Are cleaning and disinfecting the same thing?
No. Cleaning removes visible dirt, food scraps and grease. Disinfecting reduces the microbes that are left.
If you disinfect without cleaning first, the product loses its effect because the dirt protects the microbes.
The correct order is: remove the scraps, wash with detergent, rinse, disinfect, leave it to work for the time the label says, rinse if the product requires it, and let it air-dry or dry it with disposable paper.
To remember
- Clean first, then disinfect.
- Respect the contact time on the label.
How often does cleaning have to be done?
Items, premises and equipment that touch food must be cleaned thoroughly and, if needed, disinfected, as often as necessary to avoid any risk of contamination.
That frequency is set by your business's cleaning and disinfection plan. It usually says what is cleaned, how, with which product, when and by whom. Follow it and write down what you are asked to.
Always clean when you switch from raw food to ready-to-eat food and at the end of every shift.
To remember
- Follow your employer's cleaning plan.
- Clean when you change task.
Facts and sources for this section
- Items, premises and equipment that touch food must be cleaned thoroughly and, if needed, disinfected, as often as necessary to avoid any risk of contamination. [S3]
How do I use cleaning products without accidents?
Read the label before using a product. Never mix different products, and least of all bleach with others: they can give off toxic gases.
Keep them in their original container, labelled, tightly closed and in a place away from food. Dangerous or inedible substances must be stored in separate, tightly closed containers.
Wear gloves and goggles if the label says so. And rinse well the surfaces that touch food.
To remember
- Never mix products.
- Original container, labelled and away from food.
Facts and sources for this section
- Dangerous or inedible substances must be labelled and stored in separate, tightly closed containers. [S3]
What water facilities must there be?
There must be an adequate supply of drinking water, which is always used whenever needed to avoid contaminating food.
Ice that will touch food must be made with drinking water and be prepared, handled and stored protected from contamination.
There must be facilities to clean, disinfect and store equipment and utensils, and the sinks for washing food must be separate from those for washing hands.
To remember
- Drinking water wherever it is needed.
- Ice made with drinking water.
- One sink for hands and another for washing food.
Facts and sources for this section
- There must be an adequate supply of drinking water, which is always used whenever needed to avoid contaminating food. [S3]
- Ice that will be in contact with food must be made with drinking water and be prepared, handled and stored protected from contamination. [S3]
- There must be facilities to clean, disinfect and store equipment and utensils, with enough hot and cold water. [S3]
- Sinks for washing food must be separate from those intended for washing hands. [S3]
How do I recognise a pest and what do I do?
Pests can give themselves away through droppings, gnawed or bitten packaging, footprints, eggs, bits of wings, a strange smell or live or dead insects.
If you see anything, tell your supervisor and do not use pesticides on your own, because they can contaminate food. Remove the affected product if you are told to.
There must be adequate pest control procedures. And pets must not have access to where food is prepared, handled or stored.
To remember
- Signs: droppings, gnawed packaging, footprints, insects.
- Tell someone; do not apply poison on your own.
Facts and sources for this section
- Adequate pest control procedures must be applied, and pets must be kept from getting to where food is prepared, handled or stored. [S3]
How does my team prevent pests?
Close doors and windows, or use fly screens. Seal cracks and gaps, and do not leave food or water uncovered.
Do not stack cardboard boxes on the floor, and leave a gap between products and the wall so you can clean. Receive goods and check them in case they bring insects.
Keep waste covered and remove it as soon as possible: rubbish attracts pests.
To remember
- Close gaps, cover food and rubbish.
- Store goods away from the floor and the wall.
What do I do with rubbish and scraps?
Food waste, inedible by-products and other rubbish must be removed as soon as possible from rooms where there is food, to stop it building up.
It must be put in bins with lids, in good condition and easy to clean and, if needed, to disinfect.
When you take the rubbish out, wash your hands before touching food again. And clean the bin and the floor around it when they get dirty.
To remember
- Rubbish out of the food area as soon as possible.
- Bins with lids, and wash your hands afterwards.
Check what you have learned
Three questions from the test, with their explanation. Tap an answer.
Question 1 of 3
What is the correct order for cleaning a work table?
See the answer
Correct: D, Remove scraps, wash with detergent, rinse, disinfect and let it dry. Disinfectant works better on a clean surface. To dry, use disposable paper or let it air-dry.
Question 2 of 3
Which of these is a sign of a pest?
See the answer
Correct: C, Droppings or gnawed packaging. Footprints, a strange smell and live or dead insects can also give away a pest.
Question 3 of 3
What must be true of the sinks for washing food and the sinks for washing hands?
See the answer
Correct: B, They must be separate. The regulation requires the facilities for washing food to be separate from those for washing hands. [S3]