Cleaning and sanitising / Food Act 2006

Information for food businesses: cleaning and sanitising

Food businesses need to maintain their premises at a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene. This includes the fixtures, fittings and equipment, as well as those parts of vehicles that are used to transport food. The standard of cleanliness must ensure that there is no accumulation of garbage, recycled matter, food waste, dirt, grease or other visible matter.

Processing fresh food on or with dirty equipment will transfer bacteria onto the food. Food utensils and equipment must be cleaned and sanitised before each use and between being used for raw food and ready- to-eat food.

Where utensils or equipment have been used continuously over an extensive period to prepare, process or serve the same food, they will also need to be cleaned and sanitised at regular intervals. For example, serving utensils that are provided and used for one type of salad in a salad bar, or a meat slicer used to slice fresh ham.

The surfaces that food may come in contact with must also be cleaned and sanitised. It is important to understand that cleaning and sanitising are different procedures.

Clean means ‘clean to the touch’, that is, free from any dirt, dust or food particles that you can see and does not necessarily smell. Cleaning is the removal of these particles and/or smells.

Sanitisemeans to apply heat and/or chemicals (or other processes) to a surface so the number of micro-organisms on the surface is reduced to a level that is safe for food contact and does not permit the transmission of infectious disease.

Cleaning and sanitising should usually be done as separate processes. A surface needs to be thoroughly cleaned before it is sanitised, as sanitisers are unlikely to be effective in the presence of food residues and detergents.

Six steps to proper cleaning

  1. Pre-clean: scrape/ wipe/ sweep away food scraps and any other physical matter and rinse with water.
  2. Wash: use hot water and detergent to take off any grease and dirt. Soak if needed.
  3. Rinse: rinse off any loose dirt or detergent foam.
  4. Sanitise: use a sanitiser to kill any remaining bacteria.
  5. Final Rinse: wash off sanitiser (if necessary - read the instructions on the sanitiser).
  6. Dry: allow to drip-dry or dry using a disposable towel.

How to sanitise

Most food poisoning bacteria are killed if they are exposed to chemical sanitisers, high heat or a combination of both.

To sanitise, either:

soak items in water at 77˚C for 30 seconds;

soak items in water that contains bleach.The water temperature required will vary with the concentration of chlorine; or

use food-grade sanitiser in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

The table below shows the amount of bleach required and the corresponding water temperature required to make sanitising solutions.

How much water? / How much bleach?
Household bleach (4% chlorine) / Commercial bleach (10% chlorine)
Concentration required / 25ppm / 50ppm / 100ppm / 25ppm / 50ppm / 100ppm
Minimum water temperature / 49C / 38C / 13C / 49C / 38C / 13C
5 litres / 3.12mL / 6.25mL / 12.5mL / 1.25mL / 2.5mL / 5mL
10 litres / 6.25mL / 12.5mL / 25mL / 2.5mL / 5mL / 10mL
50 litres / 31.25mL / 62.5mL / 125mL / 12.5mL / 25mL / 50mL

Planning for cleaning and sanitising

When planning your cleaning and sanitising program, consider the following advice:

start at the back and work towards the front. Start high and work your way down.

single-use paper towels are better than cloths. If you use cloths, they must be washed in hot (not warm) water and allowed to dry after every use.

use the right size brush for each task, so it can reach all areas.

use food-grade detergents and sanitisers. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

clean as you go to minimise the time period that bacteria are not in temperature control.

keep cleaning chemicals away from food storage areas to avoid chemical contamination of food.

disassemble equipment such as a meat slicer before starting to clean it.

a dishwasher will sanitise most small equipment, cutlery, plates and glasses.

drip-dry equipment or use clean tea towels where this is not possible.

educate staff on correct cleaning and sanitising procedures.

provide regular checks on cleaning carried out and instruct staff where required.

make sure the containers for garbage and recycled matter are large enough for the amount of waste you produce, are emptied regularly and are capable of being easily cleaned.

ensure that all equipment used for cleaning (eg mops, buckets, cloths, brooms etc) are also kept clean.

Cleaning procedures and schedules

A cleaning procedure is a set of written instructions that describes everything that needs to be done to keep your business clean. It sets out the tasks of cleaning and sanitising, how often each job needs to be done, how it should be done, and who should do it.

A cleaning schedule is a record that the cleaning tasks have been undertaken.

What does a cleaning procedure and schedule look like?

Begin at the back of your premises and write down every piece of equipment that needs to be cleaned as you walk towards the front.

Then, write down how you will clean that piece of equipment, how often you will clean it, what materials and chemicals will be used and who will do the cleaning. Examples of a cleaning procedure and schedule are provided below.

Example of a cleaning procedure

JobNumber:1 / How to clean: Bain-marie
Notes:
1. Chemicals are kept in storage shed.
See Jeff for key.
2. Use protective eyewear when mixing sanitiser. Eyewear kept under sink. / 1. Drain water from unit
2. Remove and throw out food, etc. from trays
3. Remove detachable trays and grids
4. Rinse in warm water
5. Wash in warm water with detergent, use brush and scourer, as needed. Soak if needed.
6. Rinse in clean water.
7. Soak detachable trays and grids in sanitiser solution. Apply sanitiser solution to inside of bain-marie.
8. Allow to air dry.
How often: / Every day after use
Products used: / Scraper, brush, scourer, detergent.
Who will clean: / Kitchen hand Dave Jones

Example of a cleaning schedule

Premisesname: / Weekcommencing:
Equipment or Item / Tick  when job completed in accordance with the corresponding cleaning procedure sheet and initial. / Required frequency
Mon / Tues / Wed / Thur / Fri / Sat / Sun
1. Bain-Marie /  DJ /  DJ /  DJ /  DJ /  DJ /  DJ / Daily
2. Work Bench / DJ /  DJ /  DJ /  DJ /  DJ /  DJ / Daily
3. Floors /  AP /  AP /  AP /  AP /  AP /  AP / Daily
4. Ceiling /  AP / Weekly

A basic template cleaning procedure and cleaning schedule is included on the following page for you to copy and use.

For further information

The Queensland Department of Health has a variety of fact sheets with detailed information on food safety. These can be accessed at

Contact your local government if you have any further questions. Contact details can be found at or the White Pages.

Cleaning procedure

Job Number: / How to clean: Item/ Equipment
Notes:
How often:
Products used:
Who will clean:

Cleaning schedule

Premises name: / Week commencing:
Equipment or item / Tick and initial when job is completed in accordance with the corresponding cleaning procedure / Required frequency
Mon / Tues / Wed / Thurs / Fri / Sat / Sun
Cleaning and sanitising – August 2015 / - 1 -