Restaurants in Australia are bound by food safety laws to maintain a constantly high level of cleanliness to prevent food-borne viruses and illnesses for customers and staff. The federal and state legislation about food safety specifically references the need for a safe and clean restaurant.
Cleaning guidelines for restaurants represent a simple yet essential way to maintain the food safety standards of your restaurant while mitigating hazards in food safety and complying with state and federal laws. Furthermore, when you demonstrate your commitment to a clean and organised restaurant, you showcase your dedication to the customer and keep them coming back.
In the post-pandemic era, customer sensitivity to the cleanliness of restaurants has rocketed and now it pays to keep your cleaning guidelines visible and regular. While it can be overwhelming to consider the cleaning procedures required in an area where hundreds of customers can pass through every day, by using a clear and simple cleaning guideline you can make the job a lot more palatable.
In this blog, we will outline the specific cleaning guidelines for both restaurant kitchen and front-of-house at a daily, weekly, and monthly level. We will also explore the right tools and cleaning products to use for tasks and the importance of trusting a reliable cleaning product supplier.
Why use cleaning guidelines for restaurant?
By using cleaning guidelines for staff, you can ensure that each task is completed as often as it needs to be and be confident that your restaurant is following the food safety regulations it needs to be.
We recommend printing out this cleaning guideline to keep in the relevant area so that employees and cleaners (and inspectors) can see it easily. This reinforces an atmosphere of commitment to health and hygiene.
The restaurant kitchen (or back-of-house) is where the cooking, food preparation, and food storage takes place. This area can often get messy and full of food during busy periods. However, to maintain the cleanliness that your restaurant values, cleaning guidelines can remind employees of the crucial tasks that need doing regularly.
Daily duties
• Clean all surfaces with a microfibre cloth (such as Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ Hygen Disposable. Microfibre Cloth) and food-safe disinfectant spray.
• Remove and bin food waste between food preparation tasks.
• Sanitise surfaces between each food preparation task.
• Ensure stored food is always wrapped and dated.
• Griddles and grills must be scraped down each time they are used.
• Spills and splashes must be cleaned up immediately with mops and disinfectant spray.
• Floors must be swept and mopped – remembering to check under appliances.
• Thoroughly clean all equipment and cutlery – especially serrated edges – with hot water and disinfectant soap.
• Empty all food waste bins at closing time.
• Remove limescale from around taps and sinks.
• Thoroughly scrub down the walk-in fridges.
• Use drain cleaner and pipe cleaners to clean the drains.
• Wash out the bins with disinfectant.
• Clean the ovens and deep fryer – be sure to remove tough bits of burnt food and oils.
• Clear out any outdoor food waste bins.
• Clean out behind the vent hoods and the hotline
• Sanitise the coffee and espresso machines – including inside the mechanisms to prevent any build-up
• Empty out and clean all grease traps
• Ensure the refrigerator coils and freezer are clean and free of grime
Front-of-house cleaning guidelines
The front-of-house is the area of the restaurant that your customers will see. This is the area where customers enjoy their dining experience so it needs to be visibly clean and tidy to ensure they receive the most accurate demonstration of your restaurant’s commitment to food safety and hygiene.
Customers in post-pandemic Australia and New Zealand are more conscious than ever of the establishments they choose to eat at. There is a high standard for food safety and cleanliness in restaurants and it is crucial that you can showcase your dedication to maintaining this and inviting customers back.
With COVID-19 in mind, it’s important to display what you are doing to minimise infection and transmission risks. This could be with signage encouraging diners to wear face coverings when moving around the restaurant, social distancing guidelines on the floor, and keeping hypoallergenic hand sanitiser by the entrance.
Furthermore, cleaning guidelines are more crucial than ever and have been updated to include additional surface cleaning in high traffic areas – especially in front-of-house – to reduce transmission.
Daily duties
• Clean walls, counters, door handles, railing, access buttons, elevator buttons, and chairs before opening every day – use a microfibre cloth (such as Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ Hygen Disposable Microfibre Cloth) and food-safe disinfectant spray.
• Vacuum all floors and mop tiles/hard floors.
• Vacuum around seats to catch any stray food bits between cushions.
• Scrub and disinfect toilets – especially around the flush mechanism, under the seat, and around splash zones; use a specific pair of gloves that are not used for anything else.
• Empty toilet bins, including sanitary bins, and ensure these are cleaned thoroughly.
• Clean condiment bars, napkin holders, and laminated menus.
• Dust around light fixtures with a microfibre cloth (such as Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ Hygen Disposable Microfibre Cloth).
• Use a microfibre cloth to clean windows and mirrors.
• Use a microfibre cloth to dust around wall decorations (including painting, frames, and art).
• Clean the walls of dust and stains.
Rubbermaid Commercial Products manufacture reliable and innovative solutions to cleaning, hygiene, and waste management across all industry sectors. We are proud to showcase that our cleaning products consistently outlast the competition and represent the leading products in the cleaning industry.
We are committed to delivering you the durable and long-lasting solutions you need for your business. Our affordable products will protect staff and clients across Australia and New Zealand while reducing the widespread waste problem caused by cheap, throwaway alternatives.
For more information about cleaning guidelines for restaurants, contact us with an enquiry or get a free sample of the Hygen Disposable Microfibre Cloth.
