Break Room Cleaning and Disinfecting Best Practices

Eventually, yesterday’s lunches and food containers start piling up. Ideally, you should clean and sanitize the interior of your staff room fridge/freezer at least once a month. For optimal use, try for a weekly schedule of cleaning and sanitizing the interior of the cooling appliance. Every day, make sure to disinfect the refrigerator’s handles and the handle of the freezer ice scoop. This will help reduce the spread of germs in the workspace.

Avoid using sponges in sink areas. This will help reduce the spread of germs and bacteria. Instead, use brushes and disposable paper towels for cleaning. Make sure that dish soap is always on hand and that your staff immediately clean their dishes after use. Every day, clean the sink area, the faucet and its handle. Before sanitizing a counter space, be sure to pre-clean spills and messes.

Germs naturally converge around the break room garbage can. When not in use, it should always be lined and tightly sealed. At least once a day, empty the trash and make sure to wash the interiors regularly to remove any stuck-on grime. To prevent odours, mould, and mildew, wipe the interior of the trash can with a cleaner/disinfectant, then spray the interior with an odour control product.

Avoid slips and falls in the break room by keeping its floors both clean and hazard free. Clean spills immediately. For tile and concrete floors, make sure to sweep and mop them on a daily basis. For carpeted areas, spot vacuum every day, vacuum thoroughly once a week and conduct a deep clean twice a year.

With appliances, like coffee pots and microwaves, it’s easy to spread germs due to the number of employees that touch the handles. Every day, clean and disinfect the handles of all small appliances using a quality cleaner from Sani Marc. Vending machines, cabinet handles and water fountain levers should also be regularly disinfected. For coffee pots, think about using a delimer. Thoroughly clean the interior of your microwaves,  using a Sani Marc product that can cut right through the grime.