Daily Cleaning Checklist

Closing-shift cleaning and shutdown routine for a full-service restaurant. Covers FOH, restrooms, BOH line, bar, and end-of-day lockup with sanitizer-strength logging and walk-in temperature verification.

Use this workflow
1

Front-of-House Cleaning

  1. Wipe down tables, chairs, and banquettes
  2. Sweep and mop the dining-room floor
  3. Polish condiment caddies, salt and pepper, menus

    • Pull caddies to the bus station, wipe with sanitizer cloth, refill salt/pepper/sugar, and inspect menus for stains and tears. Pull any menu that's no longer presentable — guests notice greasy menus before they notice anything else.

  4. Reset host stand and waitlist tablet

    • Clear the day's covers from Resy/OpenTable/SevenRooms, plug the tablet to charge, and stock pens, kids' menus, and to-go menus for the next service.

2

Restrooms

  1. Restock toilet paper, paper towels, and soap
  2. Sanitize sinks, countertops, and toilet bowls

    • Use the bathroom-only sanitizer bucket — never the kitchen sanitizer cloth. Hit handles, flush levers, stall latches, and the back of the door; these are the high-touch surfaces inspectors check first.

  3. Clear floor drains and polish mirrors
  4. Flag any plumbing or fixture issues

    • A leaking faucet, slow drain, or out-of-order stall is a guest-experience and a health-code issue. Note the issue here so the GM sees it on the morning open and can call the plumber before the lunch rush.

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  5. Submit a maintenance ticket for the issue

    • Log the issue in your maintenance system (or email the GM directly). Include the fixture, the symptom, and a photo if it helps the plumber scope the visit.

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3

Back-of-House Cleaning

  1. Sanitize prep tables, cutting boards, and counters

    • Wash, rinse, sanitize — in that order. Color-coded boards (red/raw, green/produce, yellow/poultry) get washed separately to prevent cross-contamination. Allergen prep board gets washed last and stored separately.

  2. Test three-bay sink sanitizer concentration

    • Use a quat or chlorine test strip. Quat sanitizer should read 200–400 ppm; chlorine should read 50–100 ppm. Out-of-range readings are a critical health-code violation — remix the sanitizer bay before using it for closing dishes.

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  3. Clean grill, flat top, range, and fryers

    • Scrape the flat top while still warm; degrease per the manufacturer's spec. Filter or change fryer oil based on the cook's clarity check. Pull grill grates for soak overnight in the dish pit.

  4. Log walk-in and reach-in cooler temperatures

    • Cold-holding requires 41°F or below. Read the thermometer mounted inside each unit and record the closing temperature. If a unit reads above 41°F, escalate before leaving — food may need to be moved or pulled per the 4-hour rule.

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  5. Empty trash, replace liners, sanitize cans
4

Bar Area

  1. Sanitize bar top, speed rails, and sinks
  2. Run glassware through the bar dishwasher

    • Pull the spray arm and rinse the wash tank if the cycle's been running all night. Air-dry glassware on mats — towel-drying re-contaminates the rim.

  3. Wipe taps, drip trays, and back-bar shelves

    • Pull drip trays and rinse — sticky trays are a fruit-fly problem within 48 hours. Wipe down bottle shoulders on the back bar; dust on the call brands is what guests notice.

  4. Confirm draft lines are flushed on schedule

    • Beer lines should be cleaned every two weeks at minimum — sour or cloudy pours are usually a line-cleaning issue, not a keg issue. Note the date of the last cleaning on the bar log.

5

End-of-Day Shutdown

  1. Power down hood, equipment, and pilot lights

    • Follow the closing sequence posted on the line. Hood off last so it pulls residual heat and steam after the equipment is down.

  2. Cover, date-label, and store all prep

    • Every container gets a date label with prep date and use-by date. Rotate FIFO — older product to the front. Unlabeled containers in the walk-in are an automatic citation on inspection.

  3. Close open tabs and run the POS end-of-day

    • In Toast, Square, or Aloha — close any open tabs left at the bar before the lockout window. Run the end-of-day report so tip-out and cash variance reconcile cleanly for the GM in the morning.

  4. Lock doors, set alarm, complete closing sign-off

    • Manager on duty walks the building one last time — back door, side door, walk-in latched, hood off, alarm armed. Sign off below to close the run.

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