Kitchen counters and surfaces should be cleaned with hot, soapy water and then sanitized immediately after preparing food, any time contamination occurs (like spills or raw meat contact), and before switching to a different type of food. If surfaces are in constant use, they must be sanitized at least every 4 hours.
Frequency of Cleaning and Sanitizing
Here's when you should clean and sanitize your food prep counters: Before and after each use.
As often as possible, but at least every four hours if items are in constant use. There's a big difference between cleaning and sanitizing. Cleaning removes food and other types of soil from a surface such as a countertop or plate. Sanitizing reduces the number of pathogens on the clean surface to safe levels.
Environmental surfaces and equipment should always be cleaned if visibly dirty. Some areas need to be cleaned more often. These include frequently touched surfaces like door handles, bed rails, phone, taps and light switches. Other areas might need to be cleaned less often.
Wiping your counters down to remove visible crumbs and spills is only half the battle. It's important to also disinfect because bacteria like salmonella and E. coli can hang around on what otherwise may look like a very clean surface!
Frequently touched surfaces (e.g. door handles, bed rails, water taps and light switches) should be cleaned daily with a detergent solution, and when visibly soiled, and after every known contamination.
Make sure the areas that get used often (like the kitchen and bathroom) and things that are frequently touched (like doorknobs, fridge door handles and remotes) are cleaned and disinfected either daily or every few days.
The 20 minute rule of cleaning is simple: clean for 20 focused minutes, then treat yourself to a 10-minute break. It's a guilt-free, feel-good way to tackle messes without burnout. The idea is rooted in motivation and reward, two essential ingredients for any busy homeowner.
(You also probably wipe it down with that kitchen sponge.) To keep it clean, disinfect sink sides and bottoms twice a week, and pour a solution of one teaspoon bleach in a quart of water down drains once a month.
In these instances, use Lysol® Kitchen Pro Antibacterial Cleaner using the steps below:
The 20-minute rule in cleaning is where you take on a cleaning task for 20 minutes and then have a break. It's as simple as that! Also known as the 20/10 rule, it's recommended that you take a 10-minute break after your cleaning blast.
Sanitizing kills bacteria on surfaces using chemicals. It is not intended to kill viruses. Yes, EPA registers products that sanitize. Disinfecting kills viruses and bacteria on surfaces using chemicals.
Daily Maintenance (Every Day): Daily cleanliness maintenance is crucial. To avoid the accumulation of dirt and germs, wash the dishes, mop the floor, and wipe down the counters. 2. Weekly Deep Clean (Once a Week): Try to do a thorough cleaning of your kitchen once a week, at the very least.
What is the 50% rule? The 50% rule is as simple as it sounds; you have to take everything out of a small, cluttered space and only return roughly 50% of the items, which should be your most essential possessions. That's it!
Here's a look at our Daily Cleaning Tasks:
Load/Unload Dishwasher (make unloading the dishwasher part of your morning routine and loading the dishwasher part of your nightly routine for maximum efficiency) Wipe Counters (bathroom and kitchen) Wipe Kitchen Sink (post meals) Take out Trash/Recycling (when needed)
The one-hour cleaning method is a daily practice of deep cleaning one room, space, or zone for an hour. When the timer goes off, put down your cleaning tools because your work is done for the day.
The kitchen holds the title for “germiest place in the house”, where bacterial contamination is far more common than in the bathroom, for example: Kitchen rags, towels and sponges are notorious for bacterial contamination. The sink drain, sink and countertops are also frequently contaminated.
Here are 10 warning signs to watch for when checking out a house.
A common mistake is to use too little disinfectant, either by measuring wrong or thinking using less will save money. However, doing this can make the disinfectant too weak to be effective and pose a safety risk from pathogens.
We recommend wiping down countertops after you prepare every meal with a damp microfibre cloth. If you want to avoid using chemicals around your food, the Marigold Let It Shine! Microfibre Cloths are a great option, as they remove over 99% of bacteria with just water*.
Pathogens can grow to unsafe levels in the food after four hours. If that happens, not even cooking will make it safe. To prevent these pathogens from making people sick, clean and sanitize utensils and equipment every four hours.
The six stages of cleaning are: