# Apron to the restroom?



## culinaryb (Sep 5, 2012)

Serious replies please.

Is it considered bad to wear an apron into the restroom?

What's the difference between an apron and your pants?

or a work smock, should they be removed before entering a restroom as well?

What about employees that clean a restroom? Should they not wear an apron in as well?

or a chef hat? removed or not?


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Absolutely no aprons or chef coats in the restroom.

The pants part is moot as you will put the apron back on before entering the kitchen.

As for cleaning restrooms and mopping floors, the CDC has these cool bio-hazard jumpsuits that come with a hood and rubber boots and gloves.

A roll of duct tape and you are ready to roll!


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## cacioepepe (Apr 3, 2011)

Totally agree with flip.  No aprons or towels in the bathroom.  I freak out on my cooks about this.  Its totally unsanitary and looks HORRIBLE if there are no employee bathrooms and it's the middle of service.


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## sparkie (Feb 12, 2011)

Aprons do not leave the kitchen and do not go to the bathroom. Sorry that's just the way it is. Is it really that hard to take it off before you enter the restroom? I hope that you managed to remove it before relieving yourself! So, inside or outside, what's the difference?

That being said, you should never use the apron to wipe your hands, or your knives, or the cutting board, or anything that touches food. So what is the big deal, is only function is to protect your jacket from stains. I don't have an answer for that, it's just the way it is. It costs you zero effort and eliminates a (pretty small) chance of bringing fecal matter back into the kitchen. I also will remove my jacket before using the bathroom because it's easy, why not. I wear the ones with knot buttons so they are easy to remove. If I worked in say a tee shirt, that stays on, the pants too. When you start getting into the realm of undressing, the effort outweighs the risk. Remember also, that even though these things should never come in contact with food( or food contact surface), that they will somehow, because of their close proximity to it. So we should take upon ourselves to keep these as clean as possible.


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

No aprons in the bathroom, ever.


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## twyst (Jan 22, 2012)

flipflopgirl said:


> Absolutely no _*chef coats*_ in the restroom.


Really? That seems a bit extreme ><


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## cookers (Jun 11, 2011)

Do you guys change your shoes as well? I mean you're stepping in piss all over the floor and walking back into the kitchen.


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## sparkie (Feb 12, 2011)

That's why we don't use food off of the floor! I agree that not allowing coats is a bit strong. I do wear mine into the restroom, but there is a hook to hang it on away from the toilet. This is also where people who chose to will change before and after work. I don't have a policy concerning the jackets, but aprons, they are not to be worn in the bathroom or in areas where you may be seen by a guest( exception: change to new apron).

Gotta ask Cookers, is your problem with the jackets comment, or the apron comments and why?


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## squirrelrj (Feb 18, 2011)

No aprons or side towels the bathrooms, period.

However, I see no problem with a chef coat in the restroom.


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## cookers (Jun 11, 2011)

Sparkie said:


> That's why we don't use food off of the floor! I agree that not allowing coats is a bit strong. I do wear mine into the restroom, but there is a hook to hang it on away from the toilet. This is also where people who chose to will change before and after work. I don't have a policy concerning the jackets, but aprons, they are not to be worn in the bathroom or in areas where you may be seen by a guest( exception: change to new apron).
> Gotta ask Cookers, is your problem with the jackets comment, or the apron comments and why?


I see no problem with a coat in the bathroom, however I agree about the apron. I'm just lashing out at the germaphobes who feel by doing this, they are stopping 100% of the germs from coming in the kitchen.


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## 808jono202 (Sep 3, 2012)

Cookers said:


> Do you guys change your shoes as well? I mean you're stepping in piss all over the floor and walking back into the kitchen.


Not cooking with your feet, or getting your feet near food prep surfaces, I hope. . .I dunno, maybe you work for Cirque de soliel

It's just bad, looks bad, and if I were a customer and saw it, it would certainly make my "icky sense" tingle(unless I didn't use my cream that day). But really, it's so easy to take off an apron and leave it in the break room(lol, like there are breaks), and just put it back on, or, if linen costs allow: Put a new one on when returning to service.

As for Chef Coats: That seems a bit ridiculous. I have seen the t-shirts some of my guys wear, and I am GLAD that they have a jacket on to cover it when they are on the floor(on the rare occasion that they are). Besides, A clean apron over a clean chef coat/mildly soiled Chef coat, should be more than enough "buffer" zone between the splash back sprinkles, and food prep areas. . .and lets just hope to <insert Deity>they have at LEAST washed their damned hands.

Just my humble $.02


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## sparkie (Feb 12, 2011)

Cool man, I understand that. Can't say that I've never felt the same.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

NO APRONS OR TOWELs   I AGREE  

      The more you can do to keep contaminents out of processing area the better. (some processing plants use shoe covers --poultry places) A lot of guys (I   have seen it) will dry their hands on the aprons instead of walking over for  a paper towl dispenser  or use hand- blo dry.  When you walk into kitchen you breathe, thats bad enough. All you young guys will ,its only a matter of time till all states require face mask in kitchen and I agree .Glove wearing became manditory and  came after about 500 years.  Buy stock in a company that manufactures surgical type mask.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

No one should be walking into a bathroom with an apron on.....this is just common sense.

Petals.

My other pet peeve ( this is off topic ) waiters and waitresses handling *food* and then *money*......they should be called out on the spot for it.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

I wear t shirts under my jacket so no big deal to take it off.

My reasoning behind this habit is that it hangs a bit long on me.

I can see where a taller person would not have a problem with it (the bottom part of coat) touching or brushing against anything "contaminated" (mainly the hand washing sink... full of nasties).

My FT job was as a labor and delivery nurse and whole mind set is for sterile areas....

Maybe a bit strict, but cannot get past the thought of bacteria transferring to someones pumpkin pie (they then take it home, everyone gets ill and blame it on Aunt Martha's famous cornbread stuffing, and she gets sued instead of me, lol).


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

When nature calls, apron and side towel come off. Chef coat goes with me as in my area its usualy warm enough, I dont wear a shirt beneath, and A/Cis borderline. When finished, I wash in the restroom, then wash in the hand basin in the kitchen--I trust the soap in there more. I wear my apron wasit high, round the coat so Im not too worried about RR contams.


> My other pet peeve ( this is off topic ) waiters and waitresses handling *food* and then *money*......they should be called out on the spot for it.


Yes money is microbiologically filthy. But I see servers handling money ALL the time, even

holding it in their mouth (yyyyuck) and they think nothing of it. Even in the big corp restaurants.

So I doubt we're gonna win that one.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Flip Flop .

Any time I had surgery I took home and contracted an  infection from the Hospital.  Where else on earth can one have such a meeting of all possible germs , bacteria  and virusis in one place under 1 roof?


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## greg (Dec 8, 1999)

Having just deleted 4 posts for inappropriate language, I would like to remind everyone that Cheftalk that kind of thing. I'm sure everyone's vocabulary is a little better than this. Should an intelligent discussion prove to be impossible for everyone, this thread will be locked. Consider this a blanket warning for those involved, infractions will be issued on any subsequent inappropriate posts.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

They Gotcha' ed. Someone didn't sterilize the instruments properly.

When I started out as a young Nancy Nurse those hats (flying nun, shudder)  were just coming off.

Hand washing was mandatory and we were starting to hear rumors about a mysterious new virus that trashed the immune system.

URGED to start wearing gloves in body fluid heavy areas.

The oldtimers were still laboring patients without and just using for delivery (to "protect the patient" ).

Bam...AIDS, HIV, HEPc (actually all the heps) and now mandatory to wear gloves

The year was 1986 and within 2 years I was double gloving in the OR.

Sorry guys, OT.


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## squirrelrj (Feb 18, 2011)

flipflopgirl said:


> They Gotcha' ed. Someone didn't sterilize the instruments properly.
> 
> When I started out as a young Nancy Nurse those hats (flying nun, shudder) were just coming off.
> 
> ...


Speaking of OT, how many chefs/cooks wear gloves in the kitchen? for the first 18 or so months I was cooking I wore them, but I feel it gets in the way, doesn't allow you to manipulate food as much, all the guys at my restaurant besides chef wear gloves, but I just can't go back to it.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Gloves sometime  produce bad habits.. I used to wash my hands at least 15- 20 times daily after and between every task. These gloves give a false sence of security as now whn I wear them I do not wash my hands and by habit and not thinking tend to do more then 1 project with them. I try always to wear them with a cooked product, but other times purposly take them off and just wash hands and use sani-gel. I feel it is more sanitary.

I have many time seen the box the gloves come in filled with crumbs or other junk because they are kepty in wrong place. If I pick up the box with my hand then put gloves on then put back the same box with gloved hand what good am I doing?? Box transfers back to gloved hand.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

You are so right, ed.

Housekeeping is the worst.

One gloving in the morning, take off for breaks and reglove after.

Clean a room and then come use the 'phone with same gloves on.

Maybe we shouldn't talk about gloving in the kitchen.

IMHO think it is ridiculous.

Altho I do glove when kneading or working with pastry, just makes for a faster clean up.

(Yes, the girl that takes her coat off before going into the restroom has issues...)


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## kathy ann hay (Jan 12, 2013)

I can't agree more but does anyone know it there is a law that applies to that in Utah?


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

Pertaining to the original topic? Or, the last few posts talking about gloves?


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## patrick spriggs (Dec 12, 2012)

go before service, no chefs in the bathrooms unless absolutely necessary.


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