Cleaning and sanitizing

Sanitizers & Disinfectants in Commercial Kitchens

in Cleaning & Sanitizing  by May 17, 2016

In restaurants, sanitizers and disinfectants are used on items from the restaurant tables to the food prep surfaces to prevent foodborne illness. Cleanliness leads to an overall better customer experience and can make or break a restaurant. Before talking more about things you should know and where to use sanitizers and disinfectants in a commercial restaurant, it’s important to understand what sanitizers and disinfectants are.

Sanitizers are used to reduce microorganisms from inanimate environments to safe levels determined by public health codes and regulations. Sanitizing agents are commonly used in connection with food and food-processing equipment. For example, there are sanitizing rinses for surfaces such as dishes and cooking utensils as well as sanitizers for cooking surfaces.

While sanitizers and disinfectants are somewhat different by definition, they are commonly used interchangeably as they both kill germs on contact. Now that you know more about what sanitizers and disinfectants are questo sito, we can talk about things you should know.

What You Should Know About Sanitizers and Disinfectants

1. The Common Sanitizers: The two common sanitizers used in restaurants are Chlorine and QUAT.

  • Chlorine Based Sanitizers:
    • Used almost exclusively for ware washing.
    • The positive is that it’s an instant kill. The negative is that it is unstable and “flashes off” rendering it useless soon after mixing a solution.
    • Due to its flash off, it must be tested frequently because even in 15 minutes it can no longer be within the health department limits. This is why it is mainly used in dish machines, as they have a controlled process that kills the germs and flushes out on each cycle.
    • Another negative is that it will rust equipment, eat away at metals and damage clothing or fabric. It also dries out the skin and is harsh in many сиалис тадалафил 20 мг цена different ways, which is another reason it is mainly used in dish machines.
    • It also has an obnoxious smell.
  • QUAT Based Sanitizers:
    • A product that is based on Quaternary Ammonium (QA) cations.
    • Used for all other areas in the restaurant.
    • Has a 10-second kill, meaning it must be in contact for 10 seconds in order to the kill the germs, but it is steady and consistent.
    • It is forever stable and doesn’t lose its potency for killing germs over time no matter the frequency it’s being used at.
    • It is not a harsh chemical in any way shape or form.
    • It is very light in odor.

2. QUAT Sanitizers Are More Cost Effective:

  • Chlorine is cheap, however, QUAT is actually more cost effective due to its dilution rate. For each part of QA you’re somewhere between 256-512 parts of water and 1 gallon of QA sanitizer will make as many as 500 gallons of sanitizing solution.
  • Plus, partnering with a company that properly dilutes the chemicals will also save money as they will only use the necessary chemical without any waste, whereas employees may use excess chemicals, costing you more money.
  • The right way is always going to be less expensive.

3. Concentrations Are Important:

  • It’s important to work with a chemical vendor to ensure sanitizers are used within a system and that they have proper concentrations all the time.
  • Without a system, employees will attempt to measure very precise and small ratios without the proper equipment making it difficult to dilute at the proper ratio.
  • This is an issue because too little sanitizer can result in unacceptable efficacy, while too much sanitizer can yield residues that do not meet standards.

4. Sanitizers Must Be Tested Every Day:

  • Restaurants are responsible per the health department to test their sanitizers every single day.
  • Test strips are an easy way to test quickly.
  • Because Chlorine is unstable it can be good one day and not the next, especially in a warm area like a kitchen. While QUAT doesn’t have this problem, there is an issue of measuring precisely to ensure the correct dilution, hence why it’s important to not depend on an employee to measure but instead to work with a chemical partner with the proper equipment and knowledge.

 5. Washing is Vital Prior to Sanitizing:

  • While washing an item cleans it, sanitizing is necessary to kill the bacteria and viruses. This is why it’s important to make sure items are washed before using any sanitizing chemicals. This goes for everything in a restaurant from dishes to utensils to employees’ hands.
  • In other words, sanitizers are not suitable for washing, but rather should be used in addition to washing. Thus meaning that a chemical like bleach is not a great cleaner, as it kills germs. While it makes stains disappear it doesn’t mean the stain isn’t there.

 6. Sanitizers Reduce the Risks of Food-Borne Illness:

  • Sanitizers are important to eliminate the risks of food-borne illness. Without proper sanitation of kitchen surfaces, equipment and employees’ hands, microbes can be transferred from one food to another leading to food-borne illness.

Where Should You Be Using Sanitizers in Your Restaurant?

Sanitizers should be used throughout the whole restaurant. Below are some examples of where they should be used along with tips to improve their uses.

1. Back of House –

  • Employee Hand Sanitation
    • Alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol are recommended as a component of hand hygiene by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    • Hand sanitizers are not as effective when hands are dirty or greasy which is why when using sanitizers employees should wash their hands first and then use the sanitizer.
    • Visit the CDC page for more info on when and how to use hand sanitizers.
  • Surface Sanitizers and Disinfecting Chemicals
    • Sanitizers should be used on all prep and cooking surfaces, on cooking utensils, kitchen walls and floors and on all equipment such as grills, hoods, sinks, faucets, ovens, coffee machines and more.
    • It’s important to make sure the sanitizer is strong enough and that you use the sanitizer for the proper amount of time.
  • Glass and Dishware Sanitizing
    • The most important function of your glass washer or dishwasher is to kill germs due to the fact that if people get sick you won’t have a restaurant anymore.
    • The secondary function is then for the equipment to clean the ware.
    • If you don’t have enough chemical in the sanitizing cycle and/or your dish machine does not have the correct temperature setting, the glasses and dishes will not be disinfected and cleaned well.

2. Front of House –

  • No matter what type of restaurant you have, it’s necessary to keep your business clean to achieve high customer satisfaction and reduce the risk of spreading germs. Below is a list of important areas to clean frequently with sanitizers and disinfectants.
    • Tables, chairs and booths
    • Condiment shakers, bottles and other items on the table
    • Door handles
    • Windows
    • Floors
    • Bathrooms

Sanitizers and disinfectants are vital for customer and employee health. Given that cleanliness can affect your business’ livelihood, restaurant owners need to make sure they’re using quality chemicals in the right places in the restaurant. Connect with your local chemical company to ensure you have the products needed to achieve a clean restaurant.

Responsibilities Restaurant Owners Should Share

in Cleaner Solutions / Saving Money  by March 28, 2016

As a restaurant owner, there will always be a long list of ongoing responsibilities. Local, independently owned restaurants have even more responsibilities than chain restaurants, because the locally owned independent does not have the benefit of a corporate office and commissary to handle all of the back-end operations.  A locally owned independent restaurant simply has a longer list of responsibilities.  This is why most successful operators work 60 – 80 hours per week.

At the top of the list is always food cost, liquor cost and labor costs, as well as important details such as food quality and customer service.  Not to mention, employee issues and procedural issues.

With so many responsibilities, it’s important to consider working with other local partners to help complete important tasks efficiently.

So, what is a major responsibility that can be removed from your list and managed by a local partner?
Managing the restaurant’s dishwasher, warewashing, cleaning chemicals and sanitizing programs.

Cleaning and sanitizing equipment and chemicals are extremely important, however, they generally fall lower on a priority list. By hiring a local partner such as Cleaner Solutions to oversee this area, owners can be confident that their employees have all the right products, equipment and will always be on budget.

So, what should you expect from a local commercial dishwasher and cleaning chemical partner?

A partner who:

  • Manages Employees – We work directly with the restaurant staff.  Building relationships with staff can lead to direct communication between the partner and staff about proper chemical and dish machine uses as well as issues that arise, which eliminates the time an owner has to spend worrying about the dish machine and cleaning solutions.
  • Manages Chemical Inventory – Keeping chemicals up to par is time consuming and critical to maintaining a clean restaurant, which is why it’s an important task that should be handled by a partner. The restaurateur never has to order the product.
  • Delivers and Puts Away Stock – Having materials delivered and put away on the proper shelves will save time as the restaurant staff will not need to sign for deliveries or put the stock away. Owners will also be assured that the stock is always put away in the correct location.
  • Maintains the Dishwasher – Ongoing evaluation and proper cleaning of the dish machine is very important to help eliminate equipment issues and ensure the pots, pans and dishes are cleaned effectively.
  • Offers Flat Rate Pricing – With our Whole House Plan, we offer guaranteed flat rate pricing.  This means that you always pay the same price.  You are always on budget.
  • Guarantees No Price Increases for 1 Year – We review our accounts and pricing annually. You are guaranteed not to see a price increase more than once per year. There is no need to constantly check prices.
  • Controls Chemical Usage Spikes – When your chemical usage spikes up you will not pay extra. We work directly with the staff to find the cause of the increase and we control it.

Finding a partner who can take care of all the issues related to dishwashers and cleaning chemicals while keeping you on budget will take a very important task off your long list of responsibilities. Ultimately, this will allow for more time to focus on other restaurant related responsibilities that can’t be handled by an outside partner.