Hygiene & disinfection
Colour coding against cross-contamination
One colour, one room — red, yellow, blue, green
Colour-coded equipment prevents bacteria from being transferred from, for example, the toilet to the kitchen. The guide shows a widely used Danish model and the fixed rules for its use — so the whole team works to the same system. The colour allocation is not a law but a widespread practice that the workplace adopts and puts up itself.
Understand the purpose
Colour coding reduces cross-contamination — i.e. bacteria being transferred from one area to another, for example from the toilet to the kitchen. This is especially critical under HACCP in food businesses and institutional kitchens.
Know the widespread Danish model
A widespread institution/hotel model is: red = toilets/sanitary, yellow = kitchen/food preparation, blue = general surfaces (tables, window sills, electronics, corridors), green = high-level cleaning (mirrors, glass, chrome). The model is the starting point — not an answer key.
RedToilet/sanitaryYellowKitchenBlueGeneral surfacesGreenHigh-level cleaning/glassOne colour stays in one zone
A cloth or mop of a given colour stays in its zone and is never moved to another. The red toilet cloth must never end up on a kitchen worktop. If you are unsure of a surface's zone, follow the workplace's posted overview.
Red equipment never leaves the toilet.
Separate used from clean equipment
Collect used cloths and mops separately from clean ones in closed containers or labelled laundry bags (mop nets). Colour-code the bags too, so that dirty equipment is not mixed during transport to the laundry.
Wash correctly without fabric softener
Wash microfibre according to the data sheet — 60 °C is common practice. Under NIR Cleaning 2.1 (hospitals, primary care, day-care and schools), cloths and mops must be able to withstand heat disinfection at 80 °C or more for 10 minutes. NEVER use fabric softener — it leaves a film that deactivates the fibres. Replace damaged or discoloured equipment immediately.
Common practice60 °CNIR Cleaningmin. 80 °C for 10 minDocument the system and display it
Adopt the workplace's own colour code, write it into the cleaning plan and put the overview up visibly on all trolleys and stores. In food businesses the colour coding must be part of the HACCP plan — always follow the local HACCP procedures.
Source
Based on SUS material and Vileda (hygiene concept) via Discebo's colour-coding article; washing temperatures according to SUS «Mikrofiber»/NorthClean.