When it comes to running a successful restaurant, kitchen managers have a lot on their plate. In addition to managing employee hours and stock, they must also stay on top of their kitchen’s cleanliness. A well-maintained kitchen is an important part of key safety and helps protect customer health, prevent pests and maintain a positive reputation for your establishment.
A cleaning schedule is an effective tool managers can use to stay on top of cleaning tasks, making sure that nothing is overlooked and everything is cleaned as often as needed.
Managing cleaning tasks is an essential duty of all food managers and it is their job to ensure that proper cleaning procedures are established and followed by their staff. Neglecting your cleaning duties can result in large fines and even closure of the business.
The manager must take time to overview their employees, making sure they are doing their tasks correctly and training them the proper way to do so if necessary. Managers should undergo a level 3 food hygiene course to ensure they are knowledgeable of proper cleaning procedures and are able to effectively train their staff. Here are some tips on how to form your kitchen cleaning schedule…
What should I include in a cleaning schedule?
A cleaning schedule is an effective way to organise cleaning tasks so they are done regularly and makes sure nothing is forgotten. These are some essential details each cleaning schedule should include…
- State what needs cleaning and how it should be done.
- How often the task needs to be carried out. This can refer to daily tasks, monthly tasks, annual tasks, tasks to be carried out before the shift, during the day and at the end of the shift.
- Details on the cleaning procedure, instructions on which chemicals to use and how to use them (if necessary) and what equipment needs to be used.
- A place to mark off when a task is completed along with a staff name.
The tasks included in the cleaning schedule depend on your establishment. When creating a cleaning schedule, walk through the establishment making a note of everything that needs cleaning. Of course, some things will need to be cleaned more frequently than others and this should be factored into your cleaning schedule.
It can be hard to find the time during the busy kitchen shifts so cleaning tasks need to be prioritised and this is usually determined by how frequently the items, surfaces and appliances are used to prepare food.
Cleaning tasks are commonly divided into daily tasks, monthly tasks and annual tasks, with daily tasks being broken down into before the shift, during the shift and end of shift. Cleaning tasks to be carried out during the shift should be noted. This is the time when customers are most likely to come into contact with contaminated food so mentioning cleaning tasks to be carried out during the shift keeps your chefs and cooks mindful of the hygiene and cleanliness.
Why is a cleaning schedule important for my staff?
A cleaning schedule is important for making sure your staff are completing the cleaning tasks to the required standard. Providing your staff with precise details of the cleaning tasks ensures it is carried out to the correct standard with no misunderstandings. Your staff should have easy access to their cleaning schedule, whether this be in a special place in the kitchen or put on the kitchen wall. It is also a good way to train new staff and keep them accountable.
You should regularly review your cleaning schedule and cleanliness of the kitchen. Use the schedule to keep track of what was cleaned and when, so you know if anything is being neglected and needs urgent attention. Regular reviews of the schedule will help you evaluate its effectiveness.
If you think an area of the kitchen is dirtier than it should be, change it in the schedule to be carried out more frequently and review your staff carrying out the task as they may have to be retrained. Remember, your schedule is not concrete and should be regularly reviewed and changed to suit your needs. It is the manager’s number one responsibility to keep a well-maintained and well-clean kitchen.
