Do you have a restaurant cleaning checklist? If not, you risk being fined. You might think, “my kitchen is clean,” but one misstep can lead to:

  • Health code violations
  • Loss of customer trust
  • Lost business

We're going to share a restaurant cleaning schedule that will allow you to pass health code inspections, keep patrons happy, and ensure that you never miss key cleanings.

If your restaurant made it through COVID-19, you know the importance of cleaning surfaces and maintaining the highest standards.

kitchen cleaning list

Professional Kitchen Cleaning Checklist Ideas In 2023

Your professional checklist must be available and accessible to your staff. Every staff member must be taught the best cleaning practices and also shown the list and know where they can obtain it to work through the checklist one item at a time.

We're going to begin with the most important areas of the eatery: high-trafficked areas.

High-trafficked Restaurant Cleaning List

What areas of your restaurant are high-trafficked? You must spend time identifying these areas because you’ll need to clean them often. A few areas that are often high-traffic include:

  • Appliance handles
  • Bathrooms 
  • Chairs
  • Countertops 
  • Door handles
  • Flooring 
  • Tables 

You’ll need to spend a lot of time cleaning these areas. For example, you may clean appliance handles every shift and the bathroom multiple times throughout the day.

These areas may require special cleaning, such as sweeping a hardwood floor, but you also need to consider safety risks. A quick sweeping between guests will allow you to keep debris off the floor without a risk of slips and falls.

Leave mopping until the end of the shift to reduce your risk of patrons falling.

Daily Restaurant Cleaning Checklist

Certain areas of your restaurant must be cleaned daily. These areas are often the most trafficked and germ-riddled areas that must be cleaned thoroughly. Your checklist may include items, such as:

  • Sanitize all surfaces in the front and back of the house
  • Brush your grilling racks and grills
  • Clean appliances
  • Clean cutlery and cutting boards
  • Clean all rags, towels, and aprons
  • Dispose of grease and oil responsibly
  • Clean containers, dishware, glassware, and utensils
  • Clean the hood filters
  • Sweep the floors
  • Vacuum the floors
  • Mop the floors
  • Wash all remaining floors
  • Sanitize your equipment, sinks, countertops, and faucets
  • Clean all bathrooms 
  • Empty the garbage
  • Empty the recyclables

Bathroom Cleaning Checklist for Restaurants

Your bathroom should be cleaned multiple times per day, and you may need to spontaneously clean your restrooms throughout a shift. A basic cleaning and sanitization checklist to follow includes:

  • Clean all toilets
  • Clean all sinks
  • Wipe down bathroom door handles
  • Clean bathroom stall doors
  • Sweep and mop the floor

It's important to have proper signage to reduce the risk of a slip and fall occurring and limit your liability.

restaurant cleaning schedule

Weekly Cleaning Schedule for a Restaurant

Every restaurant should have weekly cleaning tasks for the kitchen and front of the house. 

Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Your kitchen cleaning checklist should include the following:

  • Cleaning and sanitizing coolers and refrigerators
  • Empty out all coolers and refrigerators
  • Clean fixtures and walls
  • Flush and clean floor drains
  • Clean coffee machines thoroughly and flush the system
  • Clean all equipment and ovens as recommended

Front of the House Cleaning Checklist

Once you’ve finished cleaning the kitchen, it’s time to move on to the front of the house. Your checklist should include cleaning the following items:

  • Walls
  • Fans
  • Picture frames
  • Blinds
  • Chair bottoms
  • Lighting fixtures
  • Door handles
  • Baseboards
  • Windows and doors

Any areas that accumulate dust should be cleaned at this time.

Monthly Restaurant Cleaning List

Your monthly restaurant cleaning list will also include a semi-deep cleaning that will complement your daily and weekly cleaning schedules. 

Tasks to include on your monthly cleaning list include:

  • Empty and clean the ice bins
  • Empty and clean the freezer
  • Check the kitchen thoroughly for pest droppings and clean up as necessary
  • Call a pest control company if you find signs of pests
  • Wash all ceilings and walls as necessary
  • Check all equipment and clean each item thoroughly
  • Clean behind fryers, stoves, ovens, and anywhere else where grease build-up may be a concern
  • Check your first aid kit and fire extinguisher and replace them as necessary
  • Inspect your cleaning products to ensure you have enough available for the coming month

Another important item to add to your checklist is to inspect all thermometers and ovens to ensure that they are properly calibrated. 

When you’re conducting your monthly cleaning sessions, make a note of any equipment that is not working properly and have it repaired as soon as possible.

One of the biggest concerns will be grease build-up, as it puts your restaurant at greater risk of fire. If your restaurant has a lot of grease build-up, you may need to add this cleaning task to your weekly schedule.

Deep Cleaning Restaurant Checklist

A deep cleaning checklist will work alongside your daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedules. This checklist will help prevent issues later on and also ensure that your kitchen is spic-and-span.

Your deep cleaning list for restaurant sanitation should include:

  • A thorough cleaning of all gas equipment
  • Checking manual pilot lights to ensure they’re working properly
  • Hiring a professional cleaner to clean all hoods
  • Checking all fire extinguishers every six months
  • Checking all fire systems to ensure they’re working properly

Deep cleaning tasks require extra care and attention. You could rotate these duties weekly among your employees to ensure that all tasks are carried out properly. Each new employee that takes over the deep cleaning list can check on the work of the previous employee. 

Make sure that you’re keeping logs of all cleaning tasks that should be checked off, and have this checklist reviewed by a manager.

Create a Kitchen Cleaning Schedule for Your Restaurant Today

If you haven’t already, take the time to create a restaurant cleaning checklist today. Every restaurant should have a solid cleaning schedule to ensure that the front of the house and kitchen are safe and sanitary for staff and customers.

Ensuring that your staff follows the schedule is crucial. Create an individual employee restaurant cleaning checklist for each staff member and ensure they are properly trained on how to perform each task.