One of the most important locations within any business is the area where your team eats and takes a break. Not only is that time and space highly valued and important to employees staying happy and energized throughout the day, kitchens and break rooms are also highly trafficked and need to be clean enough for people to eat in. Kitchens actually tend to harbor more bacteria than the bathroom, or any other area of a building. As a result, there are several steps that you can take to keep your lunchroom a clean, safe, and pleasant place to eat.
Add your lunchroom to you regular janitorial rotation: Each day, ensure that your janitorial staff is cleaning the kitchen. All trash should be removed, all surfaces wiped 
down and disinfected, and the furniture and appliances straightened and cleaned. In addition, consider asking your janitorial staff to wipe down high exposure areas such as refrigerator handles and to help kill germs in sponges by microwaving them wet for a few minutes each week. After hours cafeteria cleaning and disinfection can go a long way toward creating a healthier environment.
Set ground rules and enforce them for everyone: Many lunchrooms become chaotic because employees don’t respect the space. Simple requests such as wiping up spills, putting trash into the bin, and so forth can make a large difference. Many employers post simple signs that note “this is your lunchroom, please observe the following rules.” If people are known to be disrespecting the space or waiting for your cleaning or administrative staff to pick up after them, take action.
Keep supplies on hand that make it easy to clean: Having simple supplies on hand that make it easy to keep your kitchen clean helps encourage employees to do so. Consider having paper towels, napkins, or cleaning clothes available to wipe up spills. A container of disinfectant wipes should be available in case anything needs to be disinfected. Extra trash bags will enable people to empty any bins that become overly full during the day.
Clean the floor daily: There’s no surface in the kitchen that reflects its cleanliness more than the floor. Ensure that it’s swept daily and washed and waxed at regular intervals with a commercial floor cleaning company
Set up a regular refrigerator cleaning schedule: Whether employees bring in lunches or simply forget about takeout, you don’t want to end up with a science experiment in your refrigerator. Set a policy that all personal food must be removed before the weekend, and encourage your janitorial staff to throw away anything left behind and clean the refrigerator’s interior.
Are you a business located in the Greater Salt Lake City region that needs help with janitorial services? Contact us today to arrange for a personalized consultation.
