Have you ever visited a restaurant that looked so clean you thought you could eat off the floors? Then there is the other side of the coin: restaurants that are dirty enough to turn your stomach. Fortunately, restaurants in the latter camp are the rare exception to the rule. Health codes see to that. Nonetheless, there are establishments that do not take restaurant cleaning seriously.
As a commercial cleaning services provider, restaurants are definitely in our repertoire. We are firm believers in going above and beyond in restaurant cleaning for the mere fact that dirty restaurant spaces pose a direct threat to customer health. And by the way, ensuring customer health is the number one reason top-notch restaurant cleaning is so important.
Dirt Is a No-Go for Health Inspectors
If there is one thing commercial cleaning companies know about restaurant cleaning, it’s that health inspectors don’t take too kindly to dirt. Nor should they. Dirt in a restaurant environment is a definite no-go. Why? Because it is an invitation to germs and pests. It’s an invitation to bacteria, mold, mildew, and other nasties.
If you’re not so sure that dirty restaurants are a big deal, do an online search for recent restaurant violations in your area. It’s a safe bet that most of them are in some way tied to cleanliness. Health inspectors write violations for all sorts of things related to restaurant filth.
It Turns Off Diners
The health concerns associated with dirty restaurants should be obvious. But what about a restaurant’s brand and reputation? To be sure, failing to give cleaning priority doesn’t sit well with customers. Even a little bit of dirt here and there turns them off.
There is nothing more unsettling to some diners than looking down and seeing a floor that hasn’t been cleaned in days. Seeing dead bugs on a windowsill can turn just about any diner’s stomach. We could go on and on. Everything from stains in the carpet to grimy tables can chase diners away – and guarantee they never come back.
Any establishment that hopes to survive in the long term cannot afford to chase customers away through poor restaurant cleaning practices. When you stop and think about it, it doesn’t even make sense to present a dirty restaurant to diners. Most diners want three things: good food, good customer service, and a clean environment. Give them all three and you’re golden. Skimp on the cleaning and you’re behind the eight ball. It is that simple.
Front and Back of House
With the need for restaurant cleaning established, let’s move on to the options cleaning companies typically offer. Front of house cleaning tends to focus on anything and everything customers will see. This includes floors, walls, tables, bars, waiting areas, and restrooms.
Surface cleaning is a priority every day. So are vacuuming and mopping. As for deep cleaning the dining room and waiting area, frequency depends on traffic. Perhaps once a month is sufficient for restaurants with moderate daily traffic. Those that are packed all the time might need deep cleaning weekly.
The back of the house is where you get more variation. A lot of restaurants limit back of house cleaning to floors and restrooms. Staff handle everything else including dishes, food prep areas, walk-in coolers, etc. Still, commercial cleaning companies can handle it all if that’s what a restaurant owner prefers.
At the end of the day, restaurant cleaning is non-negotiable. Any restaurant that doesn’t pay attention to cleanness is looking at potential health code violations along with permanently chasing away customers. That’s no way to run a restaurant, let alone any other type of business.
