How to Record a Sanitiser Use Video for Your Food Safety Management System

Sanitiser is one of the most misunderstood chemicals in a kitchen. Staff often think spraying sanitiser means a surface is clean—but sanitisers are mainly disinfectants with limited cleaning ability. This video will train your team to use sanitiser correctly and understand when it actually works.

Step 1: Set the scene and context

Start your video by challenging the assumption that sanitiser equals clean. This misconception is widespread and leads to food safety failures.

Explain the critical distinction: sanitisers can reduce bacteria to a safe level on surfaces, but only if used correctly. They are mainly disinfectants with limited cleaning ability on lightly soiled surfaces. When surfaces are heavily contaminated, have allergen residues, or have tenacious or heavy soiling, a hard surface cleaner/degreaser must be used BEFORE the sanitiser.

This is the key message: sanitisers cannot disinfect properly if food residues and chemical residues remain on a surface. The sanitiser needs to contact the surface directly to kill bacteria. If there's a layer of grease or food between the sanitiser and the surface, the sanitiser can't do its job.

Film this explanation in front of your chemical station where you store your cleaning products. Show the degreaser/hard surface cleaner alongside the sanitiser—staff need to understand these work together, not as alternatives.

Step 2: Plan what to record versus what to write down

Sanitiser use requires both visual demonstration and precise written specifications. The video shows the technique; the documentation provides the exact measurements.

Record on video:

• The difference between cleaning and disinfecting
• How to identify when a surface needs degreasing first versus when sanitiser alone is sufficient
• Correct spraying technique and coverage
• What "contact time" means in practice—leaving the surface wet
• Which surfaces need sanitising and which don't
• Touch points and why they matter
• The difference between your degreaser and sanitiser bottles

Document in written procedures:

• The specific dilution rate for your sanitiser product
• The exact contact time required
• The British Standard your sanitiser meets (BSEN 1276:1997 or BSEN 13697:2001)
• Your supplier's technical data sheets
• Whether your specific product requires rinsing after use
• Your cleaning schedule showing sanitisation frequencies

The video teaches the principles and techniques. The written documents provide the product-specific details that change when you switch suppliers.

Step 3: Core rules and requirements

Structure your video around the four critical elements of effective sanitiser use. Get any of these wrong and the sanitiser won't work as intended.

British Standards for disinfection

Sanitiser used in the food industry must meet one of two British Standards: BSEN 1276:1997 or BSEN 13697:2001. These standards ensure that when used correctly, the sanitiser will kill 99.999% of micro-organisms on the surface.

Show your sanitiser bottle and point out where this standard is indicated. If it's not on the bottle, show where to find it on the technical data sheet from your supplier. These compliant sanitisers are mainly available from commercial chemical suppliers—supermarket antibacterial sprays typically don't meet these standards.

Explain why this matters: a sanitiser that kills 90% of bacteria sounds effective, but if you start with a million bacteria, you're left with 100,000. A BSEN-compliant sanitiser killing 99.999% leaves you with just 10. The standard makes a massive difference.

Dilution rates

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding dilution rate. Show the dilution instructions on your product and demonstrate what correct dilution looks like.

Explain both failure modes:

Over-dilution (too much water, not enough chemical) will inhibit the chemical's ability to kill enough micro-organisms. The surface looks sanitised but isn't safe.

Over-concentration (too much chemical, not enough water) will not kill extra bacteria—you've already reached maximum effectiveness at the correct dilution. What over-concentration does cause is potential chemical contamination of surfaces. This means food can be contaminated with chemical residue, and you're wasting expensive chemicals.

The correct dilution is exact, not approximate. "A bit more to be safe" isn't safer—it's wasteful and potentially harmful.

Contact time

Contact time is the single most ignored aspect of sanitiser use. The time the sanitiser stays wet on the surface is critical to how many bacteria are killed.

Show your product's contact time requirement. Demonstrate what this means in practice: the surface needs to stay wet with sanitiser for the full contact time. If the sanitiser dries or is wiped off before the contact time is complete, you haven't achieved full disinfection.

In a busy kitchen, staff often spray and immediately wipe. This is ineffective. The sanitiser needs time to work. Show staff what the correct timing looks like—spray, wait (do something else), then wipe if required.

Which surfaces need sanitising

Not all surfaces need sanitising. This is a crucial efficiency point that also helps staff understand what they're actually protecting.

Surfaces that MUST be sanitised:

• Food preparation surfaces—any surface where food or food packaging comes into contact
• Food prep sinks
• Fridges (internal surfaces)
• Any surface where ready-to-eat food will be placed

Touch points that should be sanitised regularly: These are surfaces touched frequently by multiple staff members. They spread contamination hand-to-hand even though food doesn't contact them directly. Examples include:

• Taps
• Fridge handles
• Drawer handles
• Light switches
• The sanitiser bottles themselves

Surfaces that don't routinely need sanitising:

• Floors (sanitising once a week is good practice, but not required daily)
• Table legs
• External equipment surfaces that don't contact food

Explain the reasoning: resources are limited, so focus sanitisation efforts on surfaces where it actually prevents food contamination.

Step 4: Demonstrate or walk through

This section is critical. Staff need to see correct technique because most people get this wrong. Use detailed narration so they can replicate exactly what you're showing.

Assessing whether sanitiser alone is sufficient

Start by showing the decision-making process. Approach different surfaces and narrate your assessment out loud:

Scenario 1: Light soiling

"Let me look at this work surface. There's a small splash here—looks like a bit of sauce that landed during plating. The surface is otherwise clean; there's no grease buildup, no dried food residue, just this minor splash."

"For light contamination like this, I can use sanitiser as both cleaner and disinfectant. The sanitiser will remove this minor soiling and disinfect the surface in one application."

"I'm spraying the sanitiser across the surface, including the splash area. Now I'm wiping with centrefeed paper—the splash comes up easily. I'm reapplying sanitiser for disinfection and leaving it for the contact time."

Scenario 2: Heavy soiling

"Now look at this surface. This has been used for meat preparation. There's grease, there's visible food residue, there's dried-on protein from earlier in service. This is heavy soiling."

"Sanitiser alone won't work here. Watch what happens if I just spray sanitiser: the liquid sits on top of the grease rather than contacting the surface. The grease is a barrier. The bacteria underneath that grease layer won't be killed because the sanitiser can't reach them."

"For this, I need degreaser first. I'm spraying our hard surface cleaner across the whole area. Watch the grease start to break down—see how it's lifting off the surface? Now I'm wiping with centrefeed paper, and the residue is coming away."

"The surface is now physically clean. But I've only cleaned it—I haven't disinfected it yet. Now I apply sanitiser, leave it for the full contact time, and the surface is both clean and safe."

Scenario 3: Allergen residues

"This chopping board was used for preparing food with tree nuts. Even though it looks relatively clean, there are allergen proteins on this surface that I cannot see."

"Here's the critical point: sanitiser will NOT remove allergen proteins. If I just spray sanitiser, the allergens stay on the surface. The sanitiser might kill bacteria, but the allergens remain and could cause a severe reaction in someone with an allergy."

"For allergen residues, I must use degreaser first. The detergent in the degreaser physically removes the proteins from the surface. I'm spraying, leaving it to work, then wiping thoroughly."

"Only after degreasing do I apply sanitiser. Degrease first, sanitise second—that's the rule for any surface that's had allergens on it."

Correct sanitiser application technique

Demonstrate the full process step by step:

"Let me show you the complete sanitiser application technique from start to finish."

Step 1: Assess the surface

"First, I look at the surface and decide what it needs. Is this light soiling where sanitiser alone will work? Or heavy soiling that needs degreaser first? I've already shown you how to make that assessment."

Step 2: Pre-clean if necessary

"This surface needs degreasing first. I'm applying our hard surface cleaner—notice I'm spraying in overlapping passes so I don't miss any areas. I'm wiping clean with centrefeed paper, working in one direction."

Step 3: Apply sanitiser for disinfection

"The surface is now physically clean. Time for sanitiser. I'm spraying evenly across the entire surface."

"Watch my technique: I'm holding the bottle about 15 centimetres from the surface and moving it steadily as I spray. I'm not spraying in one spot—I'm covering the whole area. I'm making sure I get the edges and corners, not just the middle."

"The surface should look evenly wet, not with dry patches. If I see dry patches, I spray those areas again."

Step 4: Wait for contact time

"Now comes the part most people skip: contact time. Our sanitiser needs 30 seconds of contact time to kill 99.999% of bacteria. That means the surface must stay wet with sanitiser for 30 seconds."

"Watch what I do: I've sprayed the surface, and now instead of immediately wiping, I'm going to do something else. I'm going to take these dirty utensils to the pot wash area. That takes about 30 seconds."

"I'm not standing here watching the clock—I'm being productive while the sanitiser works. But I'm also not forgetting about it and letting it sit for five minutes. I come back when the contact time is complete."

Step 5: Final wipe if required

"I'm back. The contact time has passed. Our specific sanitiser doesn't require rinsing—it can air dry or be wiped with a clean cloth. I'm doing a final wipe with fresh centrefeed paper."

"Some sanitisers do require rinsing after contact time—check your product's instructions. If rinsing is required, you'd rinse with clean water after the contact time, then wipe dry."

Common misconception: spray and wipe

Demonstrate what NOT to do:

"Let me show you the most common mistake I see. Someone wants to clean a surface, so they grab the sanitiser, spray it, and immediately wipe."

"Spray... wipe. The whole thing takes three seconds. The surface looks clean. But is it safe?"

"No. The sanitiser needs contact time to work. In that three-second spray-and-wipe, the sanitiser hasn't had time to kill the bacteria. The surface might look clean, but it could still be covered in bacteria."

"The difference between spray-wipe and spray-wait-wipe is the difference between a surface that looks clean and a surface that actually is safe. Take the time. Let the sanitiser work."

Touch points demonstration

Walk through your kitchen identifying touch points with specific examples:

"Now let me show you the touch points in our kitchen. These are surfaces that get touched constantly by multiple people, spreading contamination between staff members."

"The tap—look at this. Every time someone comes to wash their hands, they touch this tap before their hands are clean. Then they wash their hands, and their clean hands touch the tap again to turn it off. If we don't sanitise this tap regularly, we're recontaminating our clean hands every time."

"Fridge handles—count how many times this handle gets touched during a service. Someone checks stock, grabs ingredients, puts things away. Ten, twenty, fifty times? Each touch with hands that might not be perfectly clean. This needs sanitising multiple times during service, not just at the end."

"Light switches—think about this one. Someone's in the walk-in, their hands are cold and possibly damp from handling chilled products. They touch the light switch on the way out. Then someone else touches it on the way in. Light switches are touched constantly but almost never cleaned."

"Door handles—same principle. Every person entering or leaving the kitchen touches these handles."

"The sanitiser bottle itself—this one surprises people. If contaminated hands grab this bottle all day, the bottle becomes a contamination source. Think about it: you reach for the sanitiser to clean something, and the act of grabbing the bottle contaminates your hands. We clean our sanitiser bottles regularly."

"Here's my recommendation: identify your high-frequency touch points and sanitise them at least every two hours during service, not just during deep cleaning."

Dilution demonstration

Show exactly what correct dilution looks like:

"Let me demonstrate correct dilution. Our sanitiser concentrate dilutes at 1:100—that's one part concentrate to 100 parts water."

"I'm using our measuring system: this trigger bottle holds 500ml. I add 5ml of concentrate—that's one capful—then fill the rest with water."

"Watch how I mix it: I'm gently swirling the bottle, not shaking it violently which creates foam. The solution should be uniform throughout."

"What does incorrect dilution look like? If I put in half a capful—2.5ml—I've got a solution that's too weak. It won't kill enough bacteria. If I put in two capfuls—10ml—I've got a solution that's too strong. It won't kill extra bacteria, but it might leave chemical residue on surfaces that could contaminate food."

"The correct dilution is exact. Follow the manufacturer's instructions precisely. 'A bit more to be safe' isn't safe—it's wasteful and potentially harmful."

Weekly floor sanitisation

Demonstrate the weekly floor disinfection routine:

"Let me explain our weekly floor sanitisation. Floors don't need daily sanitising because food doesn't directly contact them—but weekly disinfection is good practice."

"I'm adding floor sanitiser to the mop bucket at the dilution rate specified—for this product, it's 1:50. After the floor has been cleaned of visible soil, I mop with the sanitiser solution."

"I'm working from the far corner of the kitchen towards the door so I don't walk on areas I've already sanitised. I'm leaving the floor wet for the contact time—in this case, five minutes."

"Why do this weekly? Even though food doesn't touch the floor, bacteria on floors can become airborne when disturbed, or transfer to shoes and trolley wheels. Weekly sanitisation lowers the overall bacterial load in the environment."

Equipment sanitisation demonstration

Show how to sanitise equipment like chopping boards and utensils:

"For smaller items like chopping boards, the process is similar but adapted for the shape."

"I've cleaned this board with degreaser. Now I'm spraying sanitiser across the entire surface—front, back, and all the edges. The edges matter because that's where knives cut through, potentially pushing bacteria into the board."

"I'm standing the board on its edge so both sides can stay wet during contact time. After the contact time, it's ready for use or storage."

"For utensils, I can either spray them individually or wipe them down with a cloth that's been soaked in sanitiser solution. Either way, the contact time requirement applies—the surface must stay wet for the full time."

Fridge interior sanitisation

The complete fridge cleaning process:

"Let me show you how to sanitise the inside of a fridge properly."

"First, I remove all items. They go into another fridge or cold holding. I'm not cleaning around food—everything comes out."

"I start with degreaser. Fridge interiors accumulate spills, drips, and residues. Sanitiser won't work through that contamination."

"I'm spraying all surfaces: shelves, walls, floor, door seals. I'm scrubbing where needed, then wiping clean with paper towels."

"Now the surfaces are physically clean. Time for sanitiser. I spray every surface again, including the door seals—bacteria love to hide in seal grooves."

"I'm waiting for the full contact time. Then I wipe dry with clean paper towels. The fridge needs to be dry before food goes back in to prevent humidity issues."

"Food can now return to the fridge. This process should happen on a scheduled basis—weekly for most fridges, more often if issues are identified."

End of service sanitisation routine

The systematic approach:

"At the end of service, I do a systematic sanitisation of all food contact surfaces. Let me walk you through the routine."

"I start at one end of the prep area and work my way across. This ensures I don't miss anything and don't re-contaminate surfaces I've already cleaned."

"Cutting boards first—they're collected and sent through the dishwasher. The dishwasher will sanitise them with hot water."

"Work surfaces next. I'm assessing each one: does it need degreasing? Yes, this one has meat residue. No, this one was just used for plating and only has minor soiling."

"I degrease where needed, then sanitise all surfaces regardless. Even lightly soiled surfaces need sanitising at end of service."

"Touch points get attention: handles, switches, taps. I'm sanitising all of them as part of the end-of-service routine."

"Finally, I check my sanitiser bottles—are they clean? Are levels adequate for tomorrow? I'm topping up if needed and wiping down the bottles themselves."

Training others on sanitiser use

How to teach these principles:

"When training new staff on sanitiser use, I focus on the principles, not just the actions."

"I explain WHY sanitiser doesn't work on dirty surfaces—so they understand the reasoning, not just the rule. When they understand the science, they make better decisions in situations I haven't specifically covered."

"I demonstrate contact time visibly. I set a timer, I make them wait, I show them what 30 seconds actually feels like. Most people have no idea how long 30 seconds is."

"I show them the data sheet. I want them to know where to find the dilution rate and contact time if they forget or if we switch products."

"I quiz them: here's a surface, what does it need? Degreaser first or sanitiser only? The ability to assess each situation is more valuable than memorising rules."

Step 5: Common mistakes to avoid

Address the mistakes you see regularly. These are the gaps between what staff think they're doing and what's actually effective.

Mistake 1: Assuming spraying sanitiser means the surface is clean. Sanitiser disinfects; it doesn't clean heavily soiled surfaces. If food residue remains, the sanitiser can't reach the surface to kill bacteria.

Mistake 2: Not using degreaser when required. Heavy soiling, grease, and allergen residues all require degreaser first. Sanitiser alone won't remove these contaminants.

Mistake 3: Wiping immediately after spraying. Contact time exists for a reason. Spraying and immediately wiping defeats the purpose. The surface must stay wet for the full contact time.

Mistake 4: Using the wrong dilution—both ways. Over-dilution means the sanitiser won't kill enough bacteria. Over-concentration means chemical contamination risk and wasted product. Follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly.

Mistake 5: Using non-compliant sanitiser. Household antibacterial sprays typically don't meet BSEN standards. Only use commercial sanitisers that meet BSEN 1276 or BSEN 13697.

Mistake 6: Sanitising everything equally. Not all surfaces need daily sanitising. Focus on food contact surfaces and touch points. Sanitising floors daily is unnecessary—weekly is sufficient.

Mistake 7: Forgetting touch points. Staff sanitise the obvious surfaces (work benches, chopping boards) but forget the handles, switches, and taps that spread contamination between people.

Mistake 8: Reapplying without re-assessing. If you used sanitiser to initially clean a surface, you must reapply it for disinfection. One application can't serve both purposes on a soiled surface.

Mistake 9: Letting sanitiser air dry when rinsing is required. Some products require rinsing after contact time; others don't. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your specific product.

Mistake 10: Not cleaning the sanitiser bottle itself. The bottle gets handled constantly with varying hand cleanliness. If you never clean the bottle, it becomes a contamination vector.

Step 6: Key takeaways

End your video by reinforcing what staff need to remember every time they reach for the sanitiser.

Sanitisers are disinfectants with limited cleaning ability. They kill bacteria on surfaces but can't do so through a layer of food residue or grease. If a surface is heavily soiled, degrease first, then sanitise.

Your sanitiser must meet British Standard BSEN 1276 or BSEN 13697. This ensures 99.999% of micro-organisms are killed when used correctly.

Dilution must be exact—not stronger, not weaker. Over-dilution means insufficient bacteria are killed. Over-concentration means chemical contamination risk without any additional benefit.

Contact time is non-negotiable. The surface must stay wet with sanitiser for the full contact time specified by the manufacturer. Spraying and immediately wiping is ineffective.

Focus sanitisation on food contact surfaces and touch points. Floors and non-contact surfaces don't need daily sanitising—weekly is sufficient good practice.

Touch points matter: taps, handles, switches, and yes, the sanitiser bottles themselves. These spread contamination between staff members throughout service.

Training matters as much as the chemical. A correctly-used budget sanitiser will outperform an expensive sanitiser used incorrectly. Technique and timing are everything.

When in doubt, degrease first. If you're unsure whether sanitiser alone is sufficient, use degreaser first. This approach never causes harm; skipping degreaser when it's needed causes food safety failures.