What Should Be Included In A Restaurant Cleaning Checklist?

One of the most important aspects of operating a restaurant is cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation. Since restaurants deal with food preparation and serving on a daily basis, it is imperative that the management and staff are aware of how they should maintain a clean and hygienic environment, in order to prevent contamination and cross contamination of food, which could result in very serious legal ramifications including the closure of the restaurant.

Most restaurants, as a policy, issue uniforms to their staff, which prevents the cross contamination of food. If staff are allowed to wear their normal day to day clothing while preparing and serving food, it could get contaminated with bacteria, dust, fur and dirt from the outside world, which is why kitchen staff and servers are issued with uniforms, and such items as hats and chef aprons. Even front of house staff are given server aprons, and at times even bib aprons which cover their entire body, to ensure that the food served in the restaurant is clean and hygienic, making sure that customers won’t fall ill after consuming it.

There are areas in a restaurant which should be cleaned on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, with deep cleaning done by a professional cleaning company at least once every six months. This applies to both the front and back of house, and it is best to give such responsibilities to specific staff members so that there is someone accountable for it at all times. However, keeping the work area clean and sanitized should be the responsibility of all staff working at the restaurant, since closure of the business will mean that they will be out of a job.

One of the best ways to make sure that everything is being cleaned properly, without any areas being missed out, is to have a cleaning checklist. Creating a cleaning checklist makes it easier for the staff to do a better job, as well as for management to monitor the work, and there are no excuses which people can give for not keeping things clean according to procedure. So, what are the things that should be included in a restaurant cleaning checklist?

For starters, checklists should be made for daily, weekly and monthly cleaning, and staff assigned to both supervise and carry out the work.

For the front of house, the cleaning checklist should include the following.

• Daily Cleaning:
  • Wipe clean the walls.
  • Clean and sanitize tables.
  • Wipe down and refill (if required) the condiments and salt and pepper shakers.
  • Wipe down all counters.
  • Clean seats and benches.
  • Run cloth napkins, tablecloths, bib aprons and wait staff aprons through the washing machine or put them to be laundered.
  • Vacuuming carpets.
  • Take out trash and sent the relevant items for recycling.
  • Clean the interior and exterior of all the trash and recycling bins.
  • Sweep and mop the floors.
  • Clean and sanitize restroom surfaces.
  • Disinfect toilets and ensure air freshener is placed.
  • Wipe down bathroom sinks.
  • Empty out feminine hygiene product bags.
  • Take out the bathroom trash.
  • Sweep and mop the restroom floors.
  • Refill soaps and sanitizers and paper rolls.
• Weekly Cleaning:
  • Dust and wipe down light fixtures and other fittings.
  • Wash glass windows and doors.
  • Disinfect door handles.
• Monthly Cleaning:
  • Dust or vacuum any decorations or wall art.
  • Dust or vacuum curtaining or other window treatments.
  • Check ceiling for cobwebs.
  • Wash and clean walls thoroughly.

For the back of house, the cleaning checklist should include:

• Daily Cleaning:
  • Wipe down splashes on walls.
  • Clean equipment making sure to clean the underneath of each: grill, griddle, range, flattop, fryer.
  • Change foil lining on griddle, range and flattop.
  • Wipe down smaller equipment: coffee makers, microwaves, toasters, meat slicers.
  • Disinfect prep area surfaces using surface sanitizing chemicals
  • Clean dispenser heads in soda fountains, and the tips of the soda guns.
  • Sweep walk-in refrigerators and storage areas.
  • Wash the utensils, small wares, flatware, and glassware and let them air dry overnight.
  • Wash rags, towels, chef aprons, and uniforms, or put them to be laundered.
  • Refill soap dispensers and replace paper towel rolls.
  • Clean and sanitize sinks.
  • Take out the trash and send relevant items for recycling.
  • Disinfect the waste disposal area and clean the trash cans.
  • Sweep and mop the floors with floor care supplies and disinfectant.
• Weekly Cleaning:
  • Clean ovens, including walls, doors, and racks.
  • Wash and sanitize refrigerators and freezers.
  • Sinks and faucets should be delimed.
  • Boil out the deep fryer.
  • Clean any anti-fatigue mats.
  • Use drain cleaner on the floor drains.
• Monthly Cleaning:
  • Wash behind the hot line to prevent clogging.
  • Remove built-up grime from coffee and espresso machines by running cleaning and sanitizing chemicals through them.
  • Clean and sanitize the ice machine.
  • Clean and sanitize freezer.
  • Clean refrigerator coils to remove dust.
  • Empty grease traps.
  • Washing and cleaning walls and ceiling to remove grease buildup.
  • Washing and cleaning vent hoods.
  • Replace pest traps.

By following a comprehensive checklist on what should be cleaned at the restaurant, can ensure that you always have a clean and hygienic environment conducive to food preparation and serving. It is also important that the food in the restaurant is stored in a proper manner, to prevent cross contamination, with properly labeled containers. Freezers and coolers should be checked daily to ensure that the different types of food are being stored in the right manner.