Lesson Overview
Read and follow chemical labels, store and dilute products safely, clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces as two separate steps, and manage waste and pests to protect the whole kitchen.
Read the label first
Every chemical in the building has a label and a safety data sheet held in the folder by the warewashing area. Before first use, read the label for what the product is for, how to dilute it, how long it must stay wet on the surface, what protective equipment it needs, and what to do for skin or eye contact.
Never decant a chemical into an unlabelled bottle, and never into a food container, drinks bottle, or squeeze bottle. If a container's label is missing or unreadable, the contents are unknown and the whole container is disposed of, not sniffed to identify.
Never mix chemicals. Chlorine bleach mixed with an acidic descaler releases chlorine gas; mixed with ammonia it releases chloramine. Both can put a person in hospital from a single breath in a closed space. One product, one bucket, one task.
Store chemicals in a dedicated area, never above or beside food, never in the walk-in, and never on a shelf above your head.
Protect yourself
Wear chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection when decanting, diluting, degreasing, or using the oven cleaner. Wear an apron. Work with the extraction running or the door open where possible.
Dilute exactly as the label states, using the dosing pump or measure provided. Stronger is not better: over-concentrated sanitizer leaves residue on food-contact surfaces, and under-concentrated sanitizer simply does not work. Add chemical to water, never water to chemical.
Cleaning and sanitizing are two steps
Cleaning removes visible soil, grease, and food. Sanitizing reduces bacteria to a safe level. Sanitizer applied to a dirty surface does nothing, because organic matter deactivates it.
For every food-contact surface, follow the sequence: scrape, wash with detergent and hot water, rinse, apply sanitizer, leave it for the full contact time stated on the label, then air dry. Air drying matters; wiping with a cloth reintroduces bacteria.
Sanitize prep counters, the wall rack boards, knives, probe thermometers, and equipment between food families and at every changeover. The colour-coded rule still governs: red for raw meat, yellow for raw poultry, green for fruits and vegetables, white for dairy and bread. One board, one food family, and every board through a full clean-and-sanitize cycle before it returns to the rack.
Confirm the warewashing machine reaches its wash and rinse temperatures, and change wash water when it turns greasy.
Waste and pests
Separate waste as it is generated: food waste, recyclables, glass, and used cooking oil into the sealed oil container. Never pour oil or grease down a drain. Keep bin lids closed, line bins properly, and never overfill. Empty before bins reach the top, and wash and sanitize both the bin and your hands afterwards, using the handwashing sink by the staff entrance.
Take waste out by the route Marisol shows you, keeping exit paths clear as you go. Outside bins stay closed and away from the delivery door.
A warm coastal kitchen attracts flies, cockroaches, ants, and rodents. Keep external doors closed, screens intact, and drains clean. Report any sighting, droppings, or gnaw marks to Chef Dominic the same shift. Sign the cleaning schedule only for work you actually completed.