United States
Hong KongWiping cloths: in the bucket, not on the counter
Cloths used on food-contact surfaces are stored in sanitizer solution at the correct concentration between uses, in a labeled container. Cloths for other surfaces are kept separate, and soiled linens go straight to a laundry receptacle.
A cloth is a transport system. That is the whole idea, and every rule follows from it.
The bucket
Cloths used on food-contact surfaces live in sanitizer solution when they are not in a hand.
Not on the counter. Not over a shoulder. Not in an apron pocket. Each of those lets the cloth dry out, warm up and grow whatever it picked up from the last surface, and then carry it to the next one.
The bucket is labeled, the solution is at the correct concentration, and it is changed when it goes cloudy or drops out of range. In a busy kitchen that is more than once a shift.
Two kinds of cloth
- Food-contact cloths - for prep surfaces and equipment. Sanitizer bucket between uses.
- Non-food-contact cloths - for spills on floors, for the outside of equipment, for dining tables. Kept separate, and never returned to the food-contact bucket.
Color coding is the practical answer, and it is worth doing because a mixed system fails silently. Nobody announces that they used the floor cloth on the prep bench.
A cloth tucked into an apron string and used all shift for everything is the single most common version of this violation, and it appears in scenario questions exactly as it appears in kitchens.
Single-use cloths
Disposable wipes are used once and discarded. That solves the storage problem entirely, and it is why many operations moved to them.
They are still not a substitute for cleaning before sanitizing. A wipe on a greasy surface spreads grease.
Linens
Clean linens are stored protected from contamination. Soiled linens go into a designated receptacle, not onto a counter and not into a pile in a corner.
Linens used to line a food container - a bread basket, a serving tray - are clean and replaced between uses. A cloth in a bread basket that stays there all service is a food-contact surface being reused without cleaning.
Aprons and clothing
Outer clothing is clean, and aprons come off when leaving the food preparation area - going to the toilet, taking rubbish out, stepping outside.
The apron is doing what the cloth does: collecting contamination and moving it. It is the same principle wearing a different item.
Common questions
Where should wiping cloths be stored?
Cloths used on food-contact surfaces go in sanitizer solution at the correct concentration, in a labeled container, whenever they are not in use. Not on the counter, over a shoulder, or in a pocket.
How often should the sanitizer bucket be changed?
When the solution goes cloudy or drops below the correct concentration, which in a busy kitchen is more than once a shift. Test strips tell you rather than the clock.
Can you use the same cloth for tables and prep surfaces?
No. Food-contact and non-food-contact cloths are kept separate, and color coding is the practical way to make that stick, because a mixed system fails without anyone noticing.
Are disposable wipes acceptable?
Yes, used once and discarded, which removes the storage problem. They still do not replace cleaning before sanitizing - a wipe on a greasy surface just spreads grease.
Do aprons need to come off?
When leaving the food preparation area, yes - for the toilet, taking out rubbish, or stepping outside. An apron collects and transports contamination in exactly the way a cloth does.