Restaurant Weekly Cleaning Checklist

Intro

When running or managing a successful restaurant, it’s extremely important to focus on proper sanitization procedures. To stay on top of weekly cleaning tasks and keep your restaurant running smoothly, here are a few recommendations for maintaining high cleanliness standards in each area of your establishment on a weekly basis.

Kitchen

Clean ovens

Follow your oven’s manual to self-clean at least once per week. Outside of this, it’s beneficial to manually clean your oven(s) with baking soda and warm water every few weeks to better preserve your appliance, which will form a paste when mixed together which you can use to scrub stainless steel racks. Do not scrub aluminum with this solution, as baking soda will discolor it.

Wipe down fridge interiors/exteriors

To preserve an atmosphere of cleanliness in your kitchen, be sure to not only disinfect fridge handles and exterior on a weekly basis, but also clean walk-in fridges at least once per week. Scrub away all food and liquid spillage, splatters, and other messes to prevent unsightly and unsanitary build-up from occurring.

Clean/wipe down coffee machines

Wet coffee grounds can make quite a mess over the course of a week, so clean on a weekly basis at least, wiping down coffee pots and machines with warm water, or with a warm water and baking soda solution for optimal cleanliness.

Boil out deep-fryers

Clean kitchen deep fryers at least once per week to protect the taste of your food. Boil out, or remove, old oil, and then add water and cleaning solution. Next, boil water to effectively clean the interior. Perform at the end of each shift to prepare for a new day of cooking and food prep.

Deep-clean sinks and drains

Sinks can become quite dirty after several shifts of washing and preparing food, so clean on a weekly basis with an EPA-registered disinfectant to combat bacteria, or with dish detergent and a clean sponge. Pay special attention to drain caps, as these tend to collect the bulk of food scraps and other waste.

Scrub grease splatters off walls/doors

It’s incredibly common for grease and food splatters to accumulate on the walls and doors of your kitchen. At least once per week, take some time to scrub these stains away with disinfectant or soap and water to maintain a hygienic food prep area.

Polish all stainless steel surfaces

Stainless steel holds up beautifully over time with a bit of special care. Polish all stainless steel around your kitchen, including work tables, fridge doors, oven hoods, etc. on a weekly basis. While you’re (hopefully) cleaning and disinfecting these surfaces regularly, polishing with a soft cloth and a few drops of vinegar or oil will really keep your kitchen sparkling!

Delime sinks

Lime build-up tends to accumulate around appliances that use hard water. Tackle any problem spots with commercial products that specifically target lime, or you can opt for a natural remedy, such as vinegar, baking soda, or Borax, which may work but may be a bit more time-consuming than a more powerful product.

Delime dishwashers

Check the perimeter of your dishwasher for lime spots, and if applicable, tackle these areas with the solutions mentioned above.

Clean out pantries

On a weekly or bi-weekly basis, go through kitchen pantries and trash any food items that are expired or stale. Organize, if needed, for more efficiency throughout the next week.

Bathroom

Check and refill soap dispensers

Assuming you’re already staying on top of proper restroom sanitation, do check soap dispensers to ensure that they are filled to the top at least once per week, and refill as necessary throughout the week.

Restock main supply of toilet tissue

Do check your main back-up supply of toilet paper at least once per week to ensure your establishment has enough inventory stored to continue to restock supplies in bathroom stalls.

Wipe each stall door with disinfectant

Germs build up over time on bathroom stall doors, as well, especially as patrons open and close them with unwashed hands. Wipe down all stall doors at least once per week with an EPA-approved disinfectant to eliminate bacteria.

Clean mirrors

Keep your bathroom mirrors sparkling with a glass-cleaning solution at least once per week, since soap and water often splatter and cause unsightly stains on mirrors. For best results, use newspaper and cleaning solution to combat spots.

Front of House

Wash entry mats

It’s a good rule of thumb to wash your entrance mats at least once per week, or as dirt and footprints accumulate. You can wash with plain soap and water, scrubbing spots that need special attention, or toss in your washing machine if the rugs are small enough. Clean entrance mats will indicate an atmosphere of cleanliness to your patrons, so do take this step as needed.

Clean baseboards

Once per week, dust your baseboards with a soft cloth and some oil, or with a disinfecting spray to combat dirt build-up. Perform in your front of house area especially, where unsightly dirt can be off-putting to customers.

Disinfect trash can interiors/exteriors

Trash cans can be breeding grounds for bacteria, both internally and externally. It’s recommended that once per week, you clean all trash cans in both the front and back of the house with an EPA-approved disinfectant, especially in high-visibility areas where dirty trash cans may be off-putting to patrons.

Dust and wipe all light fixtures

It’s important to regularly dust and clean light fixtures, as they can collect dead bugs as well as dirt and dust. You can use an extended Swiffer for reaching chandeliers or other ceiling lamps on a weekly basis to maintain a sanitary appearance.

Wash glass windows and doors

At least once per week, but more often if necessary, tackle all windows and glass surfaces in your front of house, where patrons’ fingerprints and other dirt/marks may accumulate throughout the week. Use a commercial glass-cleaning product for best results.