In part one, we discussed the importance of hiring a San Diego restaurant cleaning company to help you prepare your restaurant for health department inspections.  Of all of the areas in a restaurant, the two places where the most activity goes on, the most dirt collects, and the health inspectors pay the closest attention to are the kitchen and the bathroom. Let’s take a look at some of the many cleaning tasks involved in keeping these two areas clean, sanitary, and inspection-ready.

Kitchen: Vacuum, sweep, mop all floors, thoroughly clean and sanitize appliances, vents, hoods, cabinets, drawers, and shelves. Tile grout cleaning and sealant treatment when applicable, rubber mat flooring cleaning and disinfection, polish all stainless steel fixtures, wash and sanitize counter tops and food preparation services, clean and sanitize sinks and garbage disposals, remove trash and sanitize waste receptacle bins, clean and sanitize commercial fridge and freezer units, range and grill cleaning, microwave oven cleaning.

Restroom: Clean and disinfect toilets, urinals, and sinks, clean and sanitize doors, walls, and room dividers, clean mirrors and glass surfaces, clean, disinfect, and unclog drains and sinks, thoroughly clean and disinfect storage surfaces, clean, mop, vacuum, and sweep floors, empty trash bins and disinfect them, restock toilet paper, paper towel, and soap dispensers.

When you decide to hire a professional restaurant cleaning service, there are several important questions that you must ask.  The right cleaning service can make sure that your restaurant looks clean and professional and is a sanitary and safe environment for your customers, and your employees. The wrong restaurant cleaning service can be a nightmare.

How do you decide if the San Diego cleaning service that you are thinking of hiring is the right one? By asking the following questions.

• Are You Bonded And Licensed? If the answer is “no,” think twice before you hire them. Companies who don’t take the time and put in the effort to comply with state and federal licensing requirements or obtain bonding insurance are probably not very successful or very professional. In any case, if their employees or contract workers are not insured, and one of them becomes injured while cleaning your restaurant, YOU may be held liable.
• Are you available 24/7? If a company has a 24 hr service that you can call to request services and to speak with customer service representatives, then you can be assured that you will always be able to connect with them.
• What types of specialty cleaning services do you provide? What if you need a one-time move in or move out cleaning, construction clean up or day porter service? Will the cleaning service be able to provide these services and others?
• What is included in the service agreement? And just as importantly: what is not? Will the cleaning crew bring their own cleaning supplies with them, or will they use what you have on hand at your restaurant? Will you be expected to pay for the costs of any cleaning supplies or materials that the crew uses? Make sure that you are very clear about what is, and what isn’t included in your service contract.
• Who are some of your other clients? You wouldn’t hire an employee without references, and you shouldn’t hire a restaurant cleaning service without asking for, and checking their references, either.

If the idea of cleaning a commercial kitchen sounds like a big job, that’s because it is. Like all big jobs, the best way to accomplish it is to break it up into a series of smaller tasks. In between visits from your San Diego restaurant cleaning service, it is important to keep your commercial kitchen spotless, both for aesthetic and health and safety reasons.

• Clean and sanitize all cutting boards, countertops, and surfaces after each use. Wipe surfaces with a damp rag, and then again with a dry one, before using a sanitizing solution to clean and disinfect. Many foodborne illnesses are caused by improper cleaning and sanitation practices.
• Wipe down ovens with a scrubbing pad and a solution of soap and water on a daily basis or as needed. To remove stubborn stains from grills, allow them to warm up and then use a wire brush and a damp rag to clean them.
• Empty your kitchen trash cans as soon as they fill up. This will help to keep your kitchen clean and sanitary and will also discourage pests.
• Set aside time for larger tasks, such as mopping the floors, cleaning range hoods, etc. at a time when the restaurant is closed and on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis as needed. Be sure to ask your San Diego commercial cleaning service for more cleaning tips and advice.

While cleaning grease traps may not be the most pleasant task in the world, the good news is that with regular maintenance, cleaning grease traps does not have to be a particularly difficult or time-consuming task.

• The first step is to remove the cover. Be sure to do this carefully so that you don’t accidentally damage the gasket. Remove the grease and oil at the top of the trap, and then carefully remove the baffles.
• Clean the baffles with a soft sponge and soap and water and then rinse them thoroughly.
• Once the baffles are clean, use a flexible brush to clean the inside of the bypass vent. Then, carefully replace the baffles.
• To dispose of the grease, place it in a lined garbage bag and take it to the local dump. In some cases, your cleaning service may dispose of the grease for you.

If you’re a restaurant owner, then you know that restaurants are high traffic areas, particularly in food preparation areas, where oil, grime, food, and grease deposits can build up, solidify, and require intense and time consuming scrubbing to remove. One solution to quickly remove these deposits is to use a pressure washer. Pressure washers use high-pressured blasts of water and cleaning solution to quickly and effectively clean large surfaces. When using a pressure washer, keep the following in mind:

• Use only the chemicals and cleaning products that have been approved for use in your pressure washer. Detergents and degreasers not designed for use in pressure washers can corrode the internal components of the washer and can even cause harm to the surfaces that you are trying to clean.
• Test the power of your pressure washer before using it. Begin spraying a few feet away from an object and gradually move the pressure wand closer if necessary. It is best to start from a distance when cleaning an object or surface for the first time, since pressure washers are very powerful.
• Be safe. Always wear the right face, hand, and eye protection when using your pressure washer, and be sure to keep your hands and feet at a safe distance from the cleaning nozzle at all times.

Pressed for time? Who isn’t, nowadays? The good news is that when it comes to San Diego restaurant cleaning, it is always possible to find time to fit in some additional cleaning tasks, in addition to your regular restaurant cleaning, that will make your kitchen sparkle.

• Countertops: place a large, warm cleaning cloth on the surface of the countertop for about a minute, and then remove it. This loosens dirt and sticky messes, making them easier to remove and saving you time.
• Appliances: Take a few minutes to remove any visible debris from the surfaces of your kitchen appliances with a cleaning cloth or sponge. Simply doing this several times a day will greatly reduce the amount of time needed to clean your appliances more thoroughly when it comes time to do so.
• Floor: Scan your floor for any spills, tracked in debris, dirt, etc. Even if the floor of your kitchen is mopped and swept on a daily basis, it is still a good idea to keep an eye out for messes that, if not cleaned up promptly, can turn into larger messes and can even lead to slip and fall injuries. Take ten minutes out of your day to look for, and clean up, messy floors promptly.

A few minutes of cleaning throughout the day really can make a difference.