Restaurant Hygiene Must Dos

 

Whether it is personal or environmental hygiene, it is always important to keep yourself and your space clean. This is especially important for restaurants. Having a clean kitchen and dining area not only keeps the health inspectors from shutting down your business, but also invites customers and future employees into a safe and healthy environment to eat and work in. Here are the hygiene must dos for a food establishment.

Use effective cleaning supplies 

Every cleaning process needs cleaning supplies but it good to make sure you have the correct ones. These are some of the most essential supplies needed for the job.

• Food grade sanitiser 
• Dishwashing detergent
• Floor detergent
• Brooms and dust pans
• Trash cans and heavy duty bags
• Mops
• Bleach
• Stainless steel cleaner
• Dish rags

List cleaning duties and create a schedule

No matter the size of your restaurant, cleaning may seem daunting. That is why it is effective to make a list of what needs to be done and put them into a schedule. Here is an example of cleaning duties and a schedule.

Back of house

Daily Cleaning Checklist:

• Sanitize all surfaces (don’t forget the cutting boards!)
• All rags directly to laundry
• Launder all aprons and chef’s coats
• Sweep and mop all floors (including the walk-ins)
• Empty all trash and recyclables

Weekly Cleaning Checklist:

• Clean ovens (per manufacturers instructions)
• Empty, clean, and sanitize reach-in coolers, refrigerators
• Flush floor drains with drain cleaner
• Wash walls

    Monthly Cleaning Checklist:

• Deal with grease build up: wash behind fryers, flat tops, stove, and oven. Remember, built up grease is not only unsanitary, but also a fire hazard.
• Empty and clean freezers
• Check for pest/rodent droppings. If you see any, call pest control immediately!

Front of house

    Daily Cleaning Checklist:

• Wash every surface with clean, sanitized rags (bar, tabletops, chairs, booths)
• Clean and sanitize restrooms (check them multiple times per shift and clean as necessary)
• Sweep and mop floors
• Wipe down condiment dispensers
• Check menus for cleanliness

    Weekly Cleaning Checklist:

• Dust (blinds, ceiling fans, anything on the walls—picture frames, etc…)
• Clean table and chair legs
• Wipe down baseboards

Delegate duties to certain employee

To have one person doing all the cleaning is unfair and excessive. That is why certain employees should have specific areas to handle. Waiters and hosts should be responsible for making sure the front of house duties are taken care of such as cleaning the tables, dusting, restrooms, menu, etc. As for employees in the back of the house, specific stations and equipment should be cleaned by those who use them. Prep tables belongs to the the prep cooks. Stove and grills belongs to the cooks. Dish room belongs to the busser and dishwasher and so on. 

Communicate with staff

As with any good business, it’s important to regularly communicate with employees to ensure that everyone in your establishment is on the same page regarding personal hygiene and cleaning. A hygiene agreement form is a good idea, with items such as these:

• Hands should be washed thoroughly before and after handling food, or interacting with another person (staff member or customer). At a minimum, hands should be washed every thirty minutes.
• If you or someone at home is sick, stay home to avoid spreading germs.
• Avoid sneezing or blowing your nose in the kitchen area. This should be done in the bathroom, followed by thorough hand-washing.
• Keep fingernails short and clean, even under protective gloves.
• Hands should be washed after changing or removing gloves.

Why is it this important? Diners eat with their eyes first so making sure the front of house is spick and span boosts confidence in customers that their food does not just look good, but is also safe to eat. Current and future employees also see with their eyes first a clean front and back of house lifts the mood and also motivates them to take the leap and join the team. Cleaning does not have to be an intimidating task.You just need organisation, scheduling, consistency, and a bit of elbow grease.