Cleaning and Sanitizing Food Contact Surfaces

Steps

1. 1Scrape or remove food debris from the equipment or utensil into a waste receptacle
2. 2Take equipment apart as needed so the detergent can reach all food-contact parts
3. 3Wash with detergent and water, using a brush, cloth or scouring pad as needed, to remove or loosen the soil
4. 4Critical stepRinse with clean water to remove abrasives and cleaning chemicals
5. 5Critical stepCheck that the surface is clean to sight and touch before sanitizing
6. 6Critical stepCheck the strength of the sanitizing solution with a test kit made for that sanitizer before you use it
7. 7Critical stepSanitize with a chemical sanitizer used per its EPA-registered label, by immersion, swabbing, brushing or spraying
8. 8Leave the sanitizer on for its contact time: at least 10 seconds for chlorine (7 seconds only for 50 mg/L chlorine at the stated temperature and pH) and at least 30 seconds for other chemical sanitizers, consistent with the label
9. 9Critical stepLet the surface air-dry; do not towel-dry
10. 10Critical stepClean and sanitize each time you change from raw food to ready-to-eat food, before use with a different type of raw animal food (unless each raw meat or poultry needs a higher cooking temperature than the one before), between raw fruits and vegetables and TCS food, and any time contamination may have occurred
11. 11Clean and sanitize surfaces used with TCS food at least every 4 hours during continuous use (the Code allows longer intervals under listed conditions)
12. 12Keep wiping cloths for counters in sanitizer solution between uses, and use separate cloths for surfaces that touch raw animal food

What graders are watching for

Common mistakes

Related food safety sanitizing skills

• Manual Dishwashing (Three-Compartment Sink)
• Sanitizer Concentration Testing