Restaurants need to be cleaned, and some areas get neglected when cleaning a restaurant. Let’s have a look at 10 such areas. These need to be kept clean for many reasons, and, hygiene is critical for the restaurant industry. We wouldn’t want our customers walking in and realizing that our restaurant is not up to standard. At the end of the day, a restaurant is an experience for the mind and soul. Good food and drinks are a lifestyle. Together with the amazing food scene in Melbourne, we understand the importance of a clean restaurant.
Yes! We clean the most common areas of a restaurant, such as a kitchen and dining area, but do we do a thorough cleaning? It is essential to keep our pride and joy up to the health code. However, there are a few places that may at times be overlooked or not properly cleaned. Although getting every nook and corner cleaned is the best way to keep your restaurant clean.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 areas in your restaurant that you need to keep clean. In no particular order, remember that all these places should be considered and equally cleaned well. No! we don’t take shortcuts or try and skip a few places because our ultimate goal is to be the go-to restaurant that keeps the customers coming back for more.
1.Menus
Let’s start off with the most commonly touched article in your restaurant. Yes, it’s none other than the menu. This is one of the most overlooked elements when it comes to cleaning. We may brush it or wipe it down with a cloth once in a while, but that’s not how you should do it. Think of the multitude of times that customers have touched and looked at them. Even a digital menu on an iPad still gets handled quite a bit. Either way, those fingerprints can leave germs, dirt, and even sauces that get wiped around. Therefore, next time you decide to give your menus a cleaning, be sure to disinfect them properly in order to kill the germs.
2.Chairs, Tables, and Booster Seats
Chairs, too, are regularly used but never cleaned enough. As customers frequent your establishment, the number of times the chairs are used increases. If they are not cleaned properly, then these seats become a breeding ground for germs.
Tables at restaurants tend to crawl with germs. Yes, you do wipe it down after every guest, but that cloth you use can be even dirtier than seen to the eye. All you do is end up transferring even more dirt onto the table. Make sure to clean rags and properly disinfect those tables.
Booster Seats and high chairs that babies use are hotspots for dirt and germs. Dirty hands and diapers of infants transfer germs and bacteria onto the seat. In addition, as babies are messy eaters, the food and drinks that spill onto these chairs and trays make them even dirtier.
3.Restrooms and Sinks
Restrooms and toilets are always going to be dirty. It is a place one goes to relieve themselves. Therefore, disinfecting and sanitizing restaurant bathrooms often and as much as possible is always the best option. Generally, restaurants restrooms have a scheduled cleaning plan. However, be sure to use the right cleaning products and proper disinfectants as the proper tools can help get the job done right.
Sinks as well make up one of the dirtiest places in a restaurant. It doesn’t have to be the sink in the bathroom, even the sinks that are meant for washing hands or kitchen sinks. All these sinks are vulnerable to oil, grease, and even leftover food, bringing about germs and diseases. A dirty sink can even contaminate the plates, utensils, and containers that you wash.
These are places that a customer uses in a restaurant, and if they feel these are not up to standard, they might even discourage other potential customers. They may not even come back, and now that’s just bad for business. So, stock up on the soap, toilet paper, and towels. Don’t forget to give your bathrooms and sink a good clean throughout the day.
4.Condiment Containers
At most tables in restaurants, we leave ketchup bottles, sugar containers, and salt, and pepper shakers. If not, we have a designated spot for them. Either way, customers use them often, and they are sticky and dirty by the end of the day. Dust, germs, and oil can build up on the opening of the containers and may even spoil them. So, do make sure to check them regularly.
5.Door Handles
Door handles and doorknobs are high touch points of a restaurant. Unless your doors are automatic, this is one part of your restaurant that will be constantly opened and closed throughout the day, making it vital that you consistently disinfect and wipe down the handles.
6.Windows
Who doesn’t love a large glass window looking out at a beautiful view or even the streets for some people watching? We all do! Looking outside sitting at a table near the window while eating a delicious meal is what we all love. However, if those windows we are looking out of aren’t clean, have stains, or even greasy fingerprints, that feeling quickly dies down.
A good window cleaning solution and some good old-fashioned elbow grease are all it takes to have spotless and clean windows. Don’t keep it for your once in a while spring cleaning session. Try and clean your windows regularly for cleaner and impeccable windows.
Plus, clear windows might just drag in those potential customers that are walking by and are enticed to come in and experience what you have to offer.
7.Reusable containers
Reusable containers tend to get used often in a restaurant. The convenience of storage and functionality make them indispensable. Although these containers that make one’s life easy can also be commonplace for the buildup of bacteria, yeast, and even mold. Why? Well, because they don’t get washed and cleaned properly. So, thorough cleaning and drying before use would be the best solution to keep your food safe and up to standard.
8.Knife Blocks
Pots, pans, utensils, and all your other kitchen equipment are washed and cleaned once used. But there are a few items in a kitchen that we may overlook, such as a knife block. These knife blocks can breed germs and microorganisms, especially ones made of wood, as they store wet knives. Also, cleaning these entirely can be challenging, but don’t forget to clean them as best you can and replace them when the time comes.
9.Refrigerators
You store all your meat, vegetables, and ice in the refrigerator. Did you know that these storage spaces can be some of the dirtiest parts of the refrigerator? It is an essential part of your kitchen, and regular use would mean that there isn’t much time to do a thorough clean of the refrigerator. Try and make time more often so that your refrigerator gets the cleaning it deserves.
10.Floors – Kitchen, Bathroom and Dining area
A mopping and vacuuming session will not do justice for the quality of cleaning essential for your restaurant floors. From the restaurant kitchen to the bathroom and even the dining area, it is equally essential that all the floors are given the right amount of care and cleaning.
In-house cleaning may never be able to get those floors clean precisely how you need them, which is why the best option would be to get them professionally cleaned. Professional cleaners have the know-how and experience to get your floors spotless and clean just the way they should be. This is crucial for giving your clients a good impression and experience when they walk in that door.
Conclusion
With that being said, just as you would want a clean home, a restaurant too should be free of germs, clutter, dirt, and dust. So, there you have it 10 areas that we may think we have cleaned or have just forgotten to clean. However, all these are essential to your restaurant, and having a clean and germ-free place is vital. After all, a great ambiance, delicious food, and a clean restaurant are what get you those great reviews. Customer satisfaction, a good impression together, with a great dining experience will make your restaurant the go-to spot in Melbourne.