5 Tips for a Clean and Well-Managed Workplace Kitchen

Whether you’re an office manager, or an employee just looking to make a positive change to the kitchen, we’ve put together a few rules and routines for your workplace kitchen refrigerator. Try implementing all of them, or just a few, and you’ll be sure to make your office kitchen a better place.

The Importance of a Clean Refrigerator in the Workplace

According to data from May 2019, the average American work week is about 34.4 hours, with about 80% of people spending that in a work place. Excluding the time spent away from the office during the COVID-19 Pandemic, that means that to many Americans, the workplace can feel like a second home. So, it’s important that office amenities like bathrooms, common spaces, and kitchens and break rooms stay clean, safe and healthy.

In this post, we’ll be focusing on one of the most important workplace appliances for breaks, lunch meetings and keeping general workplace morale up: the kitchen refrigerator. When left uncleaned, unorganized or ignored, a workplace refrigerator can be a real sore spot in an employee’s day. But when properly managed and routinely cleaned, the refrigerator can do its job and be a valuable tool for employees.

5 Rules and Routines for a Clean and Well-Managed Workplace Kitchen

1. Make sure that all employees label any item they don’t intend to share. This will prevent any misunderstandings and set up a clear system for future use.
2. Only place leakproof containers in the refrigerator. But, set up an honor system so that if a spill does happen, the employee who caused it, cleans it up immediately. This ensures that the cleaning doesn’t fall onto one person. And, it helps stop potential foul odors and stains from building up.
3. Set up a Weekly Fridge Clean Out Deadline. Establish A day and time of the week where everything in the fridge is discard. Make sure that this is clearly communicated to every employee, and be sure to give warnings 15 – 30 minutes before the weekly clean out. This way, employees can briefly remove anything they wish to keep, and the fridge never gets over crowded.
4. Use disinfectant wipes to wipe down handles at the end of each day. This will prevent germs from spreading and reset the refrigerator exterior for the next work day.
5. Finally, Hire a professional cleaning team for routine, professional deep cleanings. This will alleviate that responsibility from employees, so they can focus on what they do best!