Restaurant hygiene & cleaning: 6 tips for front and back-of-house

In today’s world, diners have high expectations when it comes to restaurant cleanliness. In fact, The New Normal for Restaurants study revealed that sanitation became the number one criteria guests consider when choosing where to eat. [1] And not only can it determine which business they prefer, but also how much they’re willing to pay. QSR Magazine found that guests were willing to spend twice as much at restaurants that demonstrate flawless cleanliness. [2]

This means that when customers walk through your doors, they’re likely silently scanning for signs of hygiene and cleanliness. So, visible actions such as employees wiping down high-traffic areas and frequently washing their hands go a long way. They can build trust and make your customers feel safe and welcome.

In other words, maintaining your restaurant’s cleanliness is more than just best practice — it’s key to attracting new guests and ensuring your regulars keep coming back. With that in mind, we’ve put together six straightforward and effective suggestions to boost your business's hygiene and cleaning standards from dining areas and kitchens to restrooms.

1. Get the right products for each task

When it comes to hand washing, or cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting at your restaurant, investing in high-quality products helps ensure each job gets done thoroughly to create a healthy environment. Keep in mind that there is a difference between all these tasks, which means your staff needs bespoke products for the best results [3].

Hand hygiene products

Hand hygiene is more than just a routine step — it's the foundation of keeping your establishment safe and sanitary. 

To prevent cross-contamination during the cleaning process, remind your staff to practice good and thorough hand hygiene with these five steps:

1. Start by wetting your hands with running water.
2. Apply food-safe hand soap, making sure to lather it well. Don't forget to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails—those spots can trap a lot of germs. 
3. Make sure you scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. 
4. Rinse thoroughly with running water. 
5. Finally, dry your hands with a disposable paper hand towel. 

This easy-to-remember process goes a long way in maintaining a clean and healthy environment for everyone, from employees to guests. 

Additionally, it’s a good idea to equip your facility with food-safe hand sanitizer dispensers too, so that your staff can use that as an alternative when hand washing may not be possible.

Cleaning products

Hot water, food-safe soap, and cleaning cloths are the standard for maintaining back-of-house and food-contact surfaces in commercial kitchens. Nonetheless, to keep your establishment spotless, you may want to consider adding specialist products too. 

For instance, substances like grease and oil are all too common in food preparation areas, and they can't be removed with just soap and water. In this case, a food-safe degreaser helps break them down. After using it, your staff can wash the surface with warm, soapy water and then rinse with clean water, just like any other area.

For any food debris that requires extra effort, a brush or scouring towel is a good choice. Although usually your staff would use scouring products with caution to prevent scratching surfaces, they don’t need to worry about that with Tork 2 in 1 Scouring and Cleaning Foodservice Towels. We’ve tested this product on a variety of hard materials, including stainless steel and glass, without a scrape in sight. That means your team can clean confidently and efficiently, without compromising the work surfaces they rely on every day.

When it comes to ensuring hygiene and safety in the kitchen, it’s always a good idea to check if a product is suitable for food contact surfaces. You can do this by looking for a symbol with a wine glass and a fork on the packaging before using it.

As for the front-of-house, most surfaces can be taken care of using a multipurpose cleaner and a cleaning cloth. Just take into consideration that some areas may require more specialist products, such as a heavy-duty floor cleaning solution, for example.

Lastly, for restrooms, multipurpose cleaners combined with paper wipers can help ensure your hygiene standards are met.

Sanitizing products

Proper sanitization prevents the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses, which can cause foodborne illnesses and outbreaks. Taking precautions is particularly crucial in the foodservice industry, where the health of your guests and employees could be potentially at risk.

With this in mind, there are two options available for surface sanitizing in front and back-of-house environments. You can opt for food-safe chemical sanitizer solutions that are mixed with water, rinsed off, and then dried with a paper towel. Alternatively, to ensure proper sanitation during a busy service rush, your staff could use a dry sanitizer that doesn’t require rinsing. Just remind them to make sure they allow it to settle for around 30 seconds before using the surface again.

Disinfecting products

Disinfectant products are designed to eliminate a wide range of harmful microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi from surfaces.

While they are effective at killing germs, disinfectants can be too harsh for back-of-house environments and may leave residues that could contaminate both ingredients and finished plates. For this reason, your staff shouldn’t use them in the kitchen or on food-contact surfaces. Instead, regular cleaning followed by appropriate sanitizing is sufficient to maintain hygiene in this part of your restaurant.

For front-of-house areas, you can choose a multipurpose cleaner with disinfectant properties for high-touch surfaces such as tables, chairs, and door handles. Many of these products have a short contact time (the amount of time needed for a disinfectant to work effectively), so they can be used at busy moments to maintain hygiene standards without impacting the guest experience. Remind your cleaning staff that it is particularly important to use these types of solutions in your restrooms too, as that is where germs are especially prone to thrive. 

2. Prioritize a hygienic restroom experience

A 2018 Harris Poll concluded that 89% of Americans wouldn’t return to a restaurant if they read negative reviews about restroom cleanliness. [4] So, with guests judging your restaurant by the quality and hygiene of the restroom facilities, why take any chances?

You can increase the likelihood of a good impression and greater customer satisfaction by making sure your staff regularly cleans and sanitizes those areas. That entails performing frequent checks and carrying out the following basic tasks whenever necessary:

• Mopping floors
• Disinfecting toilets
• Cleaning sink basins
• Refilling soap, paper towel, and toilet paper dispensers 
• Ensuring that dispensers are clean and working properly

On top of that, to maintain maximum hygiene levels, they should also deep clean your establishment’s restrooms regularly. 

For an enhanced experience, consider installing high-quality air fresheners in your restrooms so guests are greeted not just with a hygienic environment but also with a pleasant scent. 

And if you are looking for a way to optimize your cleaning staff’s work, explore how Tork Vision Cleaning can harness the power of data to benefit your business operations. Our solution includes features like smart sensors in your restroom dispensers and refill monitoring so that cleaning happens where and when it’s needed most. This helps ensure you meet your restroom users’ expectations and that no time is wasted doing it.

• Equip every workstation with enough cleaning products and cloths so employees can clean up as they go — preferably reachable with one hand.
• Foster a culture of proactively organizing the kitchen when the restaurant is calm and quiet to prepare for busy periods.
• Make sure back-of-house areas are free of clutter, removing any unnecessary objects that might prevent thorough cleaning (like stock boxes left on the floor, for example).
• Designate time for personal hygiene, including handwashing at critical times.
• Hold regular training sessions to keep all back-of-house teams up to date on any changes to kitchen cleaning protocols or health codes.

References: