9 Helpful Tips to Keep Your Trash Cans Sanitized

Trash Cans

Trash cans and waste receptacles are an important part of your food safety plan. They can be the source of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that contaminate food. That’s why it’s important to keep your trash cans sanitized.

To help keep your operation safe and clean, put in place a regimen of daily care and proper cleaning for your trash cans and waste receptacles by following these tips for keeping trash from becoming a source of serious problems.Keep your Trash Cans Sanitized

  1. Every night, clean trash cans with detergent and hot water, and spray the inside with sanitizer. If possible, power washing is even better.
  2. Clean and sanitize at the end of the day and leave them to air dry overnight.
  3. Spray the outside with sanitizer also, and don’t forget the handles and lids; include all areas that are touched by staff.
  4. Don’t load the liner while the trash can is wet. This can breed bacteria.
  5. Leaks and spills in the can need to be cleaned up right away. The warm temperature of the kitchen will induce bacterial growth and odor.
  6. Don’t overload bags. This can cause leakage, which not only creates a food borne illness hazard, but is also a pain for the staff to clean up.
  7. If you need to use a cart or hand truck to transport your waste to a dumpster, be sure to designate them for trash only. These should also be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized regularly.
  8. Never uses a trash can for anything but trash. Don’t put a cutting board on top of a trash can to create an extra workspace. You will contaminate your board.
  9. Lastly, don’t neglect your dumpster. Keep the area around the dumpster free from trash, food waste, and debris, and be sure to wash and sanitize the dumpster regularly. Staff should use disposable gloves when coming in contact with the dumpster.

When it comes to trash cans and waste receptacles, good protocol is just a matter of daily cleaning and sanitizing. So, have a plan and processes in place for your employees and keep things safe for everyone.

To learn about the solutions we can customize for you, contact a Johnston representative at 800-800-7123 or by visiting our Contact Us page.