Yes, this is another article/rant about keeping basic hygiene while the world melts down about Corvid-19. Because, evidently, no one knows how to keep things clean.
Having been a chef for a few decades, I have seen things in kitchens that are not acceptable, and would put you off your feed if you knew about it. Hand washing has always been one of those things. We always have the Health Department signs up, with mostly humorous vandalism marks, to remind us how to, and how often to, wash our hands. I can say with certainty, over the last 20 years, only about 1/2 of the people I have worked with washed their hands on a regular basis.
The people you interact with, the servers, waitstaff, bussers, and bartenders have the worst record for washing their hands I have ever seen. That glass of water? You may want to think about it before letting any part touch you. And, unless you bring your own or are handed an individually wrapped one, the straws are ALWAYS suspect. Menus? It might have seemed silly watching a Host wipe them down in the past, but if they don’t do it, no one does.
Restaurants are going to be hard hit with the upcoming no-travel and quarantines. And, being a hell-hole of overworked, underpaid, and just burned out people, this might be a good thing. I am callous, I know, but most people who work in the front of house at restaurants just don’t stop to wash their hands. This shit has to be dealt with.
Be your own advocate. Ask for surfaces(like tables)to be wiped down with Quat or bleach solution. Don’t reach into dump-buckets of condiments. Be aware of how many hands have been in contact with your order. Don’t touch your server, which is creepy, anyway.
You can only control yourself. This includes how you interact with people, and how you keep yourself healthy. Know that most of the people who are interacting with you at a restaurant have not washed their hands after handling equipment or other peoples’ orders. By knowing that, YOU can be prepared and wash your hands with soap/warm water/appropriate time, use hand sanitizer, and limit social interactions that include touching anything unnecessary.
Wash Your Hands
PS: 9/20/2020 – It has been far too long while this has been going on. Take the above precautions, but be ever vigilant. We are just going to get worse before it turns and lets us humans, all of the world, get through this. It has changed things so much, what we will now consider normal our selves from last year would not recognize.
Chef Rena