The Impressive Way Costco Cleans Its Meat Department Kitchen

There are many reasons to buy meat at your nearest Costco.  From the must-have leg of lamb to the meats you should buy at Costco and those you should avoid, we have plenty of tips to help you make the right choice at the wholesale retailer. And if that wasn't enough to convince you to shop at the store, this TikTok video by user amybalsam0 shows the care Costco puts into cleaning its meat department kitchens. Not to mention, the clip instantly transported me back to my professional restaurant days. 

Each night after service, the entire team of cooks and porters would deep clean the kitchen and prep areas from floor to ceiling, scrubbing down cabinet walls and throwing water on the floor after vigorously sweeping and then mopping (I can still feel my waterlogged work clogs squishing with every step). While I didn't enjoy doing that dirty work myself, it was an essential part of the job and one that could not be skipped or overlooked, as keeping a pristine and sanitary kitchen is a huge component of a successful restaurant. The level of cleanliness of the work area reflects a store or restaurant's overall dedication to high standards, so I was indeed thrilled to see that Costco puts that same effort, if not more, into keeping its meat department kitchen sparkling clean and thoroughly sanitized. 

In the video, a Costco employee can be seen spraying water toward a drain in the middle of the floor, beginning to rinse off a room that's almost entirely covered in a foam cleaner. A Reddit user who works in the deli commented that this process is followed by a high-pressure rinse with a sanitizer, ensuring that every surface is perfectly clean and disinfected. Other users remarked that Costco simplifies things for its employees as the rooms are designed for easy cleaning, with specific surfaces meant for deep cleaning like concrete floors and stainless steel worktables.

Other users commenting on the TikTok agreed. User Bobbi Murphy wrote, "I used to work at Costco and they are really strict about their cleaning and everything is always inspected. It's impressive actually." Another user divulged, "My husband is a contractor for Costco and he said it's one of the cleanest facilities he's ever worked in." A current Costco employee commented, "[T]heir standards are very high and if we don't clean something properly we [have to re-do] it the next day in the morning." 

With all this in mind, you can shop at the Costco meat department, or from any department for that matter, with the knowledge that the facilities are held to impeccable standards of cleanliness. Shop with confidence in the meat department next time you're looking for Costco's absolute best deals.