Q & A - Sanitizing milk steaming wands?

Anonymous: I am hearing different things about the requirement to use a sanitation cloth when wiping off the steaming milk wand between uses on our espresso machine. We have always used just a wet cloth. Can you let me know the rule on this?

According to the Oregon Health Authority, a steaming milk wand is a food contact surface and you are required to use a sanitation cloth to wipe it down. A wet cloth, that sits on a plate at room temperature, with milk residue on it, is not acceptable. Your cloth needs to show acceptable concentrations of sanitizer and when not in use, the cloth needs to remain in the solution.