The Ultimate Restaurant Cleaning Checklist [Free & Easy]

More than 90% of Americans consider the cleanliness of a business to be an important factor when deciding whether they’ll come back. Keeping your restaurant clean is a crucial aspect of running a food service business. That’s why we’ve prepared a comprehensive restaurant cleaning checklist for you!

The Importance of Cleanliness in Restaurants

Uncleanliness is one of the most common restaurant complaints and as such, bears great importance for the success and longevity of your restaurant.

Customers won’t return to a restaurant that’s not clean, never mind recommend it to their friends and family. They will most likely also leave you a bad review online, ensuring potential customers will also stay away.

To avoid all of that, you need well-established restaurant cleaning procedures. But before we get into that, let’s see why cleanliness is important in a restaurant.

It mirrors the quality of the food

If patrons can’t trust you to clean a table or disinfect the bathroom, how can they trust you to cook their food?

If your front-of-house looks unclean, they will assume the kitchen is too, and with good reason. Make a great first impression by presenting a spotless restaurant.

It’s an integral part of the dining out experience

One of the main reasons people dine out is because of the experience, not just the food. Cleanliness contributes to the restaurant ambiance and will be immediately noticed by customers.

It’s an example of excellent customer service

You want every customer who steps foot in your restaurant to have a wonderful experience, right? Cleanliness is a key factor. It shows you care about your customers and put their safety first.

In addition, considering the health of both customers and staff, as well as the environment. Integrating the use of an alternative non-toxic cleaning product in your cleaning regime can reduce toxic chemicals in water, contributing to a more sustainable practice. This can be particularly useful in food prep areas and surfaces where traditional cleaning agents may leave harmful residues.

Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Daily kitchen cleaning checklist

• Clean and sanitize sinks
• Clean and sanitize counters
• Clean and sanitize food prep areas
• Degrease and clean appliances
• Clean the fryer, grill, range, and griddle
• Filter the oil in the fryer
• Clean and disinfect cutting boards
• Clean and sanitize knobs and handles
• Wash all dishes and utensils
• Wash towels and aprons
• Clean the outside of the ice machine
• Empty drinks trays
• Clean the beverage dispenser heads
• Sweep and mop the floors
• Clean the floor mats
• Take out the trash

Weekly kitchen cleaning checklist

• Clean ovens
• Clean refrigerators and coolers
• Clean limescale off of sinks, faucets, and coffee makers
• Replace the oil in the fryer
• Clean out inventory
• Unclog floor and sink drains
• Wipe down the vent hoods

Monthly kitchen cleaning checklist

• Clean the inside of the ice machine
• Clean the vent hoods
• Clean the fans
• Clean the grease traps
• Deep clean and sanitize the refrigerators and freezers
• Clean the walls and ceiling
• Clean behind appliances
• Deep clean the floors

Front-of-House Cleaning Checklist

Daily front-of-house cleaning checklist

• Clean and sanitize the tables, seats, and counters
• Clean and sanitize railings and door handles
• Clean and sanitize menus (or remove this concern entirely by using a digital QR code menu)
• Sweep/vacuum and mop floors
• Take out the trash and recycle
• Clean glass surfaces for smudges, fingerprints, and streaks
• Refill supplies (straws, napkins, etc.)
• Wash dirty linens

Weekly front-of-house cleaning checklist

• Clean windows
• Clean mirrors
• Clean the walls
• Clean and sanitize doors
• Dust signs, décor, and light fixtures
• Wipe down the condiment shakers

Monthly front-of-house cleaning checklist

• Deep clean light fixtures
• Deep clean ceiling fans
• Deep clean carpets

Restaurant Bathroom Cleaning Checklist

Daily restaurant bathroom cleaning checklist

• Clean and sanitize toilets and urinals
• Sweep and mop floors
• Clean sinks and counters
• Disinfect door knobs and stall locks
• Take out the trash
• Refill supplies (soap, toilet paper, paper towels)

Weekly restaurant bathroom cleaning checklist

• Dust all surfaces
• Wash the walls, stall doors, and stall partitions
• Clean the mirrors, frames, and splashbacks
• Clean drains
• Clean the windows

Monthly restaurant bathroom cleaning checklist

• Deep clean the walls and floors
• Dust all overhead fixtures
• Clean wall and ceiling trim, door tops, window frames, and baseboards

Bar Cleaning Checklist

Daily bar cleaning checklist

• Clean and sanitize the bar and stools
• Clean and sanitize menus
• Sweep and mop the bar area
• Clean the wine decanter
• Clean the beer taps
• Clean coffee machines
• Wipe down the liquor bottles
• Clean and sanitize the soda guns
• Take out the trash
• Rinse the drains
• Wash drain covers
• Clean the speed rails
• Wash dirty linen
• Wash the glasses

Weekly bar cleaning checklist

• Clean coolers
• Clean shelves
• Clean storage equipment
• Sanitize keg lines
• Clean floor mats
• Reorganize drawers and cabinets

Monthly bar cleaning checklist

• Deep clean refrigerators and coolers
• Clean behind the bar appliances
• Dust overhead fixtures
• Deep clean the bins
• Polish windows

How to Maintain Cleanliness in Your Restaurant

To ensure you maintain restaurant cleanliness standards throughout the day and make your end-of-day work easier, here is an all-day restaurant cleaning checklist:

• Run the dishwasher
• Clean any spills
• Wipe up any messes
• Clean kitchen surfaces before moving on to different dishes
• Clean and sanitize the food prep area after using raw meat
• Brush the grill
• Scrape the griddle
• Wipe down menus
• Wipe down tables between patrons
• Tidy up tables and chairs
• Wipe down bar surfaces
• Replace beer mats
• Clean away glasses from the bar and wash them
• Wipe bathroom surfaces as needed
• Check the bathroom for refills
• Take out trash as needed

Implement a Restaurant Cleaning Checklist Today

A restaurant cleaning checklist can save you a lot of time during and after the workday. It will ensure you don’t miss any tasks and motivate you as you cross tasks off the list. Ultimately, it will help you improve customer experience and show patrons you take your restaurant’s cleanliness very seriously.