Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Facility Maintenance
Clean is not sanitized
Cleaning removes visible soil; sanitizing reduces pathogens to safe levels. You must clean before you sanitize, because sanitizer applied over grease or soil fails silently. Manual sequence: scrape and pre-rinse, wash in hot soapy water, rinse, sanitize, then air-dry (never towel-dry).
Chemical sanitizers: chlorine at 50-100 ppm in water at 75F to 100F; quaternary ammonium at the concentration on the label; iodine at 12.5-25 ppm. Contact time matters, typically 7 seconds for chlorine and 30 seconds for quats. Test every solution with strips, and mix solutions fresh, since a dirty or exhausted bucket is a common exam answer.
Heat sanitizing: soak in 171F water for 30 seconds, or use a dish machine with a final rinse of 180F (165F for a stationary-rack, single-temperature machine).
Facilities and pest control
Set up the three-compartment sink as wash, rinse, and sanitize at the correct concentration. Never let a mop sink, hand sink, or prep sink do double duty. Prevent backflow with an air gap or vacuum breaker. Store chemicals below and away from food, in labeled original containers, with safety data sheets on hand.
Integrated pest management: deny entry, deny food and water, deny shelter, then use approved treatments. Watch for droppings, gnaw marks, grease trails, flies, and nesting material.
Traps
- Air-drying questions: never dry with a cloth.
- Sanitizer concentration and water temperature; quats lose effectiveness in very hot or hard water.
- Wiping cloths must stay submerged in sanitizer between uses.
- The master cleaning schedule states what, who, when, and how.
Rule of thumb: clean, rinse, sanitize, air-dry, and if you did not test the sanitizer, you do not know it worked.