Summer Cleaning Challenges and How to Stay Ahead

Warmer temperatures bring increased business, busier facilities, and more opportunities for bacteria to grow and spread. From kitchens and restrooms to high-touch surfaces and food prep areas, summer heat can create the perfect environment for contamination if proper cleaning procedures are not in place.

At DeVere Chemical, we help facilities stay ahead of seasonal cleaning challenges with products and programs designed to support safer, cleaner environments year-round.

Here are a few important ways to help prevent bacteria growth during the summer months.

Understand How Heat Impacts Bacteria Growth

Warm, humid conditions allow bacteria to multiply faster, especially in areas exposed to moisture, food residue, and frequent contact.

High-risk areas often include:

• Food prep surfaces
• Drains and sinks
• Restrooms
• Trash and disposal areas
• Breakrooms and shared spaces

Staying proactive with cleaning and sanitizing becomes even more important during the summer season.

Increase Cleaning Frequency

Higher temperatures and increased traffic often mean surfaces become dirty more quickly.

Be sure to regularly clean and sanitize:

• Door handles and touchpoints
• Tables and counters
• Equipment handles and controls
• Restrooms and locker rooms
• Shared employee areas

Consistent cleaning throughout the day helps reduce buildup and minimize the spread of bacteria.

Focus on Food Safety

Summer heat can increase the risk of foodborne illness if surfaces are not properly cleaned and sanitized.

Help protect your facility by:

• Using food-safe sanitizers in prep areas
• Cleaning spills immediately
• Properly sanitizing cutting boards and equipment
• Monitoring storage and refrigeration areas

Maintaining a strong food safety routine helps protect both employees and customers.

Don’t Overlook Floors and Drains

Moisture, grease, and organic buildup can quickly create odors and bacteria growth during warmer months.

Routine floor and drain cleaning helps:

• Reduce buildup and contamination
• Prevent unpleasant odors
• Improve overall sanitation
• Support a safer environment for staff and guests

These areas are often overlooked but can become major problem spots if neglected.

Use the Right Products for the Job

Not all cleaning products are designed for high-heat, high-traffic environments.

Using professional-grade solutions helps ensure:

• Effective sanitizing
• Consistent performance
• Proper dilution and application
• Compliance with cleaning standards

DeVere’s cleaning and dilution systems help simplify the process while supporting reliable results.

Train Your Team on Summer Cleaning Challenges

Seasonal changes can impact cleaning routines more than many facilities realize.

Make sure your team understands:

• Increased cleaning expectations
• Proper sanitizing procedures
• Spill response protocols
• Product usage and contact times

A well-trained staff helps your facility stay cleaner, safer, and better prepared throughout the summer.

Final Thoughts

Warmer weather brings unique cleaning challenges, but a proactive approach can help prevent bacteria growth before it becomes a problem.

With the right products, procedures, and support, your facility can maintain a cleaner, safer environment all summer long.

At DeVere Chemical, we’re here to help you simplify cleaning and stay prepared for every season!

Stay Audit-Ready in the Food Industry 

In the food industry, cleanliness goes far beyond appearance. It is fundamental to food safety, regulatory compliance, and protecting your brand. Whether you operate a food processing facility or a restaurant, being audit-ready at all times is not optional. It is expected. 

For food manufacturers, audits are often driven by customers or fall under GFSI-benchmarked schemes such as SQF, BRCGS, or FSSC 22000. These audits require documented sanitation programs, validated cleaning procedures, and alignment with HACCP plans. Every step, from pre-operational inspections to environmental monitoring, must support your hazard analysis and critical control points. This ensures risks are identified, controlled, and consistently managed. 

In foodservice environments like restaurants and convenience stores, the focus shifts to state and local health inspections. These evaluations are typically unannounced and center on food handling practices, employee hygiene, and overall facility cleanliness. While they may require less documentation than GFSI audits, they still demand strict adherence to food safety principles and immediate corrective action when issues arise. 

Despite these differences, the objective remains the same. Prevent contamination and protect the end consumer. 

A robust sanitation program is the foundation of both. In processing facilities, that means effective cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces, equipment, and production environments to support HACCP verification and audit compliance. In foodservice settings, it includes maintaining clean kitchens, restrooms, and high-touch surfaces while ensuring staff follow consistent and safe practices. 

Consistency, documentation, and training are what set successful operations apart. Using the right products, standardizing procedures, and educating employees helps reduce variability, strengthen your food safety program, and ensure you are always prepared, no matter the type of audit. 

At DeVere, we understand the complexities across every segment of the food industry. Our sanitation solutions are designed to support your sanitation programs, meet GFSI expectations, and simplify day-to-day cleaning, helping you stay compliant, efficient, and confident. 

Ready to strengthen your sanitation program and stay audit-ready? Contact DeVere today to learn how we can support your facility. 

Spring Cleaning Made Simple: Practical Tips for a Cleaner Workplace

Spring is the perfect time to reset and refresh your facility, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Over the winter months, dirt, salt, grease, and everyday buildup can accumulate in ways that regular cleaning routines might not fully address. A thorough spring cleaning helps restore workspaces, improve safety, and create a healthier environment for employees and visitors.

With the right approach, spring cleaning can be simple, efficient, and highly effective. For businesses, it’s an opportunity to tackle areas that are often overlooked during daily maintenance and ensure your facility is operating at its best.

Here’s where to start and what to focus on for an effective spring cleaning plan.

Start with High-Traffic Areas

Entryways, hallways, and shared spaces experience the most foot traffic throughout the year. These areas often collect dirt, salt residue, and grime that can dull floors and create safety concerns.

Begin your spring cleaning by focusing on these high-use spaces. Thorough floor cleaning removes winter buildup and restores the appearance of your facility. Using a reliable multi-surface cleaner helps break down residue on floors, walls, and other washable surfaces without leaving behind streaks or buildup. DeVere offers a range of solutions designed for this purpose, which you can explore here➡️DeVere All Purpose Cleaners

Addressing these areas first immediately improves the overall cleanliness and safety of your facility.

Tackle Grease and Heavy Soil

Certain areas, especially kitchens, maintenance rooms, and production spaces, may require stronger cleaning solutions. Grease, oils, and industrial soils can accumulate over time and require a powerful degreaser to remove effectively.

Degreasers are designed to break down tough buildup that standard cleaners cannot easily remove. When used properly, they help restore surfaces and improve safety by reducing slippery conditions caused by grease or residue.

Production facilities and foodservice areas often benefit the most from this step, as equipment surfaces, floors, and workstations can collect heavy soils during daily operations.

Don’t Forget Shared Surfaces

Spring cleaning should also focus on areas people touch every day. Door handles, light switches, countertops, desks, and breakroom surfaces often collect fingerprints, dust, and germs throughout the winter months.

A dependable multi-surface cleaner makes it easy to wipe down high-touch areas and improve overall hygiene. Maintaining clean shared surfaces helps support employee health and keeps workspaces feeling fresh and professional.

Look Up, Not Just Down

One of the most common mistakes during spring cleaning is focusing only on floors and visible surfaces. Dust and buildup often collect in higher areas such as vents, shelving, equipment tops, and light fixtures.

These areas should be included in your spring cleaning routine to prevent dust from circulating throughout the facility. A complete top-to-bottom cleaning ensures that every surface is addressed.

Refresh Restrooms and Break Areas

Restrooms and break rooms are essential spaces that deserve extra attention during spring cleaning. Deep cleaning these areas helps remove buildup that routine cleaning might miss.

Pay special attention to sinks, fixtures, counters, and surrounding surfaces. A thorough cleaning in these areas contributes to both sanitation and employee comfort.

Create a Spring Cleaning Checklist

Start with a simple checklist to keep your team organized and on track:

• Entryways and lobby areas
• Floors and baseboards
• Shared workspaces and desks
• Break rooms and kitchens
• Restrooms and fixtures
• Equipment surfaces
• High-touch points such as handles and switches

A clear plan allows teams to work efficiently and ensures every part of the facility receives attention.

A Fresh Start for Your Facility

Spring cleaning provides the opportunity to refresh your facility after a long winter and set the tone for the months ahead. By focusing on high-traffic areas, tackling heavy soils, and addressing shared surfaces, businesses can create safer and more welcoming environments.

Ready to Start Your Spring Cleaning?

Getting started is easier than you think.

Spring is the perfect time to refresh your facility and address areas that routine cleaning may miss. With the right plan and the right products, businesses can create cleaner, safer environments for employees and visitors.

If your facility is preparing for a seasonal deep clean, DeVere Chemical is here to help. Our team can recommend the right cleaners and degreasers and help you build a spring cleaning program tailored to your facility.

Contact us to get started and make this season’s cleaning your most effective yet.

Call 1-800-833-8373 or go to https://deverechemical.com/contact-us/ today!

Prevent Slips, Salt, and Seasonal Germs This Winter

Winter weather can turn even the cleanest facility into a safety challenge. Snow, salt, and slush quickly get tracked indoors, creating slippery floors and messy entryways. At the same time, cold and flu season increases the need for consistent cleaning in shared spaces.

The good news is that most winter hazards can be reduced with a proactive cleaning routine. At DeVere Chemical, we help facilities prepare for winter conditions by focusing on what matters most: safer floors, cleaner surfaces, and consistent habits that protect everyone inside.

Salt and Slush Are More Than Just a Mess

Salt residue and melting snow do not just affect appearance. They can leave floors wet, gritty, and slick, especially in entryways and high-traffic areas. Over time, salt buildup can also dull floors and create extra maintenance needs.

That is why winter cleaning is most effective when it is frequent and consistent, rather than saved for occasional deep cleaning.

Focus on Floors First

In winter, floors are often the biggest safety risk. Entryways, hallways, restrooms, and break rooms should be cleaned more often to reduce moisture and remove tracked-in debris.

A cleaner like WOW50 is a strong option for winter conditions because it helps break down soil, residue, and buildup on floors and other washable surfaces. Using a general-purpose cleaner that performs well in high-traffic areas helps keep floors looking better and reduces the chance of slippery conditions caused by residue.

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https://deverechemical.com/product/wow50/

Shared Spaces Need Extra Attention in Winter

Winter safety also includes reducing the spread of germs. Shared spaces are used more often during colder months, and high-touch surfaces can quickly become a source of contamination.

Disinfecting and sanitizing routines should focus on door handles, light switches, push plates, countertops, restroom fixtures, break rooms, and shared equipment.

QDII Sanitizer (EPA Reg. No. 10324-117-5174) is designed for foodservice and general facility use, making it a strong choice for maintaining hygienic conditions in shared areas. Including an EPA-registered sanitizer as part of a winter routine helps ensure surfaces stay consistently maintained throughout the season.

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https://deverechemical.com/product/qdii-sanitizer/

A Winter Routine That Works

Winter cleaning routines do not need to be complicated. The most successful facilities focus on a few key habits:

• Clean high-traffic floors more often than usual
• Remove salt and slush before it spreads
• Sanitize shared surfaces consistently
• Train staff to follow the same routine daily

Small changes in consistency can lead to major improvements in safety.

Quick Winter Safety Checklist

Use this checklist to make sure your facility is ready for winter:

☐ Clean entryways and high-traffic floors multiple times per day

☐ Remove salt and tracked-in debris before it builds up

☐ Use a versatile cleaner to prevent residue and slippery conditions

☐ Sanitize high-touch surfaces consistently

☐ Pay extra attention to restrooms, break rooms, and shared equipment

☐ Train staff on consistent cleaning routines and safety procedures

Strengthen Your Winter Cleaning Plan

Winter conditions demand more from your cleaning program. If you are unsure whether your current routine is keeping your facility as safe as it could be, now is the time to review it.

DeVere Chemical can help evaluate your winter cleaning procedures, recommend practical adjustments, and provide guidance tailored to your facility’s needs. Contact DeVere Chemical today at 1-800-833-8373 to make sure your winter safety plan is working as hard as you are.

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Winter brings plenty of things: cozy sweaters, icy commutes, and unfortunately peak norovirus season. If you have ever dealt with a norovirus outbreak, you know how quickly it spreads and how disruptive it can be. Workplaces, schools, restaurants, and healthcare facilities are especially vulnerable this time of year.

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Safety First: Why Safety Skills Are Essential in Food Manufacturing Facilities

In the fast-paced environment of a food manufacturing plant, safety isn’t optional; it’s essential. From handling high-powered equipment to managing chemicals and ensuring sanitation, safety skills are the backbone of a successful, compliant, and efficient operation.

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Maximize Efficiency and Savings with Concentrated Chemicals at Your C-Store

Are you looking to streamline operations and optimize your budget?

Switching to concentrated chemicals could be your key to achieving both goals effectively at your convenience store. 

👉Not in the mood to read? Here’s a short video recap!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbiyBBMgz4s

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Empowering Safety and Excellence: DeVere Chemical’s Tailored Training Programs

At DeVere Chemical, we understand that excellence in chemical safety and operational efficiency is paramount across diverse industries such as food processing, C-stores, commercial dishwashing, commercial laundry, and more. That’s why we go beyond mere product supply—we offer comprehensive training programs designed to empower our customers with the knowledge and skills needed to operate safely and effectively in their specific environments. Read the rest of this entry »