Kitchen Cleaning Supplies: Colour-Coded Towels, Wipes, Cloths, Pads and Sponges
A commercial kitchen goes through more cloths than almost any other business. Using the right cloth for each job, and keeping cloths for raw food, general surfaces and washrooms apart, is one of the simplest ways to stop cross-contamination. This guide covers what to use where.
Disposable or reusable?
| Product | Type | Size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Towels White | Disposable | 12 x 13 in, 1,100 per roll | Raw food areas, spills, drying |
| Food Service Towels Blue | Durable towel | 12 x 24 in, 200 per case | General wiping and drying |
| Heavy Duty Food service Wipes | Reusable | 13 x 21 in, 6 colours | Sanitizer buckets, line wiping |
| Microfiber Cloth 16"x16" | Reusable | 16 x 16 in, 4 colours | Glass, stainless, streak-free dusting |
Disposable towels avoid laundering and carry-over contamination, so they are a good choice for raw food areas. Reusable wipes and microfiber cloths cost less per use for general wiping.
A simple colour-coding system
Colour-coding means every cloth has one job, and anyone can see when a cloth is in the wrong place. A common system:
- Red: toilets and urinals
- Yellow: washroom sinks and surfaces
- Blue: general surfaces, dining room, front of house
- Green: food preparation areas
Our heavy-duty wipes come in white, blue, green, red, grey and yellow, and our microfiber cloths in blue, green, red and yellow, so you can match one system across both. Post a chart in the cleaning closet.
Using wipes with sanitizer
Keep reusable wipes in a labelled bucket of sanitizer at the correct strength, and change the solution regularly. Never leave a used wipe on a counter, where it can spread bacteria to the next surface.
Microfiber: when and how
Microfiber’s ultra-fine fibres trap dust and grease instead of pushing them around, and they leave glass and stainless steel streak-free. Wash microfiber warm and skip the fabric softener, which clogs the fibres. Air dry or tumble dry on low.
Scouring pads and sponges
- Medium Duty Green Scouring Pads (6 x 9 in) cut through stuck-on food and grease on pots, pans and grills. They are abrasive, so keep them off non-stick pans, polished stainless and plastics.
- Medium Duty Scrubbing Sponge have a scrubbing side for grime and a soft sponge side for wiping. They are a good everyday tool for dishes and counters.
Rinse sponges well and let them dry between uses, and replace them often. Never use the same sponge for dishes and washrooms.
Do not forget gloves
Cleaning chemicals are hard on skin. For daily cleaning, reusable gloves such as Blue-Touch Nitrile Reusable Gloves or the flock-lined Green-Touch+ Nitrile Reusable Flock Lined Gloves 15mil last longer than disposables and resist many cleaners.
Frequently asked questions
How many sheets are on a roll of food service towels?
Our white food service towels have 1,100 sheets of 12 x 13 inches per roll.
Are the heavy-duty wipes reusable?
Yes. They are designed for repeated use.
What colours do the microfiber cloths come in?
Blue, green, red and yellow.