Did you know:
- The spray from a cough or
sneeze can easily fly 25 feet!
- The innocent dish cloth may be
a potential danger to our
health due to the germs they
pick up when cleaning.
- Cleaning and sanitizing are
not the same!
To keep your center clean and
sanitary, keep these ideas in
mind:
• Sanitizing solutions
should be used to kill
bacteria on counter tops,
equipment, toys, dishes,
utensils, and any items that
will be used.
• Disinfect with a
solution of:
1 teaspoon of chlorine
bleach to 1 quart of water
OR
1 tablespoon of chlorine
bleach to 1 gallon of water
Put sanitizing solution in
a spray bottle, bucket or
sink. Label the
solution.
WARNING: Keep out of reach
of children. Solution must be changed
daily.
• Commercial sanitizing
products are also available
from restaurant supply
companies.
• Allow the items to air
dry after they have been
properly washed, rinsed and
sanitized. Wiping dry can
recontaminate all the
sanitized utensils and
equipment.
• Cloths used for wiping
down equipment or other
surfaces should be wrung out
frequently in sanitizing
solutions and stored in
solution when not in use.
• Wash dish cloths
frequently. Use liquid bleach
in the wash water and allow to
dry for a long time at a high
temperature.
Keep Your Hands Clean
Hands are a major source of
contamination in food. Here are
some tips to keep in mind when
practicing personal cleanliness:
• Wash hands with
antibacterial soap and warm
water for a minimum of 20
seconds. This assures germs
will be killed.
• Wash hands before and
after food preparation, after
touching animals, after using
the bathroom, after changing
diapers or sneezing or blowing
your nose.
• Provide single use
paper towels or personal
towels that are laundered
frequently for each child. To
help children identify their
own towel, assign each one a
color or design and have child
use the assigned towel.
• Be careful to keep
hands clean. Toilet handles,
faucets and door knobs will
recontaminate your hands.
• Coughing, sneezing or
smoking near food or clean
dishes could lead to
contamination.
• Avoid handling food if
you have cuts, burns, skin
irritation, sore throat or
cold.
• Wear a hair covering or
pull your hair back to prevent
hair contaminating the food.
Copyright
© 1996, The Ohio State
University. This material is
based on work supported by the
Extension Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, under
special project number
96-EFSF-0-3500.
All
educational programs and
activities conducted by Ohio
State University Extension are
available to all potential
clientele on a
non-discriminatory basis without
regard to race, color, creed,
religion, sexual orientation,
national origin, gender, age,
disability or Vietnam-era
veteran status.
Issued in
furtherance of Cooperative
Extension work, Acts of May 8
and June 30, 1914, in
cooperation with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Keith
L. Smith, Director, Ohio State
University Extension.