Category: Quick Guide / Cooking & Nutrition

⚡ Kitchen Cleaning & Sanitation

A clean kitchen helps prevent pests, unpleasant odors, cross-contamination, and foodborne illness. You do not need to deep-clean the entire kitchen every day. Focus on surfaces, utensils, and equipment that come into contact with food.

Cleaning, Sanitizing & Disinfecting

These terms have different meanings:

Cleaning removes crumbs, grease, spills, and other debris using soap or detergent and water.
Sanitizing reduces germs on surfaces that touch food.
Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces such as handles, switches, and trash-can lids.

Always clean a dirty surface before sanitizing or disinfecting it. Choose products approved for the surface you are treating and follow the label’s instructions, including its required contact time.

Before You Begin

Gather what you need:

Dish soap
Clean dishcloths or disposable paper towels
Scrub brush or nonabrasive sponge
Food-contact-safe sanitizer
Cleaning gloves, if desired
Trash bags
Broom, mop, or vacuum

Read cleaning-product labels before using them on counters, cutting boards, appliances, or other food-contact surfaces.

Helpful Resources: Browse Basic Cleaning Supplies for products, equipment, services, or supplies related to this section.

Before Preparing Food

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Clear unnecessary items from the work area.
Wash counters and preparation surfaces with hot, soapy water.
Begin with clean utensils, cutting boards, and dishes.
Use separate equipment for raw meat when possible.

Wash your hands again after touching raw meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, garbage, pets, or your face.

Clean as You Go

Cleaning during cooking keeps the mess manageable.

Put ingredients away after using them.
Throw away packaging and scraps promptly.
Wipe up ordinary spills before they dry.
Place used utensils in the sink or dishwasher.
Keep raw meat and its juices away from cooked and ready-to-eat foods.
Use a clean spoon each time you taste food.
Do not reuse a plate that held raw meat unless it has been washed.

After Handling Raw Meat, Poultry, Seafood or Eggs

Raw animal products can spread germs to hands, counters, sinks, utensils, and nearby food.

Remove food scraps and packaging.
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Wash affected dishes and surfaces with hot, soapy water.
Apply a sanitizer approved for food-contact surfaces.
Follow the product’s contact-time and rinsing instructions.
Allow surfaces to air-dry when directed.

Do not wash raw poultry. Splashing water can spread germs around the sink and surrounding surfaces.

Counters & Food-Preparation Surfaces

After preparing food:

Remove crumbs and loose debris.
Wash the surface with soapy water.
Rinse or wipe as directed.
Sanitize when the surface has touched raw animal products or other contamination.
Allow it to dry before placing food on it.

Clean underneath small appliances and frequently moved items when crumbs or spills collect there.

Cutting Boards & Utensils

Wash cutting boards, knives, and utensils after preparing each type of food.

Use hot, soapy water or a dishwasher when the item is dishwasher-safe.
Replace cutting boards with deep grooves, cracks, or damage that cannot be cleaned properly.
Consider keeping one cutting board for raw meat and another for produce, bread, and ready-to-eat foods.
Wash reusable food thermometers after every use.
Never place cooked food on an unwashed surface that held raw food.

Dishes & Cookware

Using a dishwasher

Scrape off large pieces of food.
Load items so water can reach dirty surfaces.
Use the correct detergent.
Select a sanitizing cycle when appropriate and available.
Allow items to dry before putting them away.

Washing by hand

Scrape leftover food into the trash.
Wash items in hot, soapy water.
Rinse with clean water.
Place them on a clean rack to air-dry.

Avoid drying clean dishes with a dirty or damp towel.

The Kitchen Sink

The sink can collect food particles and germs even though water runs through it.

Remove scraps from the drain or strainer.
Wash the basin, faucet, handles, and drain area.
Sanitize after cleaning up raw meat juices.
Do not place fresh produce directly into an unwashed sink.
Wash your hands after touching the drain or garbage disposal.

Stovetop, Oven & Microwave

Before cleaning:

Turn appliances off.
Allow hot surfaces to cool.
Unplug small appliances when appropriate.
Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

Remove food splatters and grease promptly. Never spray cleaner directly into electrical openings, control panels, heating elements, or vents.

Refrigerator & Freezer

Wipe up spills promptly.
Discard spoiled or leaking food.
Clean shelves and drawers with suitable soapy water.
Keep raw meat in a sealed container on the lowest refrigerator shelf.
Clean handles regularly.
Check door seals for crumbs and residue.
Avoid using cleaning products that could leave unsafe residue near food.

Work one shelf or drawer at a time so refrigerated food does not remain at room temperature unnecessarily.

Towels, Sponges & Brushes

Cleaning tools can spread germs when they remain damp or dirty.

Use separate cloths for dishes, counters, and floors.
Replace dishcloths and towels regularly.
Launder reusable towels frequently using the hottest appropriate setting.
Allow sponges and brushes to dry between uses.
Replace items that smell, fall apart, or cannot be cleaned properly.
Do not use the same cloth to clean raw-meat spills and other surfaces.

The FDA recommends laundering kitchen towels frequently and washing food-contact surfaces with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.

Floors, Trash & Recycling

Sweep or vacuum crumbs regularly.
Mop sticky or greasy spills.
Empty trash before it overflows.
Wash the trash can when it leaks or develops an odor.
Clean recycling containers before residue attracts pests.
Wash your hands after handling garbage.

Clean spills immediately when they could cause someone to slip.

Cleaning-Product Safety

Read and follow every product label.
Never mix cleaning products.
Never mix bleach with ammonia, vinegar, or another cleaner.
Open windows or improve ventilation when directed.
Wear gloves or eye protection when the label recommends them.
Keep chemicals in their original labeled containers.
Store products away from food and out of reach of children and pets.
Keep surfaces wet for the full contact time stated on the label.
Rinse food-contact surfaces when required.

Mixing bleach with other cleaners can release dangerous fumes.

If cleaning-product fumes cause difficulty breathing, move to fresh air and call 911. In the United States, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for exposure guidance.

Helpful Resources: Browse Cleaning & Disinfecting for products, equipment, services, or supplies related to this section.

A Simple Cleaning Schedule

After every use

Wash hands, utensils, and cutting boards
Clean preparation surfaces
Wipe spills
Put food away
Wash dishes or load the dishwasher

Daily

Clean the sink and faucet
Wipe stovetop splatters
Empty trash when needed
Sweep visible crumbs
Replace heavily used towels

Weekly

Clean appliance exteriors
Check the refrigerator for spoiled food
Mop the floor
Wash trash and recycling containers as needed
Clean underneath movable countertop items

Occasionally

Deep-clean the refrigerator and freezer
Clean the oven according to its instructions
Wash cabinet shelves and drawer organizers
Check for expired food and pest activity
Replace damaged cleaning tools and cutting boards

Quick After-Cooking Checklist

Before leaving the kitchen, ask:

Is leftover food refrigerated or frozen?
Are raw-food packages and scraps in the trash?
Have cutting boards and utensils been washed?
Are counters and food-contact surfaces clean?
Have contaminated surfaces been sanitized?
Is the stovetop turned off?
Are spills and slipping hazards cleaned up?
Have I washed my hands?

Remember

A safe kitchen does not have to look perfect. Concentrate on clean hands, safe food-contact surfaces, preventing cross-contamination, and storing food promptly.