Cleaning, Sanitising and Pest Control
Cleaning is not sanitising
Cleaning removes visible dirt, grease, and food residues with detergent and mechanical action. Sanitising then reduces microorganisms to a safe level using heat (hot water or steam) or a food-grade chemical sanitiser at the correct dilution and contact time. A surface cannot be effectively sanitised if it is still greasy.
The standard sequence
- Remove loose debris and food remnants.
- Pre-rinse.
- Main clean with detergent.
- Rinse.
- Sanitise or disinfect at the stated concentration and contact time.
- Final rinse where required, then air-dry.
Clean as you go, and schedule periodic deep cleaning of extractors, drains, and behind equipment. Store chemicals away from food, in labelled original containers, with dilution instructions available.
Pest control
Pests need food, water, and shelter - deny all three. Proof openings, fit screens, door sweeps, and self-closing doors; keep waste covered and removed frequently; store food off the floor and in sealed containers; inspect deliveries. Use baits and traps away from food, record monitoring, and use licensed pest-control operators for treatment. Never use insecticide or rodenticide in food preparation areas or on food-contact surfaces.
Worked example
A chopping board is rinsed and sprayed with sanitiser while still coated in raw chicken fat. The sanitiser is inactivated by the organic load. Correct order is detergent wash, rinse, then sanitiser at the labelled dilution for the full contact time, then air-dry.
Traps that cost marks
- Calling a detergent wash "sanitising".
- Using sanitiser at a stronger dilution than labelled, assuming more is better.
- Storing chemicals in unlabelled drinks bottles.
- Laying bait stations on food-prep benches.
- Forgetting drains, extractor hoods, and cleaning-cloth storage.