In a busy workplace, office kitchen cleaning can often be overlooked or difficult to ‘keep on top of’. Employees focused on their work schedules are generally too rushed during breaks to take the time to clean up properly. The kitchen area can quickly become an unsanitary and unattractive environment with dirty dishes, food debris and overflowing trash. The office kitchen can sometimes become more unhygienic than the washroom.
As a business or facility manager, it’s important to prioritize the health of your staff and provide a safe and healthy work environment. The key to preventing the spread of infectious diseases is to maintain a thorough and regular cleaning and disinfection routine. Maintaining a hygienic office kitchen reduces the transmission of bacterial and viral transmitted diseases, which in turn reduces rates of employee absenteeism due to illness.
Tips for Maintaining a Clean Office Kitchen
De-clutter and Organize
Provide an organized template for keeping your office kitchen clean and uncluttered by having a well-designed space with clearly marked areas for food prep, cleaning, and trash and recycling routines. Reduce clutter on kitchen countertops and other communal surfaces by having designated and labelled areas for all kitchen equipment, dishes, utensils and supplies. Maintaining an organized and uncluttered kitchen will reduce the build-up and spread of germs and harmful bacteria.
Stock Cleaning Supplies and Equipment
Ensure all cleaning equipment and supplies such as dish soap, dish brushes, disposable dish cloths, garbage bin liners, paper towels, mops and brooms are well stocked and accessible.
Educate Staff
Educate employees on proper hygienic practices in the kitchen. Create awareness of the health risks of unsanitary kitchen practices in a multi-use workplace.
Kitchen Cleaning Rules
Post a list of kitchen cleaning rules and protocols, including one for removing expired foods from the refrigerator on a regular basis. Make sure the dishwasher is emptied at the end of each day to avoid bacteria and odour buildup overnight.
Have a Rule to Follow the Rules
Implement a strong “clean up after yourself” policy to ensure employees take individual responsibility for maintaining office kitchen cleanliness during and after personal use, such as washing their dishes, wiping up spills and contributing to maintaining the overall cleanliness in the kitchen.
Take out the Garbage
Garbage left overnight in the office kitchen breeds germs and offensive odours and can attract insects and rodents. The removal of all organic and non-organic trash on a daily schedule is crucial for maintaining a healthy, clean and attractive office kitchen. Your janitorial services company should remove the garbage daily, but if you don’t have a service, make sure someone is responsible for this task each evening.
Schedule Professional Commercial Cleaning Services
Even with the best practices of you and your staff, a regularly scheduled professional commercial cleaning service will provide the thorough office kitchen cleaning and disinfection required to maintain the high standard of hygiene necessary for a truly healthy work environment at your facility.
With over 70 years of experience in the commercial cleaning industry, the office kitchen cleaning specialists at ServiceMaster Clean have the resources and expertise to clean and disinfect your office kitchen with the highest attention to detail.
Let ServiceMaster Clean help your business thrive by providing a hygienic and safe facility for your employees and customers. With locations nationwide, we can customize a plan to meet your specific needs and budget.