Importance of a Clean Restaurant
TIt is imperative that your restaurant is clean for a multitude of reasons, some of which include:
- Health: Unsanitary preparation areas, improperly swept surfaces, and greasy hoods can all lead to cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses. It also places you in violation of health codes and can cause your restaurant to be shut down. A cleaning service ensures that your restaurant remains clean and safe.0
- Employee respect: Keeping your restaurant clean is a great way to keep your employees working hard and respectful of their peers and environment. A dirty restaurant can easily cause complacency (why do my best when the place looks like this?) and a lack of respect for your business.
- First impressions: Let’s face it, a big part of a customer’s first impression of any business is how it looks. If any part of your business looks dirty, especially a restaurant, customers are apt to assume the rest of the establishment is just as dirty.
Get Free Price Quotes
Benefits to Hiring A Commercial Cleaner
Choosing to hire a commercial restaurant cleaning service comes with a multitude of benefits, such as:
- Off-hours cleaning: When you have your staff performing all of your cleaning duties, you either have to have them do it during business hours or pay them to stay late. Hiring a service means a crew of professionals comes in during off hours to do the cleaning, usually faster than untrained personnel can.
- Professional results: A cleaning company is staffed by trained and experienced professionals that have the proper tools and knowledge to do the job right. You might think that you can handle it yourself, but hiring a professional means your cleanings keep you within health code regulations.
- Time management: Since hiring a cleaning service means your employees won’t be doing as much cleaning anymore, this leaves them with more time to focus on restaurant-related tasks. Not to say they’ll never perform any cleaning duties, but they will have more time to focus on their primary job.
Cost Factors
Several factors determine the cost of a commercial restaurant cleaning service. Different companies use different methods to determine costs, so prices vary from service to service.
- Kitchen cleaning: It is imperative that you keep your kitchen as clean as possible. Lighter duty cleanings generally cost less than more heavy-duty tasks, such as hood degreasing. Kitchens have more intensive sanitation needs and will most definitely contribute to your costs.
- Flooring type: Different types of floor have different cleaning needs. You wouldn’t use the exact same methods to clean carpet and hardwood, so costs may differ depending on your floor type.
- Frequency of cleanings: One-time cleanings are almost always more expensive than recurring visits. Most companies allow you to establish nightly, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cleaning schedules.
- Number of restrooms: Bathroom counters, floors, mirrors, sinks, and toilets should all be cleaned frequently. Similar to kitchens, they tend to require more attention than other areas.
- Restaurant size: The first cost-influencing factor is the size of the restaurant itself. The larger the space, the more you can expect to pay.
- Services provided: The services a company provides also determines costs. Light duties such as dusting, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and restocking paper supplies typically cost less than more intensive duties.
How Much Does a Commercial Restaurant Cleaning Service Cost?
While the cost of commercial restaurant cleaning services depends on the factors listed above, here is a pricing guide based on industry averages to provide an idea of what you can expect to pay for a commercial cleaning service:
- Some companies charge by the square foot, while others charge by the hour. Light services such as cleaning bathrooms, dusting, and vacuuming have an average cost between $0.05 and $0.20 per square foot, or between $20 and $50 per hour.
- Carpet cleaning has an average cost between $0.05 and $0.25 per square foot.
- The cost of stripping and waxing hardwood, tile, or vinyl floors averages between $0.20 and $0.30 per square foot.
- Kitchen cleaning comes at a higher cost, due to the increased difficulty. The cost of kitchen cleaning averages between $50 and $150 per hour.
Choosing a Cleaning Service
Before you make a final decision on a cleaning service, there are some factors you must consider besides cost:
- Credentials: Any cleaning service you consider should be certified by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification), which is a nonprofit that sets the standards for the cleaning, inspection, and restoration industries.
- Meeting with the company: Before you hire anyone, sit down and meet the people that might be cleaning your restaurant. Feel free to ask questions, after all, it is your business you’re looking after.
- References and reviews: Obtain some references for the cleaning service, both by asking the company itself and by asking others in your industry about their experience with it. It is also a good idea to read through any available reviews and look into a service’s record with the BBB (Better Business Bureau).
- Specialists: Choosing a company that specializes in restaurant cleaning is a good move; it means it has experience working within the industry and is more likely to meet your standards.
- Your needs: It is important that you figure out what your restaurant needs in terms of cleaning, what areas need it, and how often.