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Restaurant Cleaning Checklist

Laura Canela • Jun 24, 2020

 

Your restaurant is your passion and your livelihood. Your staff relies on your business to provide them with income and career experience. Most importantly, your customers are tired of being cooped up, and they’ve been missing their regular visits to your restaurant. With restrictions being lifted, you’re eager to get back to work. The pandemic has forced restaurant owners to take extra precautions for cleaning to ensure a safe dining experience for their patrons. Before opening your doors, it helps to use a restaurant cleaning checklist. 

 

a man and a woman are standing in a kitchen looking up at the ceiling .

 

The cleanliness of your restaurant is just as important as your delicious food and great service. This study by a Proctor and Gamble professional reports that 9 of 10 Americans would return to a restaurant that was clean. 

 

The success of your reopening depends on your restaurant being clean as a whistle. Make your first call to DLL Cleaning Services and leave your cleaning to the commercial cleaning experts. 

What Is a Restaurant Cleaning Checklist?

By having a deep cleaning restaurant checklist of what cleaning tasks need to be performed, you can rest assured that all areas of your restaurant are clean and safe, and your staff is complying with the necessary food safety procedures. 

Risks will negatively impact your fine reputation and the health department could shut your operation down completely. 

Front of the House Restaurant Cleaning Checklist

The front of the house gives your patrons their first glimpse of what’s to come, and you want it to be impressive. Follow this checklist to ensure a welcoming entrance:

  • Clean and inspect the outside of your restaurant 
  • Clean ashtrays 
  • Pick up stray trash outside
  • Empty trash cans
  • Clean exterior windows
  • Sanitize railings
  • Disinfect entrance doors, frames, and handles
  • Dust all wall décor and decorative ledges
  • Clean light fixtures
  • Clean tables and seating 
  • Vacuum rugs and upholstery and clean legs
  • Polish leather furniture and wood tables
  • Dust and degrease window blinds, windowsills, and shutters
  • Clean ceiling air vents and ceiling tiles

Back of the House Restaurant Cleaning Checklist

Thoroughly clean the back of the house to prevent the spread of bacteria and foodborne illness. 

  • Clean all large appliances—ovens, grills, fryers, stoves, refrigerators, freezers
  • Clean small appliances—blenders, toasters, meat slicers, coffee machines
  • Sanitize cutting boards and food prep surfaces
  • Clean grease traps, dispose of grease
  • Clean hood filters
  • Empty trash
  • Launder rags, aprons, chef coats
  • Sanitize sinks, faucets, and soda guns
  • Clean and sanitize ice bins
  • Wash walls and ceilings
  • Flush floor drains with drain cleaners
  • Cover all food for refrigerator in air-tight containers 

Bar Cleaning Checklist

The bar area is another area where spills get sticky and become a magnet for bacteria. Use this bar cleaning checklist to keep it sanitary:

  • Wipe down all counters, shelves, and surfaces
  • Sanitize sinks and drains
  • Clean on and around bar mats
  • Sweep and mop the floor 
  • Empty trash and replace bags
  • Clean and flush floor drains

Floor Cleaning Checklist

Dirty, sticky floors are a real turn-off for your customers. Check off these items for squeaky clean floors:

  • Clean and mop floors 
  • Wash floor mats
  • Wash baseboards and kickplates
  • Spot clean the carpets
  • Remove gum and sticky items
  • Vacuum rugs and carpets

Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

 

The following kitchen restaurant cleaning checklist will keep your kitchen sparkling:

 

  • Clean all large and small cooking equipment with a degreaser 
  • Clean and sanitize all prep tables
  • Sweep and mop floors
  • Break down and clean burners, ovens, salamanders, vent hoods
  • Empty grease traps
  • Disinfect floor drains
  • Remove and clean floor mats

Cafeteria Cleaning Checklist

Clean your cafeteria according to this checklist:

  • Clean ovens, grills, stoves, steam tables and all cooking equipment with a degreaser
  • Clean shelving, counters, and prep tables
  • Clean and disinfect floor drains
  • Sweep and mop floors
  • Clean vent hoods 
  • Clean inside and outside of sinks and large appliances
  • Clean floor mats

Pastry or Bakery Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Check off the items on this bakery restaurant checklist to welcome back your customers and satisfy their sweet tooth:

  • Clean inside and outside of ovens
  • Clean all baking racks and trays
  • Clean all display cabinets inside and out
  • Clean vent hoods inside and out
  • Clean and sparkle register area
  • Empty grease traps and disinfect floor drains
  • Clean floors and floor mats
  • Clean inside and outside of refrigerators, freezers and other appliances
  • Inspect bakery supplies for evidence of kitchen pests
  • Clean all chairs and tables

COVID-19 is causing us to focus more heavily on the necessity of deep cleaning to prevent the spread of illness. You can be sure that your establishment is following the proper cleanliness guidelines when you call DLL Cleaning Services for a quote to clean your restaurant safely and properly before reopening. 

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