When you run a commercial restaurant, maintaining a clean and sanitary environment in the kitchen, dining areas, and all other areas of the building is one of the most important parts of the job. There are a number of professional cleaning services. These professionals are more often used for occasional deep cleans and specialty services like hood and ventilation cleaning, post construction cleaning, and pressure washing. Though some can also be hired for smaller scale daily cleaning, this may be excessive for tight restaurant budgets and can easily be done in-house.
Between professional cleanings, it is still important to maintain a high standard of cleanliness to ensure the health and safety of both your staff and customers. All the stages of storing, preparing, cooking, serving, and cleaning up meals, including the presence of food itself, present opportunities for messes, unpleasant odors, and build up of grease and grime. If you do not address cleaning on a regular basis, the result can even lead to hazards including damaged equipment, fires, or foodborne illnesses.
The best way to ensure that your restaurant is up to health and safety standard levels of cleanliness is to have a clear routine and procedures for what needs to be cleaned when and who is responsible for completing each part. It may be helpful to have a chart accessible with all of the tasks laid out and a space for employees to sign and date the completion of each to keep track.
Each restaurant will have slightly varying needs, but here are some suggestions for common restaurant cleaning responsibilities.
Daily Tasks
- Clean up spills and messes immediately
- Tables and counters should be cleaned and sanitized between customers and again at the end of the day
- Clean and disinfect all surfaces used for food preparation and related tasks including counters, cutting boards, sinks, dispensers, grills, stove tops
- Clean all utensils, glassware, flatware, and wash fabric items like towels and napkins
- Do a basic clean of all external equipment
- Sweep, mop, and vacuum floors as needed
- Empty and clean trash and recycling
Weekly Tasks
- Wipe down grease buildup from doors and walls, especially in the kitchen and near cooking areas
- Do a basic clean of covered kitchen equipment like refrigerators, freezers, and ovens
- Run a cleaning cycle in your dishwasher
- Check and clean equipment like ice machines, deep fryers, and coffee makers
Monthly Tasks
- Do a deep clean for kitchen equipment, emptying out everything to fully sanitize the inside, as well as wiping down the back and underneath
- Use cleaning solutions to scrub and disinfect walls, doors, and floors
- Degrease drains and pipes and remove grease buildup from grease traps and any other areas which need it, especially near cooking areas
For help with the big tasks and support on the small ones, contact Fresh Start Cleaning Services for all your restaurant cleaning needs.