Recently I visited a client’s office where I was in the lunchroom having a cup of tea. Two women opened up about their biggest pet peeves when using their kitchen facilities. I mentioned I wrote about general Workplace Etiquette (also at https://www.advancedetiquette.com/2010/09/workplace-etiquette/), but I have never written specifically about using a shared office kitchen. Here are my top 8 tips on this topic:
1. Don’t leave dishes in the sink. Period. This is typically one of the strongest complaints in the workplace. It is common to think, “Who do they think they are? There is no mom or maid who is expected to clean up after them.”

Every employee, including the boss or owner, should wash their own dishes to leave in a dish rack to dry. If you see the offense take place, ask with sensitivity… “Is there a reason you left that dish in the sink?” Based on the person’s answer, you will know how to respond further. If you feel uncomfortable about confronting the offender directly, you should report the incident to their supervisor. Supervisors should distribute a notice to warn the team, offenders will be reported and actions will be taken to correct this lack of consideration.

2. Clean dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. An office dishwasher is still a luxury and value-added benefit and courtesy for employees to use. If you use it, scrap, clean, and/or rinse your dish of all excess food waste before placing it in the dishwasher. Otherwise, the excess food sits and dries on the dishware and utensils and they don’t always get fully clean. Then, people put them back in the cabinet or drawer still dirty. Yuck! If you don’t pre-wash excess food off before loading the dishwasher, the washer can also clog with excess food that causes the machine to run faultily.

Always use the washer as though it was your own. Do not overload it by cramming in your item just so you won’t have to wash it. When items are jammed in, it may crack or break when washed. Place each item carefully and strategically to maximize the space for other items to follow.

3. Clean the sink and countertop. When you rinse dishes of excess food and the sink strainer fills up, clean the strainer and/or run the garbage disposal. Always leave a clean sink and wipe up all messes on the countertops and tables.

4. Close cabinet doors and drawers after each use. The kitchen I visited had one large built-in cabinet with sliding doors. One of the women I spoke with said she always had to close it because she couldn’t stand it open, showing all the messy supplies. So please close every door and drawer after each use.

5. Mark all foods item kept in the refrigerator. Mark each item you place in the refrigerator with your name and the date. For company parties with leftover food that can be shared, write something on the item to let folks know it’s up for grabs. Designate a kitchen monitor who has the authority to discard old and smelly foods.

6. If you leave food on the counter for others to enjoy, clean it up. It’s always fun to see leftover cake or sandwiches from other departments. However, who’s responsible to clean up after that plate is empty and messes were left? It’s the responsibility of whoever shared the food to also come back to clean up the empty plate and messes. You can’t just leave it.

7. Alert someone when supplies are low. Never use the last paper towel, plastic fork or other items without alerting someone — the kitchen monitor or office manager — to replenish the supply. Better yet, when supplies run low, alert the appropriate person, not when you are down to the last item. It’s annoying for everyone when supplies run out.

8. Treat the shared office kitchen as your own. When I say this, people respond that the offenders must equally expect their spouse or someone else to clean up after them… or their home must be full of dirty dishes and messes in the sink and on their counters. Yet the overall tip must be: If you enjoy entering a clean and neat shared kitchen at work, you’ve got to be a part of keeping it clean and neat at all times.

Happy Practicing!