This past Spring, at a Marriot hotel restaurant in Pittsburgh, PA, over 200 people reported being sick with an illness that appeared to be norovirus. In addition, guests who attended the bridal shower, football banquet, and wedding all reported getting ill after their respective events. Allegheny County Health Department inspection report revealed cleaning and sanitizing violation. One of the significant violations was dirty silverware.
Back in 2014, when I started my blog, my third blog, which is still on the site today, is called My restaurant silverware is dirty!
Just the other day, I did a podcast on the same subject. LISTEN HERE
So much has happened in the past eight years since I wrote that blog, mainly just looking at the past two years as we still fight COVID-19.
Getting Sick From Dirty Silverware
Is there a correlation between people getting sick and dirty silverware? I am not saying silverware in a restaurant can transmit COVID-19; however, I am sure it also happens.
However, I can guarantee different restaurants and banquet facilities can do better cleaning and sanitizing for the public. We, the public, deserve it to be heard on this.
I wrote that dirty silverware was the first thing a patron would notice to put them in a bad mood upon sitting down. I don’t care if you have a celebrity chef making a million dollars a year and if you only serve prime meats. Dirty silverware will give you the first impression the entire kitchen is messy and dirty.
Also, since my first blog post on the subject, a Consumer Reports survey interviewed over one thousand individuals, asking for feedback on the cleanliness of the restaurants they visit most often. Dirty utensils were the number one issue that restaurant patrons complained about — 76 percent of respondents said the forks, spoons, and knives were not up to acceptable standards. While this research didn’t touch on the specifics of which germs appeared on your silverware, it did prove that this is a real issue in the food industry.
Remember, if you are lucky enough to be greeted by a host or hostess at the front door. You might be seated at what you envision as the perfect seat, and before you even look at the menu, you notice your silverware is dirty! YIKES!
Nothing should turn your spidey senses off more unless you went to the restroom and saw a whole toilet overflowing.
Please also understand recent studies have shown that patrons who notice dirty silverware will frequently never return for another visit.
People always ask me why restaurants end up with dirty utensils, which comes down to these basics.
Reasons For Dirty Silverware In A Restaurant or Club
- Kitchen Management is not following the manufacturer’s recommendations for their silverware presoak. Some are enzyme-based; if used in real hot water, you end up with blue water since the enzymes never come to life. Hot water kills enzymes.
- Some kitchens tried to go cheap and use off-brand pot and pan soap instead. Unfortunately, nothing affects a dish machine more than adding some bubbles when the silverware passes through. Therefore, pot and pan detergent should never be near a dish machine to avoid accidental mixing.
- Not allowing the dirty silverware to sit in its presoak for an adequate amount of time. The proper procedure enables the chemical to loosen up the different food soils with its wetting agents and aids in its removal.
- The operators do not change the solution enough times during a shift. It is time to change if the dissolved solution is cold, dirty, and greasy. To be sure, look at the manufacturer’s recommendations or wall chart for proper usage.
- My favorite pet peeve is soaking the silverware in a bus tub but having it so full of cutlery that half of the silverware is out and not even in the solution or getting wet. You can’t expect good results that way!
Proper Procedures Follow
- The first silverware washing should be done on a flat rack only a few inches deep. I hate to tell you the times I have seen the silverware mounded in there, and the middle layer doesn’t even get wet.
- After that, silverware must be put in an upright type of cylinder with the eating end exposed and put through the dish machine next. After that is passed from one cylinder to the other, no one touches the eating end. Then, after being rewashed, allow it adequate time to dry.
- Have enough inventory of silverware on hand. If food service does not have enough silverware inventory, the dish machine operator is always pushed to cut short all proper procedures to get what they have done. Unfortunately, this procedure does not work and results in unclean utensils!!
The proper handling of silverware is a process that must be corrected to give the customers a clean and sanitized utensil. Shortcuts can leave the silverware either dirty or with a cloudy haze over it that is unappealing.
Handling real silver would be the same procedure above; however, you must add aluminum foil to the soaking solutions.
If I can help with any of this, please reach out, and I will assist. Also, sign up for my podcast on any of your favorite podcast players. Cleaning Processes with Jerry Podcast
If you would like to write me, I would love to hear from you. My email is Jerry@hospitalitycleaning101.com