It is a fact that people make a judgement about a pub in a matter of seconds. They walk in, take a look around and they instantly know whether they will feel comfortable there or not. And one of the main driving forces of this instant decision is the cleanliness of the pub. A dirty bar or pub is an instant turn-off for many would-be patrons, which is why it is so important to have a detailed pub cleaning checklist. That way you and your staff will know exactly which jobs need to be done daily, weekly, and monthly to keep your pub clean and inviting to all of your customers.
Of course, keeping customers happy is just one reason to keep your pub clean. The other is to ensure that you meet health and safety regulations. Your pub will be regularly inspected as part of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) and if you don't meet their cleaning standards then you may get a poor rating or even get shut down.
Poor hygiene in a place that sells food and drinks can make customers seriously ill so all pub owners have a responsibility to do everything they can to keep their pub as clean as possible.
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As with at-home cleaning, some cleaning tasks need to be done every day, some need to be done weekly, and some deep cleaning tasks should be done fortnightly or monthly. In addition to that, you should make sure that you have a clear cleaning checklist after closing and before opening to ensure that the bar is clean for your customers.
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Before you open, you should make sure that you complete the following tasks:
It is important to keep up with bar cleaning tasks during service. It needs to be kept as clean as possible so that it is an enjoyable environment for the last customer as well as for the first.
Closing procedures are just as important as opening ones. The bar will need to be in a good enough state that the opening cleaning checklist can be completed easily.
As well as the daily cleaning tasks, a more deep cleaning needs to be done weekly to keep the bar clean.
Some tasks don't need to be completed weekly but they are very important as they ensure that your bar is clean from the ground up. Aim to complete these once a month or every couple of months, and sooner if needed.
The bathrooms of your bar or pub will always need special attention. These are the areas that can get unsanitary very quickly so they need to be inspected regularly. It is a good idea, as part of your bar cleaning schedule, to have a member of staff check the bathrooms every hour.
They can replace the toilet roll, sanitise the toilet bowls, empty the bins if needed, mop the floors if needed, and check for any messes that need attention.
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Keeping on top of your beer lines is an important bar cleaning task that should ideally be completed weekly. Mould and bacteria can easily grow within beer lines and beer taps and can contaminate the beer which could make your patrons very ill. They can also become contaminated with limestone, brownstone, and yeast.
Cleaning beer lines is a pretty simple task, once you know what you're doing. If there are specific instructions that apply to your beer lines, make sure that you follow them.
You should only ever clean your beer lines when your pub is closed as beer line cleaners can be toxic. Because of this, you should also ensure that it is made clear when the beer lines are being cleaned. This can be as simple as a paper sign.
Fill the cleaning vessel with cold water and turn off the gas taps to the kegs. Then you should disconnect the keg couplers and clean them using a specialist cleaning solution and keg line brushes.
Then spray each cleaning ring main socket before connecting them, after which you can turn on the gas or compressed air supply. Bleed until the beer has been replaced by water and then open each tap, again until the beer has been replaced by water, before closing them again.
Add the cleaning solution to the cleaning vessel and fill it with water. Then go back through and bleed the FOB detectors and beer taps until the cleaning solution replaces the water. Then leave for the recommended time.
Repeat the bleeding and filling process twice more, waiting for the recommended time each time. Add more cleaning solution if needed.
Then go through and replace the cleaning solution with water, bleeding it through. Then turn off the gas or compressed air, reconnect the gas to the kegs, and bleed the FOB detectors and beer taps until the water is replaced with beer. Make sure that the beer looks, smells, and tastes normal.
Whether or not you use a professional cleaning company, and how often you do, will depend on a few different factors. These will include the size of your pub and how many staff you have.
Some people choose to have their bar staff complete the in-service cleaning and bring in professionals for their deep bar cleaning, before closing, and/or before opening. After all, you probably don't need a professional cleaner to change out bar mats but it might be a good idea to have one to make sure everything is sanitised and safe.
If you are looking for a professional cleaning company to help you with your bar cleaning, get in touch with us here at The Sparkle Gang. We have plenty of experience with the ins and outs of bar cleaning and how to keep your bar safe, sanitary, and inviting to customers.
We will work with you to help to keep your business clean so that you never make a bad impression again and we will also ensure that it meets all health and safety rules and regulations. Our cleaning technicians are experienced and use all of the highest quality cleaning products and equipment. We can also be flexible to work within your business needs.
