kitchen-cleaning/diagram.svg" alt="kitchen cleaning — diagram from CleanOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
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<a href="https://cleanoptix.co.uk/glossary/kitchen-cleaning">What is kitchen cleaning?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://cleanoptix.co.uk">CleanOptix</a>
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</figure>The distinction that governs it is clean versus disinfect. Removing visible soil and killing bacteria are different operations, and food contact surfaces generally need both in sequence.
Chemicals used on food contact surfaces have to be suitable for that, and contact time matters: a disinfectant wiped off immediately has not had the time it needs to work.
Cleaning schedules in food premises form part of the food safety management system, which means they are documented and inspected rather than internal to the cleaning contract.
In practice
An office tea point with a microwave and a shared fridge.
The specification covers surfaces and floors. The fridge, the microwave interior and the inside of the kettle are unowned, so they are cleaned by whoever cannot stand it any longer.
In an office this is a nuisance. In a setting where food is prepared rather than reheated it is a different question entirely, with its own rules.
The first thing to establish is which of the two a client thinks they are buying.
What goes wrong in practice
- Disinfectant wiped off before its contact time has elapsed.
- Products used on food contact surfaces that are not suitable for them.
- Cleaning schedules not aligned with the client's food safety management system.