A dirty and cluttered office fridge isn't only an inconvenience, it's a major health risk, impacting every employee using your office kitchen. You may see this as a minor issue, but office fridges can quickly become neglected, housing expired lunches, open containers, and forgotten leftovers, increasing the risk of unpleasant odours, bacteria growth, mess, and the risk of pests.
As UK based business, it's your responsibility to provide your employees with a clean and healthy working environment, including shared spaces, such as the kitchen and break room. A clean office fridge supports employee well-being, improving overall office hygiene.
Office fridges are often overlooked, yet they can harbour bacteria, germs, mess, and odours. Cleaning your office fridge regularly improves employee health. Cleaning your office fridge regularly is essential for:
Office fridge cleaning does not have to be a daunting task, when you have set policies in place:
As with all areas within your office, high touch surfaces should be sanitised daily, more often in larger offices with numerous employees. Your fridge is the same, ensure the handle is sanitised daily to avoid the spread of germs.
Select one day of the week that will become the office fridge cleaning day. Most offices choose a Friday afternoon, ensuring food in the fridge is not left over the weekend. This cleaning process should include throwing out items that are not labelled or named, along with food with visible spoilage, such as mould. Making this a routine clean, ensures staff expect it, and can ensure their items are successfully removed before the cleaning begins.
Provides stickers and a pen near the fridge, encouraging all employees to label their containers. When their name and date is on the container, it helps reduce confusion, while making the items easier to identify when you clean it out weekly.
We recommend choosing an employee, or you can use a rotation systems, to keep an eye on the fridge and manage the weekly cleaning. If you have in-house cleaners, ensure there is always one person responsible for cleaning out the fridge.
Setting clear guidelines and placing them on the fridge, ensures that your expectations are communicated and employees know what is expected of them. At the same time, when the list is clear and visible, the chances are your employees feel obligated to follow the guidelines required. This list should include:
In order to ensure your office fridge cleaning is easy and hassle-free, the Sloane Cleaning Services team recommend separating the fridge into sections, with clear labels, ensuring employees know where to place everything. Sections can include:
While weekly cleaning helps the eliminate old and outdated food items, the fridge will need a deep clean, even when employees are cleaning up any spills as they happen. Quarterly deep cleans should include emptying all items, removing the shelves, and cleaning and sanitising all surfaces. Everything should be dry before the fridge is restocked.
This process helps to eliminate bacteria, ensuring the fridge is safe and hygienic for use.
When it comes to how often you should clean out your office fridge, you can see that daily high touch surfaces are essential, while weekly clean outs help to eliminate odours and bacteria. Cleaning up any spills as they happen helps to reduce dirt, odours, and germs, while quarterly deep cleaning ensures your fridge is safe for everyone to use with confidence. Contact Sloane Cleaning Services today if you need help keeping your office fridge in tip-top shape.