One of the hardest items to accomplish consistently is maintaining your kitchen cleaning schedule. Fortunately for us, bars and restaurants have similar needs in cleaning and can follow similar procedures with only a minor tweaking here and there. So, unless you are actually clamoring to be shut down by the health inspector, maintaining your schedule will not only help you stay within the law, but will save you time and money!
Create your cleaning list and schedule
Before you can get started on cleaning though, you have to ask yourself, what supplies do you need to clean? The major appliances in your kitchen, such as refrigerators, should have come with a manual, which would include a section on maintenance and cleaning. If you lack a manual, contact the manufacturer for information on how to clean it; do this before you buy anything!
Starting with the major appliances then working down to the more common activities like cleaning the bathroom or washing the dishes, create a list of tools and items you will need to buy. Look over your list for any duplicate items. With this list, you will create a schedule for cleaning. To make a schedule, you can use Microsoft Excel or any spreadsheet program. The cleaning activity can go along the top of the chart with the times on the bottom. Use the spaces so that employees can sign off on each activity they have accomplished.
Ideally you should have one schedule for end-shift cleaning, one schedule for weekly cleaning, and one schedule for monthly cleaning. All the schedules will save you and your employee’s time. During a busy day, things can be forgotten and it is imperative that the important activities, such as the bathroom and dishes, are properly taken care of. With the schedule, you can quickly see what hasn’t been done so you can get it done immediately.
Buy your cleaning products
Now that you have your schedule made, it is time to buy the products. Don’t necessarily buy the cheapest product around. Quality products can go a long way to saving you money. Consider something like glass cleaners. Cheap glass cleaners often leave streaks and a layer of grime, which in the future can be a fire hazard for your stove and take even more time to clean than if you just bought a quality glass cleaner to begin with. You can buy your cleaning equipment at Able Kitchen; which has a variety of janitorial cleaning for you to choose from, and at great prices.
With your schedule and products ready to go, you can implement your cleaning. Explain to your employees what will be required of them. Do your part by checking on the quality of their work by using surprise visits during cleaning.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Consistent cleaning will help you get a longer life out of your appliances, saving you from buying a new machine sooner than you would have. Adjust your schedule as necessary to take advantage of greater savings, it may cost a bit up front but isn’t it worth it in the long run?
John Smith is the owner of Bar Business Blog, a blog dedicated to helping bar owners manage their business and increase their work efficiency. You can also follow him on Twitter!
