If you run a busy restaurant and want to lighten the load, hiring restaurant commercial cleaning services may have crossed your mind. The decision has pros and cons, ranging from the efficiency of a reliable team to the potential costs. But once you suss out the advantages and disadvantages, you can decide if paying for outside help is the right choice for your place. Either way, maintaining a clean dining space is essential if you want happy customers and to keep on the right side of public health inspectors.
Advantages of Hiring Restaurant Commercial Cleaning Services
Improved Hygiene and Customer Satisfaction:
Most importantly, a thoroughly clean environment reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses. And a sparkling clean restaurant leaves a positive impression on customers, enhancing your reputation. Word-of-mouth recommendations are great for business.
Expertise and Personalized Service
When you hire reputable commercial cleaning services, youโre not just getting a team, youโre getting their expertise. Theyโll know how to create a customized cleaning package tailored to your restaurantโs budget and needs, from daily cleaning to periodic deep cleaning. This can reassure you that your restaurant is in good hands.
Consistent Level of Cleanliness
Equally important, a hard-working team pays attention to detail, ensuring your restaurant always looks its best. And they will have a checklist of jobs and procedures. A thorough routine includes cleaning storage areas, walls, ceilings, high shelves, and door handles that are easy to overlook. DetailXPerts offers a sanitization program that uses steam technology to deliver a superior clean in a methodical manner.
Save Time
You will save precious time if you hire restaurant cleaning services and hand over the responsibility to the professionals. Delegating the cleaning frees you up to run your restaurant, focusing on providing good food and great customer service.
Likewise, outsourcing the cleaning means your staff can also focus on their duties and responsibilities. Even if their job includes wiping down tables between sittings and tidying up throughout the day, a quick clean-up is not on the same level as professional cleaning services.
Specialist Equipment
A lot of time and effort goes into cleaning a restaurant. Dining chairs and tables, countertops, the kitchen and equipment, storage areas, floors, windows, and so on. Therefore, the job becomes so much easier and quicker with the aid of commercial cleaning equipment.
A professional commercial cleaning company with a good reputation will use high-grade equipment, such as commercial vacuum cleaners, floor buffers, and steam cleaning technology, to help them do a superior job.
Flexible Cleaning Schedule
If you want a clean and sanitized restaurant, schedule the job when it suits you. I.e., chefs, kitchen staff and servers must work without interruption during opening hours. Likewise, customers want to enjoy their meal in peace without someone mopping the floor around them. Restaurant commercial cleaning services will have a flexible schedule to suit out-of-hours requirements. Get them to come in before you open the restaurant or after closing time.
Free Up Storage Space
One of the most cited violations during routine restaurant inspections is improper storage or use of toxic items in the kitchen. For example, storing cleaning fluids next to food and/or food preparation areas. But you can get around this if mobile restaurant cleaning services bring their own commercial cleaning supplies.
On the other hand, if you decide to hire a cleaner as part of your regular staff, you will need to find safe, secure storage space for not just cleaning supplies, but also all cleaning equipment that goes with the job.
Mobile cleaning companies are fully equipped for the job. DetailXPerts brings all the necessary equipment and cleaning supplies to your site. Plus, you wonโt have to stress about routine inspections flagging improper storage of cleaning fluids in your establishment. Furthermore, this type of mobile service is ideal for:
Compliance with Regulations
Expert cleaning teams understand local health and safety codes, helping you maintain compliance and avoid fines. Moreover, they provide documentation of services for inspections, like grease trap cleaning and sanitation of food prep areas.
Reduced Liability
For your peace of mind, trained professionals minimize the risk of accidents related to improper cleaning methods, like slippery floors or incorrect waste disposal.
Disadvantages of Hiring Restaurant Cleaning Services
Hiring Outside Help Adds to the Cost of Running a Restaurant
It can be expensive. You must add the cost of cleaning services to your outgoings. If you donโt want to pay a professional cleaning firm, cut costs by tasking each restaurant employee with specific cleaning responsibilities. However, you must ensure that the extra workload doesnโt impact their well-being or their ability to do other work in the restaurant.
If you decide to employ someone as a full-time cleaner, you must account for their salary, which can be a significant cost. Additionally, have a backup plan for this personโs sick days. And you have to pay for all the additional cleaning supplies and equipment. With this in mind, budgeting for a professional cleaning service provider might be money well spent in the long term.
Strong-Smelling Cleaning Products
Find out what type of cleaning products a professional cleaning service business uses. Some heavy-duty products are chemical-based with strong or perfumed odors. While this may not be an issue in larger office buildings, you canโt get away with it in a restaurant where people prepare or eat food.
Instead, employ green cleaning services. For example, DetailXPerts sanitize and kill viruses using steam technology and/or specific EPA-registered disinfectants that are odor-free. Steamโs sterilizing properties also meet medical office cleaning requirements.
Lack of Availability
Relying entirely on external companies might leave you without help if they fail to deliver or miss a scheduled cleaning. Finding a reliable team that turns up on time can be a challenge for restaurant owners and managers.
Disappointing Service
Not all cleaning companies deliver the same high standards. Thatโs why itโs important to research reviews and recommendations to ensure you hire someone with experience in the restaurant industry. Also, set clear expectations. Outline tasks, schedules, and specific areas requiring extra attention. And regularly check the quality of cleaning to ensure standards are met.
What Does Professional Restaurant Cleaning Include?
But before you hire outside help, itโs good to know what youโre paying for. Firstly, bear in mind that cleaning requirements vary depending on the size and type of your restaurant. Youโve also got the option of commercial kitchen cleaning services. Hereโs an overview of what to expect:
Dining Area
- Sweeping and mopping floors.
- Vacuuming carpets and rugs.
- Wiping down tables, chairs, and high-touch surfaces like menus and door handles.
- Cleaning windows and mirrors.
- Emptying trash bins and replacing liners.
Deep Cleaning Dining Area
- Steam cleaning carpets without saturating the material.
- Polishing floors.
- Dusting and cleaning light fixtures, vents, and wall art.
- Sanitizing upholstery.
Kitchen
- Wiping down and sanitizing food prep surfaces and cutting boards.
- Sweeping and mopping floors to remove grease and debris.
- Cleaning stovetops, grills, and fryers.
- Emptying and disinfecting trash bins.
- Cleaning sinks and faucets.
Deep Cleaning Kitchen
- Degreasing and cleaning range hoods, ducts, and filters.
- Cleaning ovens, refrigerators, freezers, and other appliances inside and out.
- Sanitizing walls, ceilings, and shelving units.
- Maintaining grease traps.
- Sanitizing storage areas.
Restrooms
- Scrubbing and disinfecting toilets, sinks, and countertops.
- Replenishing toilet paper, soap, and hand towels.
- Cleaning mirrors and glass surfaces.
- Emptying trash bins and replacing liners.
- Mopping floors with disinfectant.
Outdoor Areas (if applicable)
- Parking lot cleaning
- Sweeping walkways and patios.
- Outdoor cleaning and sanitizing seating and tables.
- Power washing patios, sidewalks, and outdoor fixtures.
- Maintaining and cleaning outdoor trash receptacles.
Other Factors to Consider
As you assess the advantages and disadvantages of hiring restaurant commercial cleaning services, bear in mind other factors that might shape your decision-making. For example:
Eco-friendly Methods
Green cleaning is kinder to human health and the planet. For example, steam cleaning removes odors to keep your restaurant smelling clean and fresh. Equally important, steam kills 99% of viruses and bacteria to ensure a sanitized food preparation area. Steamโs sterilizing properties also make it ideal for hospital cleaning and lab cleaning.
First Impressions
Customers often judge a restaurantโs quality by its cleanliness. A spotless environment can enhance their confidence in your food and service. So, to be successful in the restaurant trade, you canโt afford to let hygiene standards slip.
If you donโt have a clean place, your customers will simply move on to the next eating establishment. And thereโs a lot of competition. Statistics show in 2024, full-service restaurant (FSR) franchises in the U.S. generated an estimated $80.2 billion. And the quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchise industry market value was $287.6 billion in 2023.
Price of Professional Restaurant Cleaning
The cost of commercial restaurant cleaning services varies depending on what type of restaurant you own or manage and how often you need a cleaning team. For example:
- Fast Food Restaurants: Fryers create heavy grease buildup that needs regular cleaning and professional grease trap maintenance. Busy quick-service restaurant kitchens also require frequent cleaning, including kitchen hoods, to reduce fire risks. This can often mean higher costs if cleaning takes a bit more time and effort. Choose a cleaning company that works around your schedule to avoid disrupting your fast-paced food service.
- Full Service Restaurants: There is more of everything to clean in full service restaurants compared to QSRs. So, larger spaces with more square footage, equipment, and countertops take more time to wipe down and sanitize, which is reflected in costs.
- Fine Dining: In fine dining restaurants, professional cleaning is not just about hygiene, itโs a big part of delivering a first-class dining experience. So, you may have to pay for more frequent cleaning services. Also, it may take longer to clean high-end materials, such as leather upholstery and carpets (instead of tiled flooring).
Conclusion
To sum up, the advantages of hiring a professional cleaning service are usually greater than the disadvantages. For example, if the company does an excellent job, your restaurant will comply with hygiene regulations to eliminate the spread of foodborne illnesses. This will also provide extra protection for your business when routine restaurant inspections from health officials occur.
And youโll save time, especially for complex or time-intensive duties like deep cleaning kitchen equipment or maintaining grease traps. Above all, a clean and appealing environment impresses customers and may lead to repeat business.
The key point is to work out your budget. Employing a full-time cleaner on your staff may be more expensive than hiring restaurant cleaning services. So, research prices before you decide. Prioritize green cleaning too. DetailXPerts uses the latest steam technology and EPA-registered disinfectants to sanitize restaurant spaces.
