Following a cleaning checklist can improve the cleanliness of any food business and help maintain a consistent process and schedule.
Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness in restaurants is key to ensuring food safety and preventing food-borne illnesses. Food businesses in Canada are required to follow federal and provincial food safety laws, which include operating a safe and clean establishment. A clean restaurant will also satisfy customers and keep them coming back which means growing revenue and success.
Restaurant owners and managers can maintain a clean and hygienic restaurant by following a detailed restaurant cleaning checklist. A restaurant deep cleaning checklist should include a kitchen cleaning checklist (back-of-house cleaning) as well as a dining room cleaning checklist (front-of-house cleaning). Use the following restaurant cleaning schedule to ensure a clean and compliant restaurant.
Restaurant Kitchen Cleaning Checklist
The kitchen of a restaurant is where the greatest food safety risks occur, so following a kitchen cleaning schedule is essential for food safety. Keeping the kitchen clean in a restaurant is not only necessary for preventing food contamination and food-borne illnesses, it’s the law. Food businesses can be inspected by local Health Inspectors at any time. Food businesses found not in compliance with food safety laws, such as not maintaining the cleaning and sanitizing of the kitchen, can face fines or even closure.
Use the following checklist as a guide for what should be cleaned daily, weekly and monthly in the kitchen. As a general rule, anything that has direct contact with food must be cleaned and sanitized regularly. Items that have not had direct contact must be cleaned but not necessarily sanitized. Remember the following terms when using the checklist:
Cleaning removes physical dirt, soil, chemical residues and allergens from equipment, utensils and work surfaces
Manual cleaning iscleaning that involves using a sink or bucket with detergent and water
Sanitizing removes harmful pathogens from food contact surfaces. Sanitizing is performed after cleaning
Daily
Surfaces
clean and sanitize walls where food has splattered
clean and sanitize surfaces in food preparation areas
clean and sanitize food preparation sinks
sweep and mop the floors
sweep walk-in refrigerators
sweep storage areas
clean and sanitize inside and outside of garbage cans if they are used heavily or used for high-risk foods
Equipment
manually clean cooking surfaces such as grills, ranges and fryers (be sure to clean underneath)
change the foil lining on top of grills and ranges
manually clean beverage dispenser heads and tips of soda dispenser guns
clean and sanitize utensils, flatware and glassware
Other items
wash rags, towels, aprons and uniforms in washing machine
refill soap dispensers
replace empty paper towel rolls
dispose of recycling
dispose of indoor garbage
Weekly
Surfaces
manually clean lime from the sinks and faucets
clean and sanitize walk-in refrigerators and freezers
manually clean floor drains with drain cleaner
clean and sanitize inside and outside of garbage cans (if not done daily)
Equipment
manually clean ovens (be sure to clean the walls, door and racks)
manually clean the deep fryer (boil it out)
Other items
manually clean floor mats
empty outdoor garbage cans at least twice per week
Monthly
Surfaces
manually clean walls and the ceiling
manually clean behind the hot line
manually clean vent hoods (this can be done every couple of months)
Equipment
clean and sanitize the coffee machine and expresso machine
empty, clean and sanitize the ice machine (every 6 months)
clean and sanitize the freezer
manually clean refrigerator coils
empty grease traps
Other items
Replace pest traps
Front-of-house Cleaning Checklist
It is important that the front-of-house is clean in order to provide a safe and healthy dining experience for customers. When customers come to a restaurant to eat, they expect to dine in an environment that is tidy, clean and inviting. The experience of dining in a food business that is unclean is enough to turn away customers and hurt a business’s bottom line. This is why using a cleaning checklist for a restaurant dining room (and other front-of-house areas) is so important.
Use the following checklist as a guide for what should be cleaned daily, weekly and monthly in the front-of-house.
Daily
Surfaces
manually clean walls as necessary
manually clean counters
vacuum carpets
sweep and mop floors
clean and sanitize door handles and railings
clean and sanitize access buttons / elevator buttons
Furniture
clean and sanitize dining tables
manually clean seats and benches
Restrooms
clean and sanitize restroom surfaces
disinfect toilets
manually clean restroom sinks
empty out feminine hygiene containers / garbages
dispose of bathroom garbage
sweep and mop restroom floors
clean and sanitize door handles and railings
Other items
clean and sanitize condiments / salt and pepper shakers
wash cloth napkins, tablecloths, and aprons in washing machine
empty garbage cans
clean and sanitize garbage cans
clean and sanitize credit card machines
clean and sanitize menus
Weekly
Surfaces
manually clean the light fixtures
manually clean glass windows and doors
Monthly
Surfaces
dust items on walls (e.g. art or decorations)
manually clean all the walls
Running a food business is a big endeavour, with many important tasks to do and regulations to follow. Having a clean and safe business is the top priority. Breaking down the cleaning tasks into daily, weekly and monthly lists makes them easy to implement and keep on top of. By using the restaurant cleaning checklist for both the kitchen and front-of-house, restaurant owners and managers can ensure they are running a hygienic and food safety compliant business.
For a new exterior paint application to succeed, the siding must be very clean—a job that can be pretty laborious if done by hand-scrubbing. A pressure washer offers a quick and easy way to get the job done, but it can be tricky to use on siding. If you aren’t careful, the high water pressure makes it fairly easy to damage the siding or even cause water damage to the sheathing and wall cavities beneath the siding.
Hand-Washing vs. Pressure Washing
There are certainly advantages to cleaning your house by hand prior to painting if you have the time and energy. If you’ve ever taken your car through a touchless car wash, you know that washing without physical contact produces only adequate results. After a touchless wash, a white cloth wiped across the car may still pick up dirt.
The same holds true of washing your house’s siding before painting—the very best results will be achieved by hand-washing with soap, water, and brushes. But realistically, it is very difficult and time-consuming to wash an entire house by hand, and a pressure washer can do an adequate job in a manner that is much, much easier.
Don’t Skip the Cleaning
While there are many advantages to cleaning your home’s exterior before painting it‚ one virtue stands out above all others: Clean siding means your exterior paint will last longer.
Although paint manufacturers might lead you to believe that the world will end if you don’t clean the siding before painting, the reality is not quite that dire. The paint will go on just fine, but by painting dirty siding, you seriously shorten your paint’s lifespan. Rather than requiring a new paint job in three or four years, wouldn’t you rather paint your house every seven to 10 years? Considering how hard and expensive it is to paint house exteriors, it’s a good idea to get it right the first time.
Take Caution With Pressure Washers
The point of pressure washing your house siding prior to painting is to wash it, not to strip the paint. True, most pressure washers are powerful enough to take off paint, but for best results, stripping should be a separate step done with a scraper, sander, or heat gun after the process of washing
Pressure washing siding sometimes gets a bad name because of two dangers:Etching: Under certain conditions, pressure washers can cut into concrete and brick, so imagine the potential effect on cedar, vinyl, or even fiber-cement siding. This inadvertent etching is easy to avoid, though, if you simply stand far enough away when aiming your sprayer at the siding. Depending on your washer’s PSI rating, this might mean anywhere from 18 inches to 6 feet away, minimum. In addition, use a fan-spray nozzle, not a stream nozzle, which has a needle-sharp spray that can rip lines into the siding.
Injecting: Be careful of spraying at low angles under the siding. The high pressure can drive water upwards between the siding boards and soak the sheathing and/or insulation of the wall interior. To prevent this, never spray at an upward angle to the siding—only perpendicular or slightly downward. Watch out for other openings, such as heating exhaust vents, air vents in the attic or crawl space, and cracks around windows and doors.
WORKING TIME: 3 – 5 hrs
TOTAL TIME: 3 – 5 hrs
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner
ESTIMATED COST: $50 to $250
For a new exterior paint application to succeed, the siding must be very clean—a job that can be pretty laborious if done by hand-scrubbing. A pressure washer offers a quick and easy way to get the job done, but it can be tricky to use on siding. If you aren’t careful, the high water pressure makes it fairly easy to damage the siding or even cause water damage to the sheathing and wall cavities beneath the siding.
Hand-Washing vs. Pressure Washing
There are certainly advantages to cleaning your house by hand prior to painting if you have the time and energy. If you’ve ever taken your car through a touchless car wash, you know that washing without physical contact produces only adequate results. After a touchless wash, a white cloth wiped across the car may still pick up dirt.
The same holds true of washing your house’s siding before painting—the very best results will be achieved by hand-washing with soap, water, and brushes. But realistically, it is very difficult and time-consuming to wash an entire house by hand, and a pressure washer can do an adequate job in a manner that is much, much easier.
Don’t Skip the Cleaning
While there are many advantages to cleaning your home’s exterior before painting it‚ one virtue stands out above all others: Clean siding means your exterior paint will last longer.
Although paint manufacturers might lead you to believe that the world will end if you don’t clean the siding before painting, the reality is not quite that dire. The paint will go on just fine, but by painting dirty siding, you seriously shorten your paint’s lifespan. Rather than requiring a new paint job in three or four years, wouldn’t you rather paint your house every seven to 10 years? Considering how hard and expensive it is to paint house exteriors, it’s a good idea to get it right the first time.
Take Caution With Pressure Washers
The point of pressure washing your house siding prior to painting is to wash it, not to strip the paint. True, most pressure washers are powerful enough to take off paint, but for best results, stripping should be a separate step done with a scraper, sander, or heat gun after the process of washing.
Pressure washing siding sometimes gets a bad name because of two dangers:
Etching: Under certain conditions, pressure washers can cut into concrete and brick, so imagine the potential effect on cedar, vinyl, or even fiber-cement siding. This inadvertent etching is easy to avoid, though, if you simply stand far enough away when aiming your sprayer at the siding. Depending on your washer’s PSI rating, this might mean anywhere from 18 inches to 6 feet away, minimum. In addition, use a fan-spray nozzle, not a stream nozzle, which has a needle-sharp spray that can rip lines into the siding.
Injecting: Be careful of spraying at low angles under the siding. The high pressure can drive water upwards between the siding boards and soak the sheathing and/or insulation of the wall interior. To prevent this, never spray at an upward angle to the siding—only perpendicular or slightly downward. Watch out for other openings, such as heating exhaust vents, air vents in the attic or crawl space, and cracks around windows and doors.
Types of Pressure Washers
Pressure washers come in both gas- and electric-powered models. Since you want to treat your siding gently, you won’t need a high-powered gas washer; an electric one will suffice. A washer with a PSI rating of 1,000 to 1,500 is usually quite sufficient for washing siding. If you have a two-story house, a high-volume gas pressure washer fitted with a special nozzle will allow you to clean the upper areas while standing on solid ground.
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
Garden hose
Pressure sprayer and nozzles
Ladders (if needed)
Bucket
Sponge
Materials
Cleaning solution
Plastic sheeting
Instructions
Protect Landscape Plantings and Utilities
Where foundation shrubs or other plants are blocking the siding, protect them with sheets of plastic to prevent the pressure sprayer from stripping leaves off the plants. Damage to shrubs will rarely kill the plant, but it can disfigure it for the current growing season.
Also, cover air conditioner compressors and other electrical utilities with sheets of plastic before pressure washing the siding.
Spray off the Major Debris
Using the pressure sprayer, rinse the siding with plain water (no cleaning solution), working from the top down. For this step, a wide spray angle and relatively low pressure should do the trick. Your goal is to knock down most of the visible debris: insect nests, leaves, and the majority of the dirt. Let the siding dry.
Apply Bleach Solution to Mildew Areas
If your siding has areas that are discolored with mildew, mix up a batch of treatment solution consisting of one part bleach to 10 parts water. Sponge the solution onto the discolored areas. A garden sprayer can also be used to apply the bleach solution. Be careful to avoid spilling the bleach solution on shrubs and other landscape plants. No scrubbing is necessary; the bleach alone will kill the mildew.
Spray With Cleaning Solution
Complete this step when the siding is not in direct sunlight and when winds are calm.
Fill up your pressure washer’s tank with cleaning solution, then spray the siding with the water-solution mixture, working from the bottom up. Use a low pressure and wide sprayer angle while applying the cleaning solution. Your pressure washer’s instructions will indicate the proper settings for applying the cleaning solution.
Make horizontal passes along the siding, gradually moving upward but consistently using a slightly downward angle when spraying. A stepladder may assist here; move up a step or two with each pass so that you can continue pointing downward at the siding.
Rinse the Siding
Let the solution work for about 10 minutes, then rinse with fresh water from the top down. While cleaning should always be done from the bottom up, rinsing should be done from the top down to prevent dirty water from running over the clean areas.
Rinsing usually calls for a more powerful pressure setting and wide spray pattern, but again, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the type of siding you have. Make sure to rinse thoroughly; this is where the major cleaning is done. To avoid damage, start rinsing with the nozzle held a fair distance from the siding, and gradually move closer. Back up again if you see any kind of damage occurring to the siding.
Let everything dry for 48 hours before painting or until any bare wood is 100 percent dry. If a couple of weeks pass before you can get to painting, an additional spray-down with fresh water is a good idea. It’s surprising how fast spiders can move in and dust can settle after cleaning.
Tips for Pressure Washing
If you have valued shrubs and other landscape plants near your house, make sure to use a cleaning solution that does not contain bleach or other chemicals that might harm plants.
It is best to test your sprayer on an unobtrusive section of siding, such as behind landscape plantings or the back of a garage. Used incorrectly, a pressure washer can damage wood siding or crack vinyl siding.
Work in relatively small areas, rinsing, applying detergent, and rinsing each area before moving on to the next section. This will prevent the detergent from drying on the surface of the siding.
An adequate pressure washer can be purchased for $150 to $250 dollars, or you can rent one for $50 to $75 per day. Once you learn how to use it, you may find many other uses for the tool; buying one might be a good investment.
Some pressure washers have rotating brush attachments. These accessories can work well for siding that has thick layers of grime.
Types of Pressure Washers
Pressure washers come in both gas- and electric-powered models. Since you want to treat your siding gently, you won’t need a high-powered gas washer; an electric one will suffice. A washer with a PSI rating of 1,000 to 1,500 is usually quite sufficient for washing siding. If you have a two-story house, a high-volume gas pressure washer fitted with a special nozzle will allow you to clean the upper areas while standing on solid ground.
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
Garden hose
Pressure sprayer and nozzles
Ladders (if needed)
Bucket
Sponge
Materials
Cleaning solution
Plastic sheeting
Instructions
Protect Landscape Plantings and Utilities
Where foundation shrubs or other plants are blocking the siding, protect them with sheets of plastic to prevent the pressure sprayer from stripping leaves off the plants. Damage to shrubs will rarely kill the plant, but it can disfigure it for the current growing season.
Also, cover air conditioner compressors and other electrical utilities with sheets of plastic before pressure washing the siding.
Spray off the Major Debris
Using the pressure sprayer, rinse the siding with plain water (no cleaning solution), working from the top down. For this step, a wide spray angle and relatively low pressure should do the trick. Your goal is to knock down most of the visible debris: insect nests, leaves, and the majority of the dirt. Let the siding dry.
Apply Bleach Solution to Mildew Areas
If your siding has areas that are discolored with mildew, mix up a batch of treatment solution consisting of one part bleach to 10 parts water. Sponge the solution onto the discolored areas. A garden sprayer can also be used to apply the bleach solution. Be careful to avoid spilling the bleach solution on shrubs and other landscape plants. No scrubbing is necessary; the bleach alone will kill the mildew.
Spray With Cleaning Solution
Complete this step when the siding is not in direct sunlight and when winds are calm.
Fill up your pressure washer’s tank with cleaning solution, then spray the siding with the water-solution mixture, working from the bottom up. Use a low pressure and wide sprayer angle while applying the cleaning solution. Your pressure washer’s instructions will indicate the proper settings for applying the cleaning solution.
Make horizontal passes along the siding, gradually moving upward but consistently using a slightly downward angle when spraying. A stepladder may assist here; move up a step or two with each pass so that you can continue pointing downward at the siding.
Rinse the Siding
Let the solution work for about 10 minutes, then rinse with fresh water from the top down. While cleaning should always be done from the bottom up, rinsing should be done from the top down to prevent dirty water from running over the clean areas.
Rinsing usually calls for a more powerful pressure setting and wide spray pattern, but again, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the type of siding you have. Make sure to rinse thoroughly; this is where the major cleaning is done. To avoid damage, start rinsing with the nozzle held a fair distance from the siding, and gradually move closer. Back up again if you see any kind of damage occurring to the siding.
Let everything dry for 48 hours before painting or until any bare wood is 100 percent dry. If a couple of weeks pass before you can get to painting, an additional spray-down with fresh water is a good idea. It’s surprising how fast spiders can move in and dust can settle after cleaning.
Tips for Pressure Washing
If you have valued shrubs and other landscape plants near your house, make sure to use a cleaning solution that does not contain bleach or other chemicals that might harm plants.
It is best to test your sprayer on an unobtrusive section of siding, such as behind landscape plantings or the back of a garage. Used incorrectly, a pressure washer can damage wood siding or crack vinyl siding.
Work in relatively small areas, rinsing, applying detergent, and rinsing each area before moving on to the next section. This will prevent the detergent from drying on the surface of the siding.
An adequate pressure washer can be purchased for $150 to $250 dollars, or you can rent one for $50 to $75 per day. Once you learn how to use it, you may find many other uses for the tool; buying one might be a good investment.
Some pressure washers have rotating brush attachments. These accessories can work well for siding that has thick layers of grime.
The joys of carpeting are many: It’s undeniably the softest, most comfortable type of flooring, it muffles sound, and it helps insulate rooms from temperature swings. But that plush pile is hiding a dark side. The very thing that makes carpeting so wonderful
1.Bugs
A study published in Scientific Reports found that carpeted homes had a greater variety of insects than non-carpeted homes. The researchers theorized, however, that most of these insects didn’t actually live in the carpeting. Instead, once inside the home, many became caught in the carpet pile and perished, turning the carpeting into into a plush bug cemetery.
Solution: Vacuum at least weekly to remove bugs, and patch up any rips or gaps around windows and doors to help keep bugs out to begin with.
2.Mold
One of the biggest problems with carpet is that it soaks up fluid faster than you can blot it dry. That means that spilled food or drinks tend to wick deep down into the carpet fibers and pad, where they become a breeding ground for various types of mold. Not only does mold lead to stains and odor, but mold spores are another common cause of indoor allergies.
Solution: Always blot spills dry as quickly as possible, and then follow up with an enzyme cleaner to break down and remove food residue.
3.Skin Flakes
On average, you shed 1.5 million skin flakes each day. Multiply that by the number of people living in your home, and then consider that those flakes have to go somewhere—and that “somewhere” is generally down to the floor, where the flakes wedge between carpet fibers. While that’s gross enough, the real problem is that those flakes become dinner for dust mites, and dust mite waste is one of the most common causes of indoor allergies.
Solution: Vacuum regularly, and keep your carpet dry, because dust mites are most comfortable when the humidity is high.
4.Pollen
Spring is in the air, and that means pollen is everywhere—including on your carpets. Actually, pollen is a year-round problem in many areas, and the dusty stuff easily enters your home through open windows and doors as well as on your clothing. That’s a problem, because pollen is a common cause of hay fever and asthma flare-ups.
Solution: Vacuum your carpets at least once a week, and more often if you tend to keep windows open or have an allergy sufferer at home.
5.Dog Poop
Even if you don’t own a dog, it’s almost certain that your carpet contains microscopic bits of dog droppings. Take your child to the park and walk on the grass, stroll down a city sidewalk, step into the gutter as you get out of your car…all day long, your shoes are picking up residue from animal waste, which wipes off onto your carpet when you get home.
Solution: Take your shoes off at your front door, and change into a pair of indoor-only slippers or house shoes.
6.Kitty Litter
Fluffy is a beloved member of your family, but an indoor cat means a litter box, and that means tracked litter. Once cat litter hits the carpet, it works its way down between the fibers, bringing bacteria, odor, and grit along with it.
Solution: Spread a nubby pad to catch litter next to the litter box. It will trap loose litter and help clean off your cat’s feet at the same time.
7.Germs
According to microbiologist Dr. Philip Tierno of NYU Langone Medical Center, carpet can contain a shocking 200,000 bacteria per square inch. That’s more than your toilet seat! While most of these germs are harmless, others, including E. coli, salmonella, and staphylococcus, can cause digestive upset, skin infections, respiratory illness, or allergic reactions.
Solution: Give your carpets a thorough, deep steam cleaning at least once per year.
8.Dirt
Your carpet can hold a whole lot of dirt. In fact, there are potentially several pounds of it spread throughout the house. Most of that dirt is tracked in on shoes or on the feet and fur of pets, although some blows in through open doors and windows, or comes down the fireplace. Once dirt gets in the carpet, it creates stains and can increase populations of bacteria, mold, and bugs.
Solution: Put doormats at all entrances to your home so family and visitors can wipe dirt off their shoes, and vacuum weekly.
Health experts agree that the most important measures for preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus as the U.S. grapples with rising COVID-19 rates are social distancing, mask wearing, and practicing good hand hygiene.
That said, disinfecting high-touch objects and surfaces — doorknobs, kitchen countertops, and the like — is another best practice to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses like the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As the 2020-21 flu season begins, you may feel increasingly motivated to go on the offensive against germs.
It’s important to realize that cleaning and disinfecting are not one and the same, says Susan Donelan, MD, the medical director of healthcare epidemiology at Stony Brook Medicine in New York. “Cleaning is removing as much visible dirt and material as possible. Cleaning gets rid of the debris and any impurities that are on the surface of whatever it is that you’re looking to disinfect,” she says.
Disinfection usually is a chemical-based process intended to kill germs, says Dr. Donelan, adding, “Cleaning makes the disinfection process more efficient and effective.”
You likely have questions about specifics, starting with the best way to clean your hands (is sanitizer better than soap and water?). You may also be wondering, how often do you need to clean your cell phone and what’s the best way to do it? Do you really need to worry about your shoes tracking the coronavirus into your house? How should you disinfect the bedding of someone who is sick with COVID-19 or the flu?
Experts offer the answers to these and other urgent questions here.
Keeping your home or workplace clean is essential as it eliminates germs along with dirt and dust, resulting in better indoor air quality and living. However, with a busy schedule and millions of other things on your plate, cleaning chores can turn incredibly stressful and exhausting. But knowing quicker ways to clean your space can really come in handy.
Cleaning was playing a large part in the pandemic because everyone wanted to be as safe as they could. People were now getting assistance when it came to cleaning their homes, offices, and every other place with a large gathering of people. At the start of the pandemic, people were not open to meeting one another with a higher chance that they would catch the Coronavirus but as time passed, with the improvements to healthcare and people getting vaccinated, the Government started making some changes so people could start meeting one another.
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