Hello everyone and welcome to my podcast, Clean Processes with Jerry. My name is Jerry Bauer and I work for ChemStation of Boston. I also run the blog, Hospitality Cleaning 101.
My podcast is dedicated to building an online community of like-minded individuals and businesses in the chemical and cleaning industry. We're going to share ideas, tips, solutions, and even some stories to solve problems and hopefully expand our markets. Please join me every other week, when we frequently will introduce a special guest, that just might be you. If you ever have a question, feel free to reach out, and I will answer on a future podcast if you so like. At the end of today’s show, I will include my contact information. Today. I am dealing with one of my biggest pet peeves, and that is dirty silverware. Please hang around until the end. Because we will be giving away gifts to two winners.
Let me set this up for you a little bit in the year 2014. After moving here to the East Coast, I designed a website blog to try to market myself or to actually add a personal brand touch. When I left the Midwest, I'd already had a marketing network set up because I knew different people through distributors, from where I worked, and actually from where I went to college. Because I took up Hospitality Management in that field. So, I knew a fair amount of people.
Moving to the East Coast, I had to start all over. So, as I stated, I built a website, built a blog. Tried to show my knowledge and it’s more of a hobby than anything else. But I will tell you that my third blog coming out, which was in March of 214, I believe. The subject matter was my restaurant. Silverware is Dirty!
It has had the most feedback, from all the other blogs done. Some people have contacted me via email, phone, and actually a couple of times from other countries. Who wanted to talk to me about my views, opinions, and solutions? In addition, once I was approached by a silver manufacturer who tried to pay me for a consultation to doo advise him on his new Cutlery line. I was also contacted by an engineer in the UK, trying to design a new product to be used inside dish machines to eliminate the problems.
I never expected this success because writing is not my best suit, and storytelling is what I've been told. And that's why I started this podcast.
So much has happened in the past eight years, mainly looking back at the past two years as we still fight COVID. Is there a correlation between the two of COVID and dirty silverware? Most definitely. Now I'm not saying silverware in a restaurant. can transmit, Covid, however, I am sure it has happened.
However, I can guarantee you, that many hospitality, operations need to do a better cleaning job for the public. And we, the public deserve it. And my first blog I wrote that dirty silverware is the first thing patron would notice, and it might put them in a bad mood. I don't care if you have a celebrity chef making a million dollars a year, and you only serve prime meat. If dirty silverware is on the table. It's going to set the mood for the patrons, thinking everything in the back is messy and dirty.
Also, since my first blog on silverware and before COVID a Consumer Reports survey interviewed over a thousand individuals asking for feedback on the cleanliness of the restaurants that they visit most often. Dirty utensils were the number one issue that restaurant patrons complained about. 76% of respondents said that forks, spoons, and knives, we're not up to acceptable levels. Just so, you know, number t2 was dirty bathrooms, and I have done a blog on that. I probably do a podcast on that one day as well.
Going back to the Consumer Report with number one, being Silverware, the research didn't touch on the specific, which germs appeared on the silverware. However, it did prove that this is a real issue in the food industry. Remember, if you're lucky enough, and greeted at the front door by a host or hostess, you are then seated. You might be seated at what you visioned as the perfect seat, and before you even look at the menu, you notice the dirty silverware. There is nothing you can say except yikes. Nothing should turn your Spidey Senses off more unless you went to the restroom and saw the whole toilet overflowing.
Please also understand recent studies have shown that patrons. Who noticed dirty silver or frequently never returned for another visit?
People ask me all the time. Why do restaurants end up with dirty utensils? And in my opinion, it comes down to this.
Number 1, kitchen management is not following the chemical manufacturers’ recommendations for the silverware presoak. Instead, some are actually enzymes base, and they're being used in extremely hot water. When you do that, all you end up is with blue water, since the enzymes never come to life. Hot water kills enzymes.
Number 2, some kitchens try to go cheap and use some off-brand pot and pants cleaner. Unfortunately, nothing affects a dish machine more than adding some bubbles. What happens when the silverware passes through and has a residue on it, from the pot and pan soap, it was soaking in. Therefore, pot and pan detergent should never be even near a dish machine to avoid any accidental mixing.
Number 3, not allowing the silverware to sit in the solution for an adequate amount of time. It needs to sit in there, usually per the manufacturer 5 or 10 minutes. I was a dish machine operator, and I've been in hundreds of kitchens. If they put it in the solution, it has to sit in there for a little bit. What frequently happens is the restaurant, country club, or catering venue doesn't have enough silverware. So, the wait staff comes back and yells at the dish machine operator, They Need More. So there, he was lucky to run it through the dish machine. Once it comes out, goes right back out on the dining floor. It hasn't sat in the solution, it hasn't been sorted, pre-sorted, or put away properly.
Another thing is they don't change the solution. That's the number 4. The solution that the chemical is in with the silverware. Frequently it becomes cold, dirty, and greasy. That's a good time to change it. That's actually a time when it should have been changed already.
Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations and hopefully they've supplied you with a wall chart.
Number 5, my favorite pet peeve is soaking silverware in a bus tub but having it so full that half of the silverware is out, and it's not even in the solution. My favorite expression is, It's kind of like taking a bath with socks on. You're going to end up with dirty feet.
Number 6, the first silverware washing should be done on a flat rack, and only a couple of inches deep. I hate the times I have seen silverware, mounded in there and the middle layer doesn't even get wet.
Number 7 after all silverware, should be put in an upright cylinder with the eating and exposed and put through the dish machine next. After that, it is passed on to another cylinder where the eating end is down. And then anyone who touches it then from then on is only touching the handle.
Number 8 I've already mentioned. This is not having enough inventory of silverware on hand. If food service doesn't have enough silverware, the dish machine operators are always being pushed. Cut short, all proper procedures to get done, what needs to get done? This does not work and results in unclean utensils.
Recently in the past six weeks. I ate at Chili's. I actually ate two nights in a row because I was staying in a hotel in Boston, and it was right next door. Very convenient to go to the food was very good. I hadn't been out to a lot of restaurants in the last two years and I was satisfied with everything.
My only contention was, and I don't know if this is a Chili's thing or an Ecolab thing, and this is nothing negative against Ecolab, the chemical company. But they're putting silverware in a little plastic bag now, as they hand it to you. While the advantage is, is that you're saying, well, no, one's touched them recently.
However, someone still had to touch it, to put it inside the bag. Ecolab has their name out on the front saying that silver has been cleaned by Ecolab. I assume someone thought this was a great marketing track. This is great! The only problem is, what happens if I opened it? Which I did and the silverware was still dirty.
Didn't the operator who put it inside the bag notice this?
Again, Not blaming Ecolab for the dirty silverware, their products are good
In summary. The proper handling of silverware is a process that must be done correctly. To give us the customers clean and sanitized utensils. Shortcuts can leave the silverware either dirty or with a cloudy haze. That is very unappealing.
Now the handling of real silverware. It's basically the same procedure as above. However, you need to add aluminum foil to the solution. Listen this is going to be a podcast our blog our posts for another day.
As we wrap it up here today. I wish to thank each and every one of you for joining me. Please continue to like to subscribe and share the podcast as you have. As I promise there will be prizes for anyone. Well, not anyone. It's going to go to the first two people, who sign up at the website, HospitalityCleaning101.
A pop-up will come up about the chemical costs in the year 2022. Or the four truths on cleaning and chemical costs. If you sign up and if you're one of the first two. I will send you a $10 gift certificate. Promise no strings attached. Again, if you have any questions concerning this podcast or blog, please don't hesitate to contact me at Jerry@hospitalitycleaning101.com. Have a great day, continue to wash your hands for 20 seconds. And stay safe. Thank you.