Cleaning Up Diarrhea and Vomit
Clean this stuff up the right way!
Diarrhea and vomit have millions of microorganisms that can make people sick.
Using proper clean-up methods can prevent the spread of illness after someone throws up or has diarrhea in a food establishment.
- Questions about food safety?
- Contact your local Environmental Health Officer.
On This Page
About Clean-Up Procedures
The illnesses that cause people to have diarrhea or vomit can be very contagious. When a person poops or throws up, the contaminated discharge may splatter across many surfaces and can even become aerosolized and settle across the area of the incident.
It is important for food establishments to have written procedures for employees to follow when responding to incidents involving diarrhea and vomit. These procedures need to provide clear guidance to employees so they can clean up in ways that prevent the spread of contamination and minimize the exposure of employees, consumers, food, and surfaces to contaminated bodily fluids.
This page includes written clean-up procedures that can be used or adapted by food establishments.
Training Staff
Train staff who will be responsible for cleaning up diarrhea and vomit so they know the procedures before an incident occurs.
Who to Train
- Identify staff who will be responsible for cleaning up after an incident involving diarrhea or vomit
- Food workers should not clean up diarrhea or vomit
What to Train
- Location of clean-up supplies and written procedures
- Use of personal protective equipment
- Directions for washing and disinfecting different types of contaminated surfaces
- Methods for disposing of contaminated items
When to Train
- Once the clean-up procedures are written and put in place
- As new workers are hired
- Any time the clean-up procedures change
The information below includes written clean-up procedures that can be printed and used by establishments.
Cleaning Up Diarrhea and Vomit
Overview
When someone vomits or has diarrhea in a food establishment, the area must be cleaned properly to prevent the spread of illness. Microorganisms in diarrhea and vomit spread through contaminated discharge and airborne particles and can splatter and land in a 25-foot radius around the incident. These illnesses can be highly contagious, but following the procedures described below will protect the health of staff and the public.
Supplies
Assemble a clean-up kit or buy one from a supplier. Clean-up kits will need to contain personal protective equipment and cleaning equipment.
Personal Protective Equipment
- Face masks
- Single-use, disposable gloves
Also Recommended
- Single-use, disposable gowns with sleeves
- Single-use, disposable hair covers
- Single-use, disposable shoe covers
Cleaning Equipment
- Roll of paper towels
- Absorbent powder/solidifier, baking soda or kitty litter will work
- Scoop/scraper, paper plates or cardboard will work
- Plastic bag that can be tied or sealed closed
- Bottle of disinfectant (see below for specifications)
Also Recommended
- Steam cleaner that can reach 170 degrees Fahrenheit
- Washing machine with hot water
Preparing a Disinfectant
A commercial disinfectant may be used or a disinfectant can be prepared on-site. The disinfectant needs to be 1,000 ppm chlorine or registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective against norovirus.
Follow the directions below to prepare a disinfectant on-site. Check the concentration with a test strip.
- Concentrated bleach (label reads 8.25%): Add ¾ cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water
- Regular bleach (label reads 5.25%): Add 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water
Procedures
Before Clean-Up Begins
- Clear the area and block it off
- Ask customers and staff to leave the area where the incident occurred
- Block off the incident area and the surrounding area in a 25-foot radius from the incident
- Only staff who are cleaning will have access to the area
- Put on personal protective equipment
- Anyone cleaning up diarrhea or vomit must wear a face mask and single-use, disposable gloves (at a minimum)
- Face masks need to cover the nose and mouth; gloves should be discarded and changed as necessary
Cleaning Surfaces
There are three types of surfaces commonly found in food establishments and each one needs to be cleaned differently:
- Hard surfaces: Floors, tables, utensils, etc.
- Soft surfaces that cannot be laundered: Carpet, upholstered furniture, etc.
- Soft surfaces that can be laundered: Linens, towels, clothing, etc.
Hard Surfaces
Floors, tables, utensils, etc.
- Cover
- Cover the diarrhea or vomit with paper towels or an absorbent powder/solidifier
- Allow time for liquids to be soaked up
- Remove
- Remove the paper towels or hardened powder/solidifier with a scoop or scraper
- Immediately place the items in a plastic bag; continue to use the bag for contaminated items or get a new one, as needed
- Wash
- Prepare a solution of soapy water
- Wash all hard surfaces contaminated with diarrhea or vomit using paper towels and the soapy water
- Wash surfaces in as wide of an area surrounding the incident as possible (25-foot radius), including surfaces that are visibly contaminated and those that may have been splashed by diarrhea or vomit
- Chairs, chair legs, tables, walls, shelves, counters, etc.
- Rinse the soapy water from all surfaces using clean water
- Immediately place used paper towels in the plastic bag
- Isolate two hours
- Isolate the area for two hours to allow airborne particles to settle on surfaces
- After this time, the surfaces in the contaminated area can be disinfected
- Disinfect
- Saturate all washed surfaces with a disinfectant using paper towels
- Immediate place the used paper towels in th
- Allow the disinfectant to sit on the surfaces
- For a disinfectant prepared at the establishment: Let it sit for 10 minutes
- For a commercial disinfectant: Follow the manufacturer's instructions
- Rinse all food contact surfaces with clean water after they have been disinfected
Soft Surfaces That Cannot Be Laundered
Carpet, upholstered furniture, etc.
- Cover
- Cover the diarrhea or vomit with paper towels or an absorbent powder/solidifier
- Allow time for liquids to be soaked up
- Remove
- Remove the paper towels or hardened powder/solidifier with a scoop or scraper
- Immediately place the items in a plastic bag; continue to use the bag for contaminated items or get a new one, as needed
- Do not vacuum after this step
- Wash
- Prepare a solution of soapy water
- Wash all carpet, upholstery, and other soft surfaces contaminated with diarrhea or vomit using paper towels and the soapy water
- Wash surfaces in as wide of an area surrounding the incident as possible (25-foot radius), including surfaces that are visibly contaminated and those that may have been splashed by diarrhea or vomit
- Rinse the soapy water from all surfaces using clean water
- Immediately place used paper towels in the plastic bag
- Isolate two hours
- Isolate the area for two hours to allow airborne particles to settle on surfaces
- After this time, the surfaces in the contaminated area can be disinfected
- Disinfect
- Steam clean the area for five minutes at a temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit (76.7 degrees Celsius)
- Check manufacturing specifications to make sure the steam cleaner can reach the correct temperature
- Contaminated soft surfaces may also be disinfected with a bleach solution, but it will discolor the material
- Steam clean the area for five minutes at a temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit (76.7 degrees Celsius)
Soft Surfaces That Can Be Laundered
Linens, towels, clothing, etc.
- Contain
- Use a plastic bag that is separate from any bags being used to discard waste
- Carefully place all contaminated items that are able to be washed in a washing machine into the bag and tie or seal it closed
- Wash
- Machine wash contaminated items in a washing machine using hot water and laundry detergent
- If a load is only white-colored items, bleach may also be used (if desired)
- Dry
- Dry the washed items in a dryer on the high-heat setting
After Clean-Up
Do not touch any of the surfaces that were just cleaned; they can be re-contaminated!
- Remove contaminated items
- Make sure any used cleaning supplies that are disposable are placed in a plastic bag for discard
- Throw away all uncovered food near the diarrhea or vomit incident and any food handled by the person who was sick
- Take off personal protective equipment before leaving the area that has been cleaned; place items in the plastic bag for discard
- Close the plastic bag of disposable items by tying or sealing it closed
- Remove all contaminated waste from the establishment immediately
- Clean and disinfect reusable cleaning supplies
- Wash and disinfect mop handles, plastic scoops/scrapers, and other reusable supplies using the steps above for hard surfaces
- Wash and disinfect washable mop heads, rags, and other cleaning supplies that can be laundered using the steps above for soft surfaces that can be laundered
- Wash hands
- Wash hands thoroughly before performing any other duties
Regulatory References
- 18 AAC 31 Alaska Food Code
- 18 AAC 31.300 Employee Health
Resources and Contacts
Resources
- Retail Food Protection: Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook
- A publication of the United States Food and Drug Administration
- Prevent Norovirus
- Information from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Norovirus Response and Cleanup
- Information from the United States National Park Service
Indicates an external site.