Workplace Coffee Rooms

Workplace coffee rooms often serve as multi-purpose rooms providing a temporary home for a wide array of people, objects and food. Sinks, refrigerators, tabletops, cupboards, shelves and common equipment (such as teapots and coffee pots) may be rarely cleaned, not cleaned at all, or cleaned using contaminated dishrags and dish towels. Those in charge of clean up should ensure that all equipment and surfaces are well kept and disinfected regularly.

Tips for the Workplace

1.  Ensure cleaning supplies are always available including detergent and household bleach, disposable single-use paper towels, hand soap, and disposable cleaning rags. A cleaning list should include:

• Ensuring that there are supplies of soap and paper towel in proper dispensers for hand washing
• Cleaning the refrigerator and ensuring a thermometer is always visible for checking temperature.
• Monthly cleaning inside cupboards so you don't create a home for unwanted pests
• Daily cleaning the sink
• Daily cleaning teapots and coffeepots
• Daily changing out of cloth dishtowels
• Daily disposing of garbage

2.  Dishes should be air dried to avoid recontamination from a potentially dirty dish rag but in some work places this is not possible due to lack of space. If cloth dish towels are used, ensure they are washed daily in sanitizing solution (10mL - 2 tsp.) of liquid household chlorine bleach mixed with 1L (4 cups) of water or immersed for 45 seconds in water hot enough to sanitize (minimum temperature of 77ºC).

3.  Have policies about how food will be stored and served in the Coffee Room.  Be sure to include:

• Personal food items are labeled and dated.
• Food stored incorrectly or left for a period of time is disposed of.
• Leftovers are promptly put in the refrigerator. Food held at room temperature increases the rate of bacterial growth.
• Communal snacks are not reused (i.e. chips and dip)
• Disposable cutlery and paper plates are used for communal cakes and similar dishes.
• A refrigerator thermometer is kept in the refrigerator and visible at all times and refrigeration temperatures should be at or below 4°C (40°F).