Almost all offices, whether small or big, have a pantry. The employer should provide this area because it is the main place where staff prepare their lunch or other sustenance to help them get through the day while working.
The pantry will act as a public space for all the employees. Thus, its cleanliness has to be maintained to ensure that the pantry can be useful and provide comfort for all employees. Not only that, having a clean pantry will also help increase the employees’ productivity and ensure everyone is in good health.
Because the pantry is where we prepare food, if its cleanliness is not well maintained, it will be very susceptible to bacteria growth. Though your company probably has hired an office lady service to clean the pantry, because the pantry is a public place, it must be maintained by every employee who uses it regularly.
Here are some unwritten rules you should never follow in the office pantry to ensure your comfort.
Putting food too long in the refrigerator
The office pantry might provide several electronic appliances, such as a microwave, kettle, and refrigerator. The refrigerator will be very useful for storing food before heating it in the microwave. These electronic appliances have many benefits. They can help you save time and money from going out for lunch.
But you must also be mindful when using electronic devices in your office, including the refrigerator. When you put food in the refrigerator, ensure you never leave it too long. It’s best to finish it all within 1 or 2 days at the very least. If you leave the food for too long and forget about it, it can eventually rot and make the refrigerator and all other food stored there smell bad. The last thing your co-workers want is to find that their food is no longer fresh because of your food that has gone bad.
Taking too much place inside the refrigerator
One way to ensure that you don’t have to face the first problem is by making sure that you only store food that you will immediately eat. It will also help you save space for your coworkers in the fridge. Remember that the refrigerator will not be used only by you. Your other coworkers will also store their food there. So everyone should be considerate of the spacing, to ensure that everyone can have the same amount of space to put their food
You can only store essential food, which needs to be at a cold temperature. Other food, such as snacks that do not need to be cool before consumption, can be kept in the kitchen drawer.
Do not use the microwave to heat up pungent-smelling food
If you have pungent-smelling foods such as fish; you should not eat these dishes in the office -let alone heat them in the microwave. This food leaves an unpleasant odor and can spread throughout your workspace. This pungent odor could disturb your co-worker. Thus, it is recommended that you never bring this kind of food to your office.
Not cleaning up after your mess
Leaving a mess behind you at the office pantry is unacceptable. Remember, it is not your home; it is a public space. Whether you’ve made your meal or brewed some coffee, you should always clean up immediately afterward. Don’t postpone it or say you will clean up after you finish your work—it is a big no!
Nobody wants to enter the office kitchen and find used food packaging lying around the counter or someone’s lunch leftovers clogging the sink. You don’t want this to happen to you, so you should also never do this in the first place!
What you can do to ensure the cleanliness of the pantry after you use it, are by doing these:
Throw trash in the trashcan; never leave used food packaging on the kitchen counter.
Wipe the kitchen counter with a cleaning cloth if food splatters from your meal.
Never throw food or other things into the kitchen sink. If it gets clogged, it can affect everyone (including you).
Taking food that isn’t yours
Though that food looks delicious or does not have a name, it does not mean it is yours to take. Taking your coworker’s food is the ultimate way to leave a bad impression or start an office conflict!
The office pantry is a very useful area for all. Because of its usefulness, it has become one of the most used areas in the office. Thus, implementing and following the pantry etiquette is important to ensure that every coworker is comfortable using the shared space.