The customer satisfaction that your bar or restaurant receives depends on how clean you keep it. Here are cleaning mistakes to avoid for bars and restaurants.
The current pandemic has changed the way business owners and restaurants are thinking about cleanliness. Any kitchen or bar should put the safety of their workers and customers first.
While businesses slowly open up, policies and procedures will be revisited. Make sure cleaning mistakes are avoided so restaurants and bars can remain open.
Keep reading to learn about the simple cleaning mistakes you should avoid before you reopen.
1. Mopping the Floors
Make sure your staff is doing more than dipping a mop head into the water. Here are eight simple tips that can help you mop your floor correctly:
- Clear the dirty areas of obstacles including furniture and stands
- Sweep the floor before you mop
- Use warm water to help kill germs, but not too hot that it ruins the floor
- Mop in sections to keep track of the progress that’s made
- Rinse and wring out the mop frequently to avoid spreading germs
- Change your cleaner out to ensure dirty water isn’t touching the floors
- Soak the mop in bleach when it’s not in use to disinfect it
- Let the floor air dry and hang the mop with a bucket underneath
Mopping is a simple yet convenient way to clean your floors. Failing to use these tips can result in lots of germs and possible illness.
2. Forgetting to Clean Table Items
Running a successful restaurant or bar requires great attention to detail. If your business is successful, it’s also going to be busy.
Make sure your staff isn’t too busy to clean menus, condiment bottles, or other table items.
For example – when customers use the bathroom, we’d like to believe that everyone practices good hygiene and washes their hands. The reality is that a large percentage of people will not wash their hands for the recommended time.
When those customers return to their tables, they will touch everything. Staff members and customers alike could become infected with coronavirus or other illnesses.
Make cleaning salt and pepper shakers, condiment bottles, and menus a priority for your staff. Additionally, your customers will appreciate not sitting down and touching sticky or dirty looking table items.
3. Is the Sink Properly Utilized?
The three sink compartment sink is going to be the first line of defense in keeping your barware and kitchenware safe for everyone.
The kitchen staff should utilize each compartment for scrubbing, rinsing, and sanitizing.
The temperature of the water should be at least 110 degrees to help kill the bacteria. Proper scrubbing will remove lipstick and stains, and the last compartment should be used to sanitize.
Give them the right tools to make life easy and ensure the barware is cleaned efficiently. Open your establishment with confidence that the glasses and cups are safe.
4. Outside Garbage
Don’t let the focus of the inside of the restaurant take away from the details of the exterior.
Avoid letting the outside garbage bins get too full. Bees and flies will gather repulsing guests and patrons. A good guideline to follow is taking out the trash when it gets half full.
If your business has a lot of plants and shrubs, then annual maintenance is required. Hire a professional company to spray chemicals, pull weeds, and maintain the vegetation. You don’t want critters making nests.
What does your dumpster area look like? Never place a dumpster too close to the building. Always follow proper health code guidelines.
If your dumpster gets too full too soon, evaluate the possibility of getting a second container. Do your best to keep wildlife and people out of the area by having a locked fence around the dumpster.
A locked fence will help keep people from spilling your trash everywhere and from people illegally trying to dump their garbage. A clean dumpster area will prevent an invasion of rodents into your establishment.
5. Knowing When to Clean
The act of cleaning can be a huge turn-off if it’s done at the wrong times. Cleaning in view of the customers should be done at a minimum or on an as-need basis.
Tables, menus, and table items should be cleaned out of sight before the guests sit down. All deep cleaning should be completed after the service has ended.
Spills and accidents are the few exceptions that allow for instant cleaning regardless of who can see. These situations can turn into a safety problem if not addressed immediately.
The pandemic does change the timing a little bit. You should be cleaning the bathrooms and front desk areas more frequently. Make it easier for your staff by switching from plastic menus to disposable paper menus for convenience and safety.
6. Not Having a Checklist
Every shift, each manager should have a checklist or registry of what needs to be cleaned and how many times. The shift manager should be the only person able to initial or check when an item is cleaned.
This helps the general manager or owner keep accountability when something is said to be cleaned but isn’t. During these uncertain times, dishwashers should focus their efforts on cups and mugs where mouth contact is imminent.
Another good reason to have a checklist is the added organization. Lunch and dinner times can be extremely busy. A checklist will help a shift manager remember the cleaning tasks that need to be completed.
7. Missing Hidden Crevices
After a long, busy, and profitable night, the entire staff is ready to pack up and go home. It can be easy to skip over simple cleaning procedures, but even the best kitchens and staff can miss areas hidden behind equipment.
Check behind heating sources, arcade games, and soda machines. Dark areas with heat, moisture, and food crumbs will attract insects and rodents.
No customer wants to see a cockroach or rat run across the floor while they’re trying to each. Some infestations can get out of control which would require you to shut down your restaurant for extermination.
Occasionally, moving equipment to a new spot for cleaning helps identify problems that may be occurring with the machines themselves. Take those opportunities to also deep clean the walls, corners, and crevices.
You will see an uptick in morale from the staff working in a clean and safe environment.
Open Safe and Smart by Avoiding Cleaning Mistakes
As your restaurant opens, practice safe and smart cleaning procedures to ensure everyone is able to enjoy their work and meals free from worry. You can prevent confusion and frustration by avoiding common cleaning mistakes.
If you need assistance getting glassware in your bar or restaurant clean, then contact us today.