<div style="max-width:740px;margin:0 auto;padding:0 2px;color:#414856;"><div style="display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;margin:0 0 14px;"><p style="margin:0;font-family:ui-monospace,monospace;font-size:12px;letter-spacing:2px;color:#3E8B20;font-weight:700;">FOOD SAFE JOURNAL</p></div><h1 style="margin:0 0 14px;color:#11213C;letter-spacing:-0.02em;font-size:32px;line-height:1.2;"><strong>Cleaning Schedules That Actually Get Followed — and Pass Inspection</strong></h1><div style="width:74px;height:4px;border-radius:3px;margin:0 0 22px;background:linear-gradient(90deg, #65C93E 0%, #4EA82A 100%);"></div><p style="margin:0 0 20px;font-size:19px;line-height:1.6;color:#2C3340;"><strong>Every kitchen has a cleaning schedule. The difference between the ones that work and the ones that decorate a clipboard is design: who, what, when, how, with what — and who checks.</strong></p><h2 style="margin:42px 0 14px;color:#11213C;letter-spacing:-0.01em;border-bottom:1px solid #E6E8EC;padding-bottom:9px;font-size:24px;line-height:1.2;"><strong>Clean first, sanitise second</strong></h2><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">Cleaning removes grease and food debris; sanitising kills the bacteria left behind. Sanitiser sprayed onto a dirty surface is wasted — organic matter neutralises it. The professional two-stage: clean with detergent, rinse, apply sanitiser, and <strong>leave it for its contact time</strong> (check the label — usually 30 seconds to 5 minutes), then air dry or single-use wipe.</p><h2 style="margin:42px 0 14px;color:#11213C;letter-spacing:-0.01em;border-bottom:1px solid #E6E8EC;padding-bottom:9px;font-size:24px;line-height:1.2;"><strong>Designing a schedule people follow</strong></h2><ul style="margin:0 0 18px;padding-left:22px;"><li style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#414856;"><strong>Split it by frequency.</strong> As-you-go (boards, knives, spills) &middot; daily (surfaces, sinks, floors) &middot; weekly (fridge interiors, shelving, behind equipment) &middot; periodic (extraction, drains, freezers, walls).</li><li style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#414856;"><strong>Name the person, not the shift.</strong> &ldquo;Kitchen team&rdquo; cleans nothing; Wednesday-close belongs to a name.</li><li style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#414856;"><strong>Specify the chemical and dilution.</strong> The right product, the right strength, the right contact time — written where it&rsquo;s used.</li><li style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#414856;"><strong>Make signing off mean something.</strong> A supervisor spot-checks and initials. An unbroken column of ticks with a greasy canopy above it tells an inspector everything.</li><li style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#414856;"><strong>Don&rsquo;t forget the harbourage points.</strong> Drains, wheels, door seals, can openers, ice machines — where listeria and friends actually live.</li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">Your cleaning schedule is a prerequisite of your HACCP system: it&rsquo;s evidence that contamination is under control before you ever get to critical points. Inspectors read it that way — gaps in cleaning records are read as gaps in the system, not as busy weeks.</p><div style="background:rgb(245,250,230);border:1px solid #BCD3AE;border-radius:12px;padding:22px 24px;margin:30px 0;"><p style="margin:0 0 8px;font-size:18px;color:#11213C;"><strong>Cleaning is a trained skill</strong></p><p style="margin:0 0 14px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.6;color:#414856;">Health &amp; Safety in Commercial Kitchens covers chemicals, COSHH-style safety and the cleaning discipline that keeps kitchens compliant.</p><p style="margin:0;"><a href="/courses/health-safety-in-commercial-kitchens-training" style="color:#ffffff;background:#4EA82A;padding:11px 22px;border-radius:9px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700;font-size:15px;display:inline-block;">See the Kitchen H&amp;S course &rarr;</a></p></div><h2 style="margin:42px 0 14px;color:#11213C;letter-spacing:-0.01em;border-bottom:1px solid #E6E8EC;padding-bottom:9px;font-size:24px;line-height:1.2;"><strong>Frequently asked questions</strong></h2><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-size:17px;color:#11213C;"><strong>Do I need records for as-you-go cleaning?</strong></p><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">No — record the scheduled items. As-you-go cleaning shows up in the state of the kitchen; scheduled cleaning shows up in the paperwork. Inspectors look at both.</p><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-size:17px;color:#11213C;"><strong>Can one product clean and sanitise?</strong></p><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">Combined detergent-sanitisers exist and are fine if used correctly — which usually means two applications: one to clean, one to sanitise with proper contact time on the now-clean surface.</p><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-size:17px;color:#11213C;"><strong>How long should I keep cleaning records?</strong></p><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">Keep them at least until your next inspection cycle — many businesses keep 12 months. They&rsquo;re part of your due-diligence defence.</p></div>

Clean-then-sanitise, contact times, named responsibilities and the records EHOs read — how to build a cleaning schedule that works.

Cleaning Schedules That Actually Get Followed — and Pass Inspection

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Cleaning Schedules That Actually Get Followed — and Pass Inspection

Cleaning Schedules That Actually Get Followed — and Pass Inspection

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