Colour-coding is a simple way to stop germs moving from one area to another. Each area gets its own colour of cloth, and that cloth never leaves its area. Many UK cleaning teams, schools, offices and kitchens use it.
The common UK colour code
The most widely used scheme in the UK follows guidance from the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc):
- Red: toilets, urinals and washroom floors
- Yellow: washroom basins and surfaces, and other higher-risk areas
- Blue: general, low-risk areas such as offices, desks and corridors
- Green: kitchens and food preparation areas
Some sites adapt the scheme. What matters is that everyone on your team uses the same rules, and that the rules are written down where staff can see them.
How to set it up
- List the areas you clean and give each one a colour.
- Buy cloths in enough of each colour to last between washes.
- Store and wash each colour separately.
- Put a short colour chart in each cleaning cupboard.
NICE colours
NICE microfibre cloths come in yellow, pink and blue, and our tea towels come in green, yellow, pink and blue. Choose the colours that match your own scheme. Pink is often used in place of red where red cloths aren't available.
Buying for a team? See trade and wholesale prices or shop microfibre cloths.