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Surface Washing Procedures

Disinfecting

To remove dirt, dust and general grossness from surfaces (tables, highchairs, counters etc.) spray the surface with a soap-water solution and then wipe it dry with a disposable paper towel.  If you decide to use a cloth instead make sure it's used only once then washed before you use it again, this prevents contamination and the spread of germs.
 

Sanitizing:

To sanitize eating and food preparation surfaces, follow the steps above then follow it with spraying the surface with a bleach/water solution.  Wait at least 2 minutes before wiping dry with a disposable towel or allow it to air dry.  The solution needs to stay on the surface for at least 2 minutes in order to kill the germs.  Do not spray it and immediately wipe it dry. 
 
Make a fresh batch of bleach solution every day. 
  • 1 tablespoon of bleach in 1 quart of water -OR-
  • 1/4 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water
 

Precautions:

  • DO NOT mix bleach with any other cleaner as it could be extremely toxic.  For example, combining the bleach in the bleach/water solution and the ammonia in a glass cleaner can create a toxic yet undetectable gas which is poisonous.
  • Sponges shouldn't be used for cleaning because they absorb germs deep into itself which makes it extremely difficult to get rid of them.  Using a sponge on another surface then spreads these germs.  It is more hygienic to use one-time-use materials like paper towels.
  • If cloths are used then a separate cloth is required for each table, tray, surface etc. and washed before using them again.  They cannot simply be soaked in a bleach/water solution before being used again.
  • Food should not be placed directly onto a surface because the food has a larger chance of being contaminated versus placing it onto a reusable or disposable plate.
  • If food is placed onto highchair trays directly without using a plate then the trays must be washed and sanitized after each use just as you would a plate or food utensil.
  • Sanitizing solution must not be used while children are present and can come in contact with the solution.

Handwashing Procedure

In my last post I mentioned proper hand washing procedure but I didn't think to delve to deep into it.  This time I'm going to go through each step of how to properly wash your hands.
 
Step 1
Turn on the water and moisten your hands with water and get some liquid soap.
 
Step 2
Rub your hands together for 20 seconds.
 
Step 3
Rinse your hands while rubbing your hands together until all of the soap has been washed off.
 
Step 4
Dry your hands with a clean, disposable paper towel or air dry them with a blower (if cloth towels are used they are only good for one use and must be washed after each use).
 
Step 5
Turn the faucet off using a clean paper towel and throw the paper towel into a hands-free trash can.
 
*Turning the faucet on and leaving the water running throughout the entire hand washing procedure is a recommendation of "Caring for our Children: The national Safety Performance Standards for Out-of-Home-Care", American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Childcare and the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale.  The reasoning behind this is for contamination prevention.  I however do not leave the water running for environmental reasons.