Restaurant Cleaning Tips

Busy Bee: Restaurant Cleaning Tips

Running a business is a difficult job. Often, owners must be proficient in a variety of areas—some of which may be well outside their normal realm of experience. Restaurant owners are often especially stretched, as they must not only be skilled in culinary arts and organizational management, but may also need to work as an accountant, lawyer, marketer, and host. With all of these responsibilities, it should be of no surprise that the duty of restaurant cleaning often gets pushed to the side. Unfortunately, without regular restaurant cleaning, dirt, grime, and bacteria can build up in a matter of days, which can lead to possible foodborne illness. To prevent these contaminants, restaurant owners should maintain organization, sanitize all work surfaces, prevent vermin entrance, and stay detail-oriented. Owners who are concerned about the restaurant cleaning skills of themselves or their staff may want to consider hiring a restaurant cleaning service. Depending on the area in which the business is located, prices for hiring a restaurant cleaning service may range quite substantially in price.

Maintain Organization

Maintaining an organization is perhaps one of the most important steps when it comes to cleaning a restaurant. Ideally, restaurant owners should create a restaurant cleaning schedule that highlights the tasks that need to be performed. In addition, a restaurant cleaning schedule should indicate how often the tasks need to be performed, and by whom. For best results, cleaning tasks should be evenly divided amongst all members of the staff. In addition, each area or item that needs to be cleaned should be done so by the employee who uses it the most.

Sanitize All Work Surfaces

Sanitizing all work surfaces is another important part of the restaurant cleaning process. Surfaces on which food is cleaned, chopped, or otherwise prepared should be sanitized when moving from one food group to another—such as from raw meat to vegetables. In addition, restaurant stoves, fryers, grill pans, and ovens should also be cleaned on a regular basis, as well as all restaurant floors. As described above, a restaurant cleaning schedule can provide detailed information on when and how often these tasks must be performed.

Prevent Vermin Entrance

Rats, mice, cockroaches, and a variety of other types of vermin are often drawn to restaurants because of the abundance of readily-obtainable food. Unfortunately, upon entering a food source, these creatures—along with their droppings—can lead to severe illness or even death. It is essential, therefore, that restaurant owners take a number of precautions to limit vermin entrance as much as possible. Keeping outdoor spaces neat and tidy, storing food appropriately, and recognizing signs of possible infestation as early as possible are all important steps in keeping vermin in check. Owners who have a significant problem may need to hire an exterminator. While an exterminator may be hired on an “as-needed” basis, many restaurant owners choose to employ their services on a monthly or quarterly basis to prevent problems before they occur.

Stay Detail-Oriented

Cleaning is often one of the most unfavorable parts of working in a restaurant. It is of no surprise, therefore, that when it comes time to clean, many employees perform only the bare minimum requirements. To prevent illness and ensure the success of the restaurant, however, detailed cleaning that includes sweeping and mopping under cookers, trash cans, and other similar objects is essential. Other small, dark, tight places that are not highly-trafficked can also be a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites. While cleaning these spaces may be difficult and time-consuming, it is essential to ensuring optimal results and maintaining kitchen cleanliness.

Hire a Restaurant Cleaning Service

Finally, owners who attempt all of the suggestions listed above and still have concerns about restaurant sanitation may want to hire restaurant cleaning services. As fees for restaurant cleaning services can vary drastically, some business owners may want to consider hiring them on a once or twice a month basis, and relying on employees to perform more of the day-to-day cleaning. At the initial visit of restaurant cleaning services, restaurant owners should discuss duties and expectations thoroughly with all members of the cleaning staff. Remember that open communication is essential to obtaining optimal results in a situation such as this. In some cases, restaurant owners may want to create a contract that highlights conversation topics to avoid possible complications in the future. A lawyer or accountant should be present when this contract is reviewed and signed to ensure its legality.