Cleaning and Sanitizing
Two different jobs
Cleaning removes visible food, grease, and soil. Sanitizing reduces pathogens to safe levels. Sanitizer does not work on a dirty surface, so cleaning always comes first. Food-contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized after each use, whenever you switch from raw to ready-to-eat food, after 4 hours of continuous use, and any time contamination occurs.
The three-compartment sink
- Scrape and rinse off food.
- Wash in hot soapy water at about 110°F.
- Rinse in clean water.
- Sanitize by soaking in the correct concentration.
- Air dry - never towel dry.
Typical concentrations: chlorine 50–100 ppm, quaternary ammonium 200–400 ppm, iodine 12.5–25 ppm. Verify with the matching test strip and follow the labeled contact time.
Machines, cloths, and chemicals
Dish machines wash around 150–160°F and use a final rinse of 180°F or a chemical sanitizer. Store wiping cloths in sanitizer between uses and change the solution when it looks dirty. Keep chemicals in labeled containers, stored below and away from food, and never in a food container.
Traps
The favorite wrong answers are: sanitize before washing; skip air drying and stack wet dishes; and "more sanitizer is better." Too strong a solution is not more effective - it leaves toxic residue, can pit equipment, and is a chemical hazard. Adding sanitizer to a dirty sink of water also fails, because soil inactivates it.
Rule of thumb
If you cannot see the surface clearly, it is not ready to sanitize. Worked example: a cook finishes trimming raw chicken on a cutting board and will now slice lettuce. Correct action: wash the board with hot soapy water, rinse, sanitize it for the labeled contact time, and air dry before use.