The ultimate pub cleaning checklist

Do you own or manage a pub that serves food? Then you'll know how important it is to keep it clean. Not only is a tidy and sanitary space important for the comfort and safety of your patrons and staff, but it's essential for passing food hygiene safety inspections.

Whether you're new to managing pubs or an experienced operator in the industry, we're here to help you keep on top of cleaning. We've compiled a cleaning checklist for everything you should do daily, including before opening, after closing, and during service. Following these steps will ensure a sanitary and safe space for everyone, and will greatly support a food safety inspection pass, alongside your other efforts.

What is covered in food hygiene inspections?

For those unaware of what will be looked at during food hygiene inspections, here is what food.gov.uk states as the three main inspection focuses:

• How hygienically is food handled? They'll look at how food is prepared, cooked, reheated, cooled, and stored.
• What is the physical condition of the business? They'll look at cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control, and other facilities.
• How is food safety managed and documented? They'll look at the ways in which you manage food safety, including staff training and hygiene systems.

The outcome of these inspections, carried out by Environmental Health Officers employed by your local council, can mean the temporary or permanent closure of your business if your pub fails, so passing is crucial.

Closing checklist

These cleaning tasks should be carried out after the pub has closed to the public for the night. The aim here is to thoroughly clean to prevent the buildup of odours, bacteria, and pests (such as fruit flies) overnight, and to ensure opening cleaning tasks are easy to do. Once again, use high-quality cleaning products and food-safe disinfectant in areas where food is handled or served.

General cleaning

• Sweep, vacuum, and mop all floors.
• Empty all bins.
• Clean and sanitise all table tops, backs of chairs, menus, bin lids, and other high-touch surfaces.
• Collect bar towels and other textiles for washing.

Bar cleaning

• Shut down and clean coffee machines and hot drink stations, if you've got them.
• Clean and sanitise all bar surfaces, including the bar top, speed rails, and garnish trays. If it's safe to keep leftover garnishes, remove them from the tray and put them in a clean tray, then store, covered, in the fridge.
• Clean and sanitise beer taps, soda dispenser guns, and other nozzles and faucets. Dispenser gun nozzles should then be soaked.
• Empty and sanitise ice bins.
• Ensure all dirty glasses are cleaned and put away.

Bathrooms

• Make sure restrooms are tidy and toilets are flushed in preparation for a thorough clean during opening tasks.

Opening checklist

These cleaning tasks should be carried out before you open your pub to the public each day. The aim is to create a fresh environment for your patrons. Use high-quality products to properly sanitise the areas you clean. When cleaning areas that may come into contact with food, ensure you're using a food-safe disinfectant.

General cleaning

1. Check and dispose of any debris around your building, such as litter in your doorways, and sweep your entrances.
2. Sweep and/or vacuum all floors to ensure they're still fresh after the previous night's cleaning.
3. Wipe down all hard surfaces, such as tabletops and stool seats.
4. Dust light fittings, frames, shelves, and other surfaces that collect dust. The same as above applies here too: you might not think this should be done daily, but by doing so, you greatly reduce future task time.

Bar cleaning

• Wipe down the bar surfaces and check the taps and dispensers to ensure they're still clean post-closing cleaning.

Bathroom cleaning

• Clean toilets, urinals, sinks, and taps.
• Clean mirrors, countertops, door handles, hand dryers, and other high-touch surfaces.
• Refill soaps, toilet roll, paper towels, and, if provided, sanitary products.

Daily cleaning tasks

While you're busy running daily operations, it's important to keep on top of messes as they happen. Ensure your staff follow this daily cleaning checklist in between their work tasks.

• Clean up spills and dropped food as they happen.
• Wipe down menus regularly if they're made of a wipe-clean material.
• Check the bathrooms at least hourly to ensure they're tidy.
• Replace garnishes and clean trays if they become contaminated by spilt drinks.

One-off deep cleaning service

Is your pub in need of a complete cleaning reset, or have you recently taken over a bar that fell into disrepair under previous owners? Consider a professional deep clean service. We'll ensure no corner is left untouched, leaving your premises looking, smelling, and feeling like new. We can even do the kitchen as part of a deep clean service, getting behind heavy-duty equipment to leave the whole room sparkling and fresh. It's worth noting, however, that ventilation duct cleaning is a specialist service that we are unable to offer our clients.

No time to follow our pub cleaning checklist? Get in touch

If keeping up with a thorough cleaning schedule of the main pub area on top of everything else managing and running a pub entails, then turn to the professionals. Vivo Clean offers contract cleaning for pubs and bars, in which we'll handle the cleaning of your pub on a repeat schedule put together just for you. This could be anything from a few times a week before opening, or a fortnightly deeper clean to get everything back up to pristine standards. We can even supply you with a cleaner or a team of cleaners to visit for daily bar cleaning.

When you're ready to discuss what you need, get in touch. We'll talk through your requirements and our solutions, tailoring a commercial cleaning plan unique to you and your pub. Call our friendly team on 01473 599 500, email us at hello@vivoclean.co.uk, or fill in our enquiry form to get a call back.