How Often Should a Restaurant Kitchen be Cleaned?

May 07, 2019 Leave a Comment

A dirty restaurant kitchen not only shows that the business has no respect for what they do, it can lead to serious health issues that could cause customers to become ill. It is also a violation of many state and federal guidelines that could cause you to be fined or even shut down, which results in loss of income. Whether you run a high school cafeteria, a hospital cafeteria, a restaurant in a hotel, or a chain of fast food restaurants, cleanliness is one of the most important duties that go along with running a quality kitchen. With this in mind, how often should a restaurant kitchen be cleaned?


The simple answer is every day, after every food service. A restaurant kitchen should never be left uncleaned after it has been used. In fact, cleaning will typically be going on even during food service, particularly where pots, pans, utensils, and other kitchen items are concerned. There should also be some cleaning going on during the food service, particularly where it comes to wiping down counters to prevent cross contamination.

Who Dictates the Health Rules for Commercial Restaurants?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations, as well as various per state organizations, put health codes in place and enforce those codes. The rules do vary from one state to the next, but generally speaking, the surface areas, utensils, floors, cooking appliances, and walls should be cleaned after every food service. They should also be gone over briefly between shifts. Deeper cleaning should be done anywhere between once a week to once a month, depending upon the establishment. The primary goal is to maintain a clean, well-sanitized, and safe environment regularly. The food establishment should be ready for a health inspection at any time. That's why keeping a regular cleaning schedule is so important. Having a cleaning schedule allows your employees to know what needs to be cleaned and when. In the 2013 FDA Food Code, there are laws and regulations about how often surfaces and equipment need attention. These regulations are meant to give clarity to when food-contact non-food-contact surfaces should be cleaned. It's a good idea to review these guidelines and create your schedule around these laws and regulations.

Clean Restaurant Checklist

There are many places to clean in a restaurant. Some might be easy to overlook because they aren't in plain view. These areas can easily harbor germs. Some examples of areas that should be cleaned include:

• Grease on kitchen hoods and exhaust fans
• Floor mats and surfaces
• Grease traps
• Underneath appliances where grease can build up unseen
• Clean and disinfect sinks, countertops, and all sides of appliances
• Between appliances

Many areas of a commercial kitchen are overlooked or simply ignored because they are too difficult to get to. This is no excuse, of course, but it happens. Some of these areas include the nozzles of soda fountains, slicers for cheese and meat, coils on cooling systems, fans and lights, and the outside garbage area. These places should not be overlooked because they certainly harbor germs and bacteria that can be tracked around a restaurant and out into the dining area.

Speaking of the dining area, the same attention to detail should be given to it as you do to the area where cooking and food preparation happens. The same guidelines that apply to the kitchen apply to the dining area as well.

Something else to consider regarding keeping your commercial kitchen clean is the products you use. Why use harmful, toxic chemical-based cleaners that you need to keep in storage? GenEon has a better, safer, and more cost-effective way to clean your restaurant.

At GenEon, we believe in keeping consumers safe and protecting the environment by with cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products that are safer than those store-bought and commercial-strength products found on the market. Our cleaners are made by consumers using on-site generation technology, which lets you make only the product you need for a specific job or cleaning session. Our cleaners, sanitizers, and disinfecting solutions begin with our proprietary Electrolyte, which allows consumers to harness the power of natural minerals to make the cleaning, sanitizing, degreasing, and disinfecting solutions that are environmentally-safe and cost-effective. This also means you eliminate the need to store harmful chemical cleaning solutions on site.


Our proprietary mineral catalysts (activators) let you make the specific cleaning solutions you need. For commercial restaurants and kitchens, GenEon has a range of non-toxic eco-friendly solution:

GEN-PREP FLOOR CLEANING CATALYST: This is a floor prep and deep cleaning, floor scrubbing solution for use with our GenEon Immerse-A-Clean.

CARPET- GEN CLEANING CATALYST: This produces an effective, safe carpet and upholstery cleaner that works with our Immerse-A-Clean. Clean your carpets, area rugs, furniture, and even car interiors with this environmentally-safe solution. Ideal for dining areas that have carpeting and upholstered seating.

HEAVY DUTY ALL PURPOSE CLEANING CATALYST: This produces a heavy-duty, versatile all-purpose cleaner ideal for use on countertops, tabletops, stovetops, ovens, floors, sinks, and other surfaces. This product is best used with the Immerse-A-Clean. Since this is an all-purpose cleaner, it can be used for many areas of a commercial kitchen, and since it is safer and less toxic than commercial cleaning products, it can be used regularly.

GLASS & GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANING CATALYST: Produces the perfect solution for mirrors, windows, glass of all kinds, chrome, and a wide variety of surfaces. This non-toxic glass cleaner is ideal for many applications. Get rid of all those blue liquids that contain chemicals and try a glass cleaner that doesn't streak, disinfects, and even cleans a variety of other surfaces, including chrome and other kinds of metal, making it ideal for many kitchen appliances.

Cleaning Systems that Deliver

At GenEon, we also have the most advanced cleaning technology in the world. Our InstaFlow system is compact, high-volume Electro-Chemical Activation Technology for making cleaning, degreasing and sanitizing solutions on demand. It's perfect for use with our Mist / bMist delivery systems. These delivery systems ensure even distribution of our proprietary sanitizers and disinfectants over all surfaces, both in open spaces and hard to reach areas. Our toxic-free, eco-friendly cleaning solutions combined with our advanced on-site generation and our cleaning systems are the best, safest way to clean and sanitize any commercial food establishment effectively, all while saving money, which means a safer business with a better bottom line.

When you want the power of commercial cleaners and sanitizers without all the health and environmental risks, or if you want an alternative to a closet full of chemical-based cleaners, GenEon has the advanced cleaning products you're looking for. Browse our website and see how we can help you keep a safer, cleaner restaurant. For more information, call us at 866.217.0205.


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