Keeping your restaurant clean should be at the top of your priority list – for both customer and employee safety. Whether you’re starting a new establishment or simply looking for ways to improve existing ones, creating a restaurant cleaning checklist is a key part of making sure that food is served in a safe, sanitary environment.
In this blog post, we’ll show you how to create one that works best for you!
Contents
Identify High-traffic Areas and Frequently Touched Surfaces
High-traffic areas and frequently touched surfaces in a restaurant are the most important targets when it comes to proper cleaning and sanitizing. This includes tables, chairs, door handles, tables, flooring, and restrooms. These surfaces come into contact with food products or hands multiple times throughout the day and need to be cleaned with alcohol- or chlorine-based sanitizing solutions regularly.
Depending on your restaurant type and specifications, you may also need to look into deep cleaning carpets or hardwood floors using specific tools or machines. Additionally, don’t forget about cleaning less frequently used surfaces like ceiling fans, air vents, or walls.
Create a Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Cleaning Schedule
When creating a cleaning checklist for your restaurant, it is important to identify the different types of tasks that require cleaning on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. A task’s frequency should depend on its urgency, necessity, and importance.
- Daily: Daily maintenance should include basic hygiene tasks such as cleaning bathrooms, wiping down surfaces and tables, sweeping and mopping floors, and disposing of garbage in garbage cans or dumpsters outside. It is important to clean any spills or messes as soon as they occur to prevent cross-contamination.
- Weekly: Weekly cleaning should include more intensive cleaning tasks that are necessary but rarely need immediate attention. Examples of these tasks are dusting ceiling fans or hard-to-reach places such as high shelves in the kitchen or dining area, wiping down chairs and tables; disposing of grease traps; changing air filters; washing curtains or tablecloths; scrubbing grease from walls and floors; thoroughly cleaning glass surfaces.
- Monthly: Monthly tasks should focus on deep cleans that involve giving special attention to specific areas including but not limited to appliances (refrigerator, dishwashers), exhaust hoods in the cooking areas (both above stoves & fryers), air ducts (especially near kitchen exhaust fan) tiles inside the kitchen where food preparation takes place. Monthly cleans should be done with heavy-duty cleaners meant for industrial kitchens. And preferably it should be done by professional cleaners to achieve a top-notch quality of cleanliness.
Assign Tasks and Responsibilities to Staff Members
A successful restaurant cleaning checklist can help keep your staff organized and on task. It is important to clearly define tasks and responsibilities to ensure that all of the daily, weekly, and monthly tasks required for the restaurant are done correctly and at the appropriate times.
You should start by assigning tasks to each staff member based on their skill set, capabilities, and expertise. It may be helpful to create a chart that lists every staff member by name or job title as well as their assigned duties. Doing so allows you to quickly and easily see who is responsible for what tasks.
Some examples of tasks that may be assigned to staff members include:
- Cleaning various surfaces throughout the restaurant;
- Disinfecting restrooms;
- Mopping floors;
- Emptying the trash;
- Washing dishes;
- Vacuuming rugs;
- Polishing furniture;
- Washing windows;
- Sanitizing glasses, flatware, cutlery, and dishes before use;
- Stocking supplies such as napkins and straws in each workstation or restroom;
- Cleaning windows, refrigerator doors, microwaves, and other appliances weekly or monthly to maintain cleanliness and upkeep.
Regularly Review and Update the Checklist
It is important to keep your checklist up to date so that you stay compliant with local health and safety regulations. Regularly review and update the checklist as needed based on changes in the restaurant, such as menu items, staffing levels, and other factors. Additionally, take necessary steps to periodically update the materials used for cleaning processes, such as cleaning solutions, protective gear, and mops.
To ensure that employees are using the most current version of the checklist, make sure that their written instructions are accurate. Furthermore, establish a system for reviewing each task daily or weekly by rewarding employees who complete their tasks accurately and properly.
Schedule an annual review of your checklist according to new regulations or best practices recommended by industry experts or sanitary health departments.
Implement a System for Monitoring and Documenting Cleaning Tasks
Creating and implementing a system for monitoring and documenting cleaning tasks for your restaurant is the best way to ensure your restaurant remains hygienic and safe for customers. Proper documentation of all tasks helps to ensure that the food service environment is always kept clean, compliant with regulations, and up to a high standard of quality.
A typical restaurant cleaning checklist should include a general area-specific list of tasks including:
- Kitchen Floors
- Sweep floor regularly
- Mop floor regularly
- Clean all spills immediately
- Check mats in front of sinks & dishwashers
- Kitchen Walls & Ceilings
- Wipe down walls and ceilings with sanitizing solution regularly
- Remove grease or dirt buildup as necessary
- Keep window sills sanitized
- Kitchen Equipment
- Clean all surfaces with sanitizing solution regularly
- Clean all surfaces before use (i.e., cutting boards)
- Unplugging equipment when not in use
- Cleaning under refrigeration units & ovens annually
- Checking kitchenware for signs of damage or expiration dates (i.e., knives)
Train Staff on Proper Cleaning Techniques and Use of Equipment
Thorough training of all staff members on the proper techniques and use of proper equipment for cleaning and sanitation is essential to ensuring a safe, healthy, and clean restaurant environment. Make sure your staff is aware of the latest processes and techniques for food preparation and cleaning. Educate them about the importance of following a detailed cleaning procedure for all tasks, including before and after serving customers.
For daily cleaning activities, provide your staff with a restaurant cleaning checklist that outlines all tasks necessary to maintain health standards as well as the equipment they’ll need to complete them such as mops, buckets, detergents, scrubbers, etc.
Instructions should be given on how to properly use each item so they can safely complete their work following regulations. Additionally, provide safety instructions on appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as gloves and uniforms that should be worn when handling chemicals or sanitizing areas.
Conclusion
Creating an effective restaurant cleaning checklist is key to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for your customers, staff, and family. By keeping on top of these regular tasks, you can ensure that your facility stays up to standard, eliminating potential health issues and making sure that everyone is well taken care of.
To ensure efficiency in this process and eliminate any possible risk of neglecting anything when developing your checklist, create a timeline outlining a task’s frequency as well as delegating specific responsibilities to staff members. It is also highly recommended that you consider teaming up with a professional cleaning company to help you keep up with regular maintenance needs – they’re experts who know exactly how to get the job done quickly and efficiently so your restaurant will continue running smoothly each day!