The Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Checklist Restaurants Need

If you manage a restaurant kitchen, you'll know that cleanliness is crucial to maintain food safety and preventing cross-contamination. Regularly cleaning surfaces, equipment and utensils help reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses, ensures compliance with hygiene regulations and helps you maintain a positive reputation for the restaurant. But keeping a commercial kitchen immaculate can be challenging, especially when so many other tasks are involved with running a kitchen.

A commercial kitchen cleaning checklist can make it much easier to stay on top of cleaning and ensure nothing gets missed. In this post, we'll look at what commercial cleaning regulations you must comply with and our tips for creating a commercial kitchen cleaning checklist for your restaurant.

What regulations do commercial kitchens need to comply with?

Commercial kitchen cleaning regulations are the basic requirements set out by The Food Standards Agency (FSA) that you should adhere to for maintaining a commercial kitchen.

They cover all aspects of running a commercial kitchen which contributes to the safe operation and cleaning of the kitchen. If the cleanliness of your kitchen isn't up to scratch, you will likely fail the FSA's hygiene inspection, which means the restaurant must close until the problem is resolved. It could also result in the restaurant losing its food licence so it’s vital to stay on top of cleaning schedules. Good hygiene for a commercial kitchen should be based on the 4Cs: cooking, chilling, cross-contamination and cleaning. Following a commercial kitchen cleaning checklist will help to ensure that all the food you prepare and serve is safe to eat and reduce any risk of contamination that could make your customers and staff unwell. We have put together a commercial kitchen cleaning checklist, so you don’t have to.

Commercial kitchen cleaning checklist

A commercial kitchen cleaning checklist ensures your kitchen consistently complies with health and safety regulations and maintains good cleanliness and hygiene standards, enhancing customer satisfaction and your restaurant's reputation. Here we've broken down our checklist into daily, weekly and monthly so you can ensure nothing is missed.

Daily cleaning checklist

Daily cleaning focuses on immediate hygiene needs, such as keeping the kitchen tidy, washing utensils and sanitising surfaces. Your daily cleaning tasks should include the following:

• Disinfect all surfaces, workstations and food preparation areas
• Thoroughly clean the grill, griddle, hob and deep-fat fryer
• Clean coffee makers, microwaves, toasters and cooked meat slicers
• Wash all cooking utensils, tableware, and glassware
• Clean and disinfect the sink
• Wash towels, cloths, uniforms and aprons
• Thoroughly sweep and mop all floors – if possible, unplug equipment and move it to clean the floor underneath
• Empty, wash and disinfect waste and recycling bins
• Thoroughly clean all cutting boards and air dry
• Organise and clean storage shelves and racks
• Check for expired or spoiled food items and dispose of them appropriately
• Clean and sanitise dish racks and trays
• Wipe down refrigerators, freezers and storage units, paying extra attention to handles and seals
• Wipe away any grease build-up and stains from vent hoods with a damp cloth
• Scrub walls, especially near cooking areas, paying extra attention to high-touch areas like light switches
• Scrub floor drains, removing any build-up or blockages
• Wipe away any food stains and grease from the ceiling

Weekly cleaning checklist

Weekly cleaning in the commercial kitchen involves more extensive tasks, including inspection of hard-to-reach areas to prevent build-up and ensure long-term cleanliness.

• Clean the cooking equipment, such as grills, fryers and ovens, according to the manufacturer's instructions
• Empty, clean and disinfect fridges, freezers and food and food storage units
• Thoroughly clean the deep-fat fryer
• Clean and descale coffee machines, toasters and other small appliances
• Clean and descale the kettle and water boiler
• Descale dishwashers and glassware washers
• Remove grease build-up from floor drains
• Descale taps and sinks
• Clean and disinfect food processors, mixers and slicers
• Check and clean ventilation systems, including filters, hoods, ducts and fan
• Check and throw away any spoiled or expired food items
• Disinfect handles and door seals
• Thoroughly scrub and degrease the kitchen floor
• Pay special attention to hard-to-reach areas and grout lines
• Clean and disinfect floor drains, removing any build-up or blockages
• Wipe down tiles and walls, removing any food splatters, stains and grease
• Deep clean and disinfect all food preparation surfaces and cutting boards
• Clean areas around high-touch areas and cooking equipment
• Clean and disinfect dish racks, trays and utensils
• Clean inside the dishwasher, checking nozzles and filters for issues
• Deep clean, disinfect and organise utensil storage areas
• Check and organise all dry storage areas, throwing out any damaged or expired items
• Clean and disinfect shelves and racks
• Wipe down jars, cans and containers
• Once a week, it's a good idea to thoroughly inspect the entire kitchen, including any hard-to-reach areas, to see if anything needs repair or maintenance. You should also check for any signs of leaks, pests or faulty equipment and address any issues promptly

Monthly cleaning checklist

Similar to those tasks on your weekly cleaning checklist, areas and equipment that needs cleaning every month are usually items that need deep cleaning or are hard-to-reach places. Monthly cleaning typically takes longer than daily or weekly cleaning, so planning ahead is a good idea. If the following tasks aren't covered in your weekly cleaning routine, you should see to them at least once a month:

• Thoroughly clean and disinfect all surfaces in the kitchen, including cutting boards and food preparation tables
• Disinfect sinks, drains and faucets
• Empty fridges, freezers and walk-in coolers. Discard any spoiled or expired food and thoroughly clean and disinfect them, including shelves, drawers and handles
• Deep clean ovens, grills and ranges, paying particular attention to areas prone to grease build-up
• Inspect your extractor fans and ventilation units
• Scrub all your vent hoods
• Wipe, sweep and mop behind the equipment that is up against the wall
• Wash behind your ovens, stoves and fryers
• Clean and organise your storage areas
• Clean and descale your dishwashers and glassware washers
• Wash all walls and ceilings to remove grease and stains
• Clean windows
• Inspect the kitchen for pest or rodent droppings. If you spot some, thoroughly clean the area and contact a pest control service

Take control of your kitchen's cleaning by partnering with Jani-King. Our professional commercial cleaning services are tailored to meet the specific needs of any commercial kitchen. Contact us for a quote, and let us help you maintain a spotless, compliant, and hygienic commercial kitchen.