The office kitchen can be the bane of any employee’s workplace existence. It’s a common area that your staff must share while maintaining harmony and goodwill. The problem is, people don’t always clean up after themselves. They leave half-eaten burritos in the fridge, spilled coffee on the counter and dirty cups in the sink. This can have a negative effect on the office morale as well as the employees’ health. What can you do? Hiring a professional cleaning service is the first step, but that doesn’t mean you have a maid to clean up all day long. Read on for some kitchen hacks that can help make everyone healthier and happier at break time.
The Refrigerator
Food tends to pile up and here and become quite odiferous without proper maintenance. If you’re really gung-ho on starting with a clean slate in your office, then you have to start with the fridge. This means throwing out everything (yes, everything) in it and giving it a good cleaning.
Use a solution of baking soda and hot water to cut the grime inside the fridge and leave it smelling fresh. Make sure it’s set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) or below. If it’s warmer than this, then you run the risk of growing harmful bacteria in the food. Also check the humidity settings on the produce and deli drawers, and set them to correctly maintain freshness for the food.
Next, it’s time to organize and set some guidelines. Leftovers should not be kept for any longer than four days. Institute an office policy so that every Friday the refrigerator will be purged of any foods that are not in sealed, unopened packages or beyond the expiration date. This serves a twofold purpose. Food won’t have the opportunity to spoil and become bacteria-ridden and smelly. Also, if the fridge is too packed, then the air won’t circulate properly and the food will not be kept cold. Milk and other items that expire quickly should not be stored in the door of the fridge where the temperature can fluctuate. They should be kept in the safe zone of the fridge, which is the middle shelf near the back.
The Microwave
The microwave can become a source of trouble. It’s a high-traffic area in any office kitchen and can be a challenge to keep clean. If you’ve got some gunk that won’t wipe off easily, then simply microwave some water with lemon juice for three minutes and let it sit another five. This will loosen up any crusty remnants and make them easier to wipe away. Plus it makes the microwave smell lemony fresh! That’s a much more appealing environment to cook your lunch in, don’t you think?
Of course, no matter how diligent you are at maintaining your office kitchen, no amount of casual cleanup can replace the benefits of a professional, commercial cleaning service. Sure, fighting small battles along the way helps maintain a sanitary environment, but calling a professional is the way to win the war. Town and Country Office Cleaning is the go-to choice for keeping your kitchen, break room and all areas in your office in tip-top shape.
