The success of your restaurant is not only determined by your culinary skills or exceptional customer service. The cleanliness of your restaurant is a vital part of the success equation. You will have a good reputation and a sustainable customer base with a clean restaurant.
In addition, a clean restaurant guarantees your employees' and customers' health and safety. This article offers some of the most practical tips to maintain cleanliness in your restaurant. Read on to learn more!
Create a Cleaning Schedule
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One of the ways that you can ensure that your restaurant is always clean is by creating a cleaning schedule. With a well-structured cleaning schedule, you can be assured that your restaurant will remain sanitary and spotless.
Regular cleaning prevents the spread of foodborne diseases and creates a positive curb appeal for your clients. A cleaning schedule also ensures that your restaurant complies with all the United States health regulations.
The cleaning program should indicate what should be cleaned, who is responsible, and how often the cleaning should be done. You can divide the schedule into daily or weekly tasks to ensure that all the facilities, from the restroom to the kitchen, are clean. Another important thing is to ensure that you follow the cleaning schedule more strictly.
Train Your Staff
Regular staff training on cleanliness is crucial to keeping your restaurant clean. The training sessions should encompass the proper techniques for sanitizing and cleaning different parts of your restaurant, maintaining personal hygiene, disposing of waste properly, and maintaining food safety. To get the best results from your training, make sure to use visual aids such as videos or posters to allow your staff to understand the cleaning practices more effectively.
Develop a cleaning checklist for the tasks to be completed daily, weekly, and monthly, and conduct regular inspections to ensure the rules are followed. Note that well-trained employees can help maintain your restaurant's safe and dirt-free environment, leading to booming business.
Use the Correct Cleaning Equipment and Supplies
Using the right cleaning equipment and supplies improves your restaurant's cleaning process. Different cleaning products are designed for different jobs. Some are effective in degreasing, while others are for sanitizing surfaces. Similarly, the cleaning efficiency is improved with the right tools, such as microfiber cloths, scrubbing brushes, brooms, and mops.
It is also advisable to invest in automated equipment for large-scale cleaning tasks. For instance, you can use a robotic vacuum cleaner to polish the floors or use disinfectant foggers to disinfect large areas. Choose cleaning equipment and supplies designed specifically for a restaurant.
Proper Waste Management
Efficient waste management is also critical in maintaining a clean restaurant. It helps you to create a more sanitized environment and prevent pest infestations in your restaurant.
To start, you should segregate the materials into biodegradable and non-biodegradable. Install the correct waste disposal units in easy-to-reach sections, and make sure you empty and clean them regularly. It would help to use recycling and composting programs in your waste management.
In addition, educate all your employees about proper waste management. The more they become aware of correct waste management, the more they will take the right actions to minimize, reuse, and recycle the waste to improve your restaurant's hygiene and sanitation.
Stop Dirt at the Entrance
The floor is the first thing your customers see when they walk into your restaurant, and it is what they use to judge the cleanliness of your food facility. Most of the dirt enters from the outside, so you can maintain cleanliness by having a proper floor mat at the door to capture dirt and keep the floors clean.
It is also advisable to regularly deep clean the grout lines and floor surfaces to remove soil buildup and make them easy to clean. You should also have a hand sanitizer at the entrance for all people to wash their hands before accessing your restaurant.
Keep the Kitchen Clean
Most of the dirt in your restaurant comes from the kitchen. Besides, most food poisoning cases are associated with poor hand washing or cross-contamination in your kitchen. You can keep the restaurant clean and prevent such problems by investing in hand washing supplies and cleaning or sanitizing surfaces and equipment between tasks.
Properly diluted disinfectants and sanitizers help keep the food preparation areas safe and foodborne bacteria-free. Sanitize food preparation equipment and surfaces, including cutting boards, countertops, and food preparation stations.
Use the correct disinfectants and sanitizers to eliminate any cross-contamination risks or bacteria. Develop a restaurant cleaning schedule for deep cleaning large equipment such as fryers, ovens, grills, and range hoods. This helps remove buildup grease and maintain the equipment's efficiency.
Kitchen drains can also accommodate harmful bacteria. To stop the risks of bacteria growth, you should maintain your drains regularly to keep them free of odors and debris. A regular maintenance program also prevents buildup that can lead to drain backups and offers conducive breeding grounds for pests.
Spot Clean the Eating Area
While keeping your kitchen surfaces clean is crucial, you should also clean and sanitize dining area surfaces. Assign specific tools for each cleaning job. For instance, use cleaning tools such as microfiber towels to eliminate bacteria and enhance your dining area's appearance.
Assign one of your staff members to be responsible for keeping all surfaces in the eating area clean and sanitized. Besides the table tops, ensure that salt, menus, and pepper shakers are wiped clean regularly.
Scrubbing Drains and Sinks
Your restaurant's drains and sinks can accumulate grime quickly, creating a conducive ground for the manifestation of bacteria. Make sure you are regularly cleaning and sanitizing your faucets, sinks, and drains to prevent odor and create a hygienic environment. Use enzymatic solutions and drain cleaners to ensure your drains are free of blockages.
Train your employees to clean utensils, dishes, and other items immediately after use and place them in designated places. This helps in minimizing clutter and maintaining a tidy restaurant.
Deep Clean Refrigeration Units and Storage Areas
Walk-in refrigerators, storage areas, and freezers are vital in maintaining food quality and safety. It would help if you created a schedule to clean them frequently. Remove all the spoiled or expired items, sanitize surfaces, and wipe down the shelves. Have proper organization to prevent cross-contamination of disease-causing pathogens.
Maintain Staff Restroom and Break Areas
Your staff restrooms and break areas are crucial parts of your restaurant. The areas require regular maintenance and cleaning by disinfecting sinks, toilets, and surfaces. Ensure the break areas are clean to create a comfortable space for your staff to relax.
Cleaning Mirrors and Windows
Clean mirrors and windows significantly affect your restaurant's overall appearance. So, ensure that you wipe down using a streak-free glass cleaner to give them a crystal clear view.
You should schedule regular mirror and window cleaning to maintain clarity and cleanliness. Don't overlook your entrance windows and doors because they determine your restaurant's first impression.
Work With a Professional Cleaning Service
To ensure a high standard of cleanliness, you should work with a vast, experienced restaurant cleaning service. The professionals have the right skills to disinfect, polish, and sanitize all the nooks and crannies to create a hygienic and fresh environment for your staff and customers.
They also apply the proper techniques to clean even the most hard-to-clean or reach areas. Having a cleaning expert on your side also saves you time that you would otherwise spend cleaning the restaurant. This helps you and your staff to focus more on other essential aspects of your restaurant.
Let your Restaurant Shine
A clean restaurant appeals to customers, leading to a thriving food business. Instead of struggling to clean your restaurant, leave the job to the best professional commercial cleaner in your area to ensure that your restaurants are clean and maintained.
