15A NCAC 18A .2812 cleaning, sanitIzing, and disinfecting equipment, utensils, and other areas
(a) Each child care center shall be equipped with adequate drainboards or countertop space for handling used utensils and air drying clean and sanitized utensils. For child care centers originally licensed on or after April 15, 1998, drainboards or countertop space shall be no less than 8 square feet. A domestic dishwasher may be used to provide the equivalent of 4 square feet of drainboard space. Drainboards or countertop space designated for clean equipment and utensils shall be on the opposite end of the sink from drainboards or countertop space designated for equipment and utensils that are not clean, unless these areas are otherwise separated and protected from cross-contamination. Child care centers originally licensed before April 15, 1998 shall comply with this Paragraph upon change of ownership, the closing of the child care center and the issuance of a new license, or the remodeling of an existing kitchen in a child care center.
(b) Except for fixed equipment and utensils too large to be cleaned in sink compartments, equipment and utensils that are cleaned manually instead of in a dishwasher shall be washed, rinsed, and sanitized as follows, in the order of the steps presented herein:
(1) equipment and utensils shall be scraped, flushed with water, or soaked with water to remove food particles;
(2) sinks shall be cleaned and sanitized before proceeding to Subparagraph (3) of this Paragraph;
(3) equipment and utensils shall be washed in the first compartment of the sink with a hot detergent solution that is changed once visibly soiled;
(4) equipment and utensils shall be rinsed free of detergent solution with clean water in the second compartment of the sink; and
(5) the food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils shall be sanitized in the third compartment of the sink in the following manner:
(A) immersion for at least one minute in clean, hot water at a temperature of at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit;
(B) immersion for at least two minutes in a solution containing 50 to 200 parts per million (ppm) of chlorine at a temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit;
(C) immersion for at least two minutes in a solution containing at least 12.5 ppm of iodine and having a pH not higher than 5.0 and at a temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit;
(D) immersion for at least two minutes in a solution containing 200 to 400 ppm of quaternary ammonium products and having a temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit, provided that the quaternary ammonium product label indicates that it is effective in water that has a hardness value at least equal to that of the water being used; or
(E) other sanitizing products, procedures, or equipment that are nontoxic to children, used according to the manufacturer's instructions, are safe for use on food-contact surfaces, do not require a final rinse step, and have a testing method.
(c) When utensils and equipment are washed mechanically using a dishwasher, food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils shall be sanitized according to the dishwasher manufacturer's instructions. When a domestic dishwashing machine with a sanitizing cycle is used according to manufacturer's instructions, additional sanitizing is not required. When commercial dishwashing equipment is used, the dishwasher shall be equipped with a temperature indicating device that is accurate to two degrees Fahrenheit.
(d) For fixed equipment and utensils and equipment that are too large to sanitize in a dishwashing machine or dishwashing sink, a spray-on or wipe-on sanitizer of sufficient chemical strength as indicated in Subparagraph (b)(5) of this Rule shall be used.
(e) Multi-service articles, including highchair feeding trays, shall be washed, rinsed and sanitized in the child care center kitchen after each use.
(f) Kitchen surfaces that are not food-contact surfaces shall be kept clean.
(g) A testing method or equipment shall be used in accordance with the product manufacturer's instructions to test the strengths of sanitizing solutions to ensure the prescribed concentrations are met.
(h) After sanitizing, all equipment and utensils shall be air dried.
(i) An approved disinfectant shall be provided for cleaning purposes. Throughout this Section, when an approved disinfectant is used in a child care center, the manufacturer's Safety Data Sheets for the disinfectant product shall be kept on file at the child care center and the instructions for use of the disinfectant product shall be followed. When a chlorine solution is prepared by a child care center employee for use as an approved disinfectant, then the solution shall be prepared for use within 24 hours and a testing method shall be used to ensure compliance with the prescribed chlorine concentration. To achieve the maximum germ reduction with a chlorine disinfecting solution, the surface being disinfected shall be made wet with the chlorine disinfecting solution and allowed to air dry or be dried only after the surface has been in contact with the chlorine disinfecting solution for a minimum of two minutes.
(j) A sanitizing solution shall be provided for cleaning purposes. Throughout this Section, when a sanitizing solution is used in a child care center, the manufacturer's Safety Data Sheet shall be kept on file at the child care center and the instructions for use of the sanitizing solution shall be followed. When a chorine solution is used in a child care center it shall be prepared for use within 24 hours and a testing method or kit shall be used to ensure compliance with the prescribed chlorine concentration. To achieve the maximum germ reduction with a chlorine solution, the cleaned surfaces shall be left wet with the chlorine solution and allowed to air dry or be dried only after a minimum contact time of at least two minutes.
History Note: Authority G.S. 110‑91;
Eff. July 1, 1991;
Amended Eff. February 1, 1995; July 1, 1993;
Temporary Amendment Eff. December 1, 1999; April 15, 1998;
Amended Eff. July 1, 2006; January 1, 2006; April 1, 2001;
Readopted Eff. July 1, 2023.