Keeping your own home clean and sanitized is tough enough, let alone a busy, high traffic area like a workplace break room or kitchen. In today’s article, we’re going to cover some best practices for keeping these areas clean and sanitized and ready to help your employees stay happy and germ free year round. 

Deploy Public Rules For The Kitchen And Breakroom

It seems simple enough, but without a strict set of rules in and around the breakroom, things can devolve into utter chaos. Put up a sign in an easily viewable area that denotes the rules of the communal area so that everyone is aware of them and that they can follow them daily. An example of a set of rules that will help keep the area clean could go something like this:

• Clean up messes as they happen. Use the cleaning supplies under the sink
• Label all of your lunches and food clearly to avoid mix ups
• If you finish the last cup of coffee in the carafe, please make a fresh pot for the next person
• Take your food and drinks home each night or they will be thrown out during regularly scheduled cleanings each week
• Replace and restock condiments and coffee add-ins like sugar packets and stir sticks if you see they are out
• Wash your dishes when you are done with them and leave them to dry on the drying rack. No dirty dishes left in the sink or at desks, please!

Tidy Up… Then Sanitize 

If you are in charge of cleaning up the kitchen or have just taken the task upon yourself because you are a fantastic person, then we have some advice. Once you have everything put away and restocked and tidied up, it helps to then sanitize the high-touch areas within the kitchen. High touch areas are places like:

• Refrigerator handles
• Kitchen sink and the faucet handles/knobs
• Cabinet doors and handles
• Storage drawer handles
• The inside of the refrigerator, especially the meat storage area
• The doorknobs leading into and out of the kitchen
• If there is a TV in the breakroom, then sanitize the remote control

Offer Free Face Masks And Hand Sanitizer At The Entrance To Communal Areas Like Kitchens And Break Rooms

While the pandemic may be officially over, the threat of spreading germs like colds and the flu are very much still around. If you can offer your employees at least the option of wearing a mask, especially if they may be coming down with something, then you can reduce the impact of sickness in and around the office. That is a win-win for everybody!

Set A Schedule For Clearing Out Fridges And Cabinet Food Storage Areas

Make sure that the fridge and other food storage areas used by employees are cleaned out top to bottom on a regular basis. Sometimes weekly will work or twice a month for smaller offices. The important part is to not allow messes or old food to sit and spread germs as they rot.

For The Road

Putting together the perfect breakroom cleaning schedule is no small feat, but with a little preparation you can be ready for anything that comes your way this year. Contact us if you or someone you know may be in need of a residential or commercial cleaning service like ours. We can’t wait to hear from you. Give us a call or email us here. Have fun and stay safe out there!