Practical Tips to Keep a Restaurant Neat, Clean and Hygienic

Even one sign indicating an unhygienic environment or lack of cleanliness will significantly hurt a restaurant. Assure customers that your restaurant is hygienic by keeping the place spick and span and implementing hygiene standards and procedures  your staff can easily follow. 

Here are some tips that can help you keep the restaurant clean and hygienic. 

Conduct Staff Health Exam 

• The most basic cleanliness and hygiene practice that you can do as a restaurant owner is to take the staff’s health exam. 
• Make sure you take the health exam for germ carrying before they start working in the kitchen. All the staff members who deal with food directly must submit to a health exam every six months. 
• All the employees must attend the mandatory training on food health and personal hygiene requirement in food production. 

Personal Hygiene Measures

• The employees must have a two-part locker where they can keep work clothes and regular clothes separately.
• The work uniform must be changed regularly.
• Employees’ nails must be trimmed and clean.
• Employees must wear personal clothes under the work uniform.
• Staff must wear hair nets that cover all the hair to prevent it from falling into the food. The nets must be worn before entering the kitchen.
• The employees must wash their hands often. Rubber gloves are a must while washing the dishes.
• Protective aprons must be worn for food processing jobs or dishwashing jobs.
• Prohibit smoking in the kitchen and adjacent areas.
• Injuries like cuts and scrapes must be properly protected and covered by water resistance bands. Gloves should be worn as an additional precaution. 
• Ensure that the staff doesn’t eat food in the kitchen.
• The staff should wear disposable gloves while working with perishable and high-risk food.

Eliminate Rodents and Pests

If customers notice pests, it will hurt your reputation and they will think twice about coming to your restaurant again. If there are complaints of pests or rodents in the restaurant or dead insects are found in the food, you will face penalties from regulating authorities. Presence of rodents like mice, cockroaches and flies indicate an unhealthy environment in the restaurant. If you spot any pests or rodents, call an exterminator immediately. 

Have A Regular Cleaning Schedule 

• Clean up the grease accumulated in grill and fryer.
• Ensure the carpets, curtains, and linen are stain-free and clean. Wash linen using high-pressure cleaning or steam extraction. Vacuum the carpets and ensure the curtains are laundered regularly.
• Clean all the utensils and cutlery. Sanitize them to eliminate bacteria.
• Clean the floors thoroughly and apply a non-slip coating to prevent the workers from slipping. 
• Clean the fridge and freezer regularly. Check the expiry dates of items kept in the fridge. Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth.
• Clean the washroom and toilet every hour. Use a disinfectant to clean the washroom.
• If there are any broken fixtures, pipes or taps, fix them immediately. 
• The water pipes need to work perfectly without dripping or clogging.
• Clean the bins inside and out. Consider power washing them to ensure that every bit of waste is eliminated as it can attract pests and rodents. 
• Raw food, especially meat, and vegetables should always be kept separately.