How cleaning removes bacteria and viruses in catering environments
When you wash hands, work surfaces, or tools you’re removing bacteria from where they could cause a problem when you use only soapy water to wash – however, you are not actually killing the bacteria.
To kill bacteria, you need to wash surfaces at temperatures greater than 70°c – too hot for hands without the risk of serious scalding.
Surface detergents, disinfectants and sanitisers
There is a wide range of products available for cleaning and disinfection. Detergents clean surfaces and remove grease, but they do not kill bacteria. Disinfectants kill bacteria and should only be used on an already visibly clean surface. They will not work effectively if covered in grease or dirt (and if you haven’t followed specified contact times). A good food-grade sanitiser can be used to both clean and disinfect as part of your Food Safety Management System. This is especially important around outdoor foodservice areas where you will have much less control over environmental causes of harmful bacterial contamination.
Your Duty of Care
Outdoor foodservice cleaning and sanitising surfaces is really important. Proprietors of food businesses are required to identify food safety hazards and risks relevant to their business with a requirement to provide written evidence of procedures to ensure food safety has been thought through, and properly applied based, on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles – and, if you’re asked by an EHO, have a copy of written procedures available.
Here’s how to kill harmful bacteria properly on all external hard surfaces
Quaternary ammoniums (quats) have been used since the first world war, initially in healthcare to clean and sanitise surfaces of all harmful bacteria, today they’re used and their benefits are understood in veterinary science for sanitising kennels and operating theatres, agriculture for sanitising polytunnels and glass houses, trailers and barns. Food transport for cleaning & sanitising containers and numerous other cleanliness critical environments including children’s play parks and for sanitising artificial sports surfaces. Even on the decking to prevent slip hazards caused by algae and other biofilms.
A high purity quaternary ammonium is a broad spectrum biocide killing microbial life by puncturing cell walls. It will not contain solvents and will not affect or interact with anything other than live bacteria – so safe to use on any painted or natural surface. Quats are also surfactant, which will foam on impact and remove grease and grime from a surface as well as sanitising it. A high purity biocide contains no aggressive or oxidising agents such as bleach or acid and is neither corrosive nor bleaching.
With biocides, we can safely clean all outside hard surfaces without the use of high-pressure washers and ensure that canopies, benches, and seating are kept sanitised of detritus from nocturnal visitors such as foxes’ birds and other unwelcome visitors.
We at Cleaning Service ltd follow a strict process to clean and sanitise a different kind of outdoor surfaces. We understand not all surfaces are the same what cleans one will wreck another. Get in touch today and we would be more than happy to assist and provide a free quote.
