Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110

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Conquering cockroaches

Proper cleaning is the most effective step restaurant and foodservice facilities can take to help prevent a cockroach infestation, according to George Botta with J S Pest Control, Las Vegas.

However, he argues, restaurants should be more than cleaned... they should be sanitised.

"Cleaning involves removing dirt or debris.. but sanitising actually removes surface bacteria and microorganisms that attract pests. Research has shown that pests can survive pesticide exposure even when they have access to just small amounts of food."

To help foodservice facilities stay clean, sanitised and pest free, George offers the following suggestions:

* Ceilings, walls, tables, chairs, and workstations must be regularly cleaned and sanitised
* Similarly, storage cabinets, shelves, drawers, sinks, drink dispensers, ice machines, and trash receptacles must be cleaned and sanitized
* Canned and bottled goods must be removed from cardboard shipping cartons and stored a minimum of six inches above the floor
* Employee washrooms, locker rooms and offices must be cleaned and sanitised daily
* Outside areas, such as rubbish containers and loading/receiving docks, must be free of litter; all standing water squeezed down drains
* Floor drains must be free of debris
* Floors must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitised.

Matt Morrison, communications manager at Kaivac, says: "Floors are a key concern. Soiled floors in foodservice facilities often become welcome mats for cockroaches."

To prevent this from happening, Matt has his own suggestions:

* Clean-up all spills as soon as they occur
* Mops should be avoided when cleaning kitchen floors because they become soiled so quickly and can then spread contaminants; however, if using a mop, change it frequently during the mopping process
* Cleaning solution should also be changed frequently; if it becomes dark, you have waited too long
* Consider trolley buckets that dispense only fresh cleaning solution directly onto floors
* Floorcare systems that vacuum-up moisture and soils can more thoroughly remove contaminants from floor areas
* Store all cleaning equipment dry and above the floor.

"The goal is prevention," adds Matt. "The most effective way of [treating] a pest infestation is preventing it in the first place."

T: US, Canada and Europe: 1-800-287-1136 / International: 1-513-887-4600
E: [email protected]
W: www.kaivac.com

10th July 2014