Cleaning schedules and checking

Cleaning is a safety control. You must be able to prove that it is effective. A cleaning schedule shows what must be cleaned, how often, by what method, with which products and by whom.

A good schedule lists every food area and piece of equipment. For each item, it gives the frequency, the method, the chemical, the dilution, the contact time and the protective equipment needed. It also says who does the job and who checks it. Include places that are easy to miss: behind and under equipment, shelves, seals, canopies and drains. Include touch points such as door handles, switches, fridge handles, bins and tablets. 'Clean as you go' is useful, but it does not replace a schedule.

Cleaning and disinfection are different. Cleaning removes dirt, grease and food. Disinfection reduces bacteria to a safe level. Clean and disinfect food-contact surfaces, hand-contact surfaces and anything that has touched raw food. Follow the two-stage method: clean first, then disinfect, using a product that meets BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697.

Train staff on each product. They need to know the dilution, the contact time and how to work safely. Using more chemical than the label says does not clean better, and it may leave residue on surfaces. Never mix chemicals. Keep them in labelled containers, away from food.

Cloths are a common route for spreading bacteria. Single-use cloths are the safest choice. If you use reusable cloths, keep separate ones for raw food areas and wash and disinfect them between uses.

A dishwasher that runs a full cycle and is kept in good working order disinfects by heat. Clean the filters, and have it serviced. If it is faulty, it cannot be relied on as a control.

Supervisors must check that cleaning has worked. Walk the kitchen with the schedule. Look and touch: is a surface greasy or sticky? Check the places people miss. Rapid hygiene swabs, such as ATP tests, can help to show whether a surface has really been cleaned. If an area fails, have it cleaned again and find out why. It may be a training problem, a problem with time or a problem with the schedule.

Keep signed cleaning records. Signing for a job should mean that it was done. If a supervisor's signature appears on a record for a job that was skipped, the record is false, and the business has no real evidence.