At my first restaurant job, we wiped the kitchen down with bleach water at the end of every shift. I’d go home and my hands smelled of an odd mix of feta cheese and bleach.
We didn’t have much of a method; we just dumped some bleach in a bucket of water and went at it. It wasn’t until years later that I learned you can’t just eyeball it with bleach. If you don’t follow a few key guidelines, your work is wasted.
If you use bleach in your kitchen, memorize these simple rules.
Bleach Is for Disinfecting, Not Cleaning
First off, know what bleach is good for. It doesn’t really clean a kitchen. It disinfects it. Cleaning removes dirt and schmutz; disinfecting removes germs.
“It’s important to know that bleach is a strong sanitizer, not a surfactant like soap,” says Alex Varela, a cleaning expert with Oakville Maids, a cleaning service in Ontario, Canada. “This means it’s more useful for disinfecting than surface cleaning. You don’t need to use it everywhere, just on the areas that are in direct contact with food.”
Person wearing gloves cleaning a wooden surface with a cloth and spray bottle
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Bleach Water Isn’t Shelf Stable
Probably the biggest rule with bleach water is to not mix it in advance. Its effectiveness deteriorates quickly, so if you’re using old bleach water, why even bother? In general, mix up a new solution for every cleaning session.
A spray bottle can be handy, but to be safe, dump the bleach water from it once you’re done. Or just mix up your bleach water solution in the sink. Not only does this ensure you’ll drain it in a timely manner—as a bonus, it disinfects the sink.
Use the Right Ratios
Different ratios of bleach and water work better for specific tasks. Also, because you can get bleach in both regular and concentrated forms, the ratios aren’t always the same from product to product.
“The best source is definitely going to the official website for each product,” says Varela. “Sometimes bleach dilution ratios are on the bottle, but it’s mostly for bathrooms and related to hygiene, not so much to food areas.”
Varela recommends the following ratios:
For countertops and cutting boards: Use two tablespoons of bleach for each gallon of water. “This is good because it has disinfecting power but without being too abrasive on these surfaces. For cutting boards, wash the board, then scrub with a bristle brush and the bleach solution for two minutes. Rinse with hot water and air dry.”
For sponges: Use three tablespoons of bleach per four cups of water. “Let them soak for five minutes before rinsing well and set aside to air dry.”
The Mistake Everyone Makes With All-Purpose Cleaner That Actually Keeps Kitchens Dirty
More Tips for Disinfecting Kitchens With Bleach
Don’t use full-strength bleach; always dilute it with water.
When mixing bleach water, use warm water, never hot.
Wear gloves when using bleach. It’s harsh on your skin.
Bleach can damage many surfaces. Don’t use it on stone, composite, or fireclay. Over time it can damage formica, stainless steel, and wood, too.
Never mix bleach with other cleaning products.
The bleach water needs to remain on the surface for at least six minutes to do its job. Let it air-dry.
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