Kitchen cleaning checklists on Pilla.

Kitchen cleaning is not a single task. It is a system of routines that run at different frequencies, targeting different equipment and areas, carried out by different members of your team. Pilla breaks this down into five separate checklist templates so that every cleaning job has a clear owner, a defined frequency, and a recorded completion. Together, these templates give you a documented cleaning programme that satisfies EHO inspections and keeps your kitchen safe from contamination, pests, and bacterial growth.

Daily Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

The Daily Kitchen Cleaning Checklist covers essential cleaning tasks that must be completed before the end of every working day. It targets the areas and equipment that accumulate soil, grease, and bacteria fastest: fridges, cooking surfaces, dishwashers, floors, bins, and supply stations. Completing these 18 checks daily prevents contamination building up overnight and ensures your kitchen is reset for the next service.

• Wipe down internal walls and shelves of all fridges with food-safe sanitiser. Fridges accumulate spills, drips, and condensation throughout the day. Wiping internal surfaces with food-safe sanitiser removes bacteria before they can multiply overnight and helps prevent cross-contamination between stored items.

• Disinfect fridge door seals, focusing on folds and grooves. Door seals trap moisture, crumbs, and food debris in their folds, creating ideal conditions for mould and bacterial growth. Run a sanitiser-soaked cloth along each fold and groove, opening them out to reach hidden buildup.

• Remove pooled liquid from bottom of fridges and under salad drawers. Liquid pooling at the base of a fridge usually comes from defrosting, leaking packaging, or condensation. Left in place, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and can contaminate food stored on lower shelves.

• Empty and clean fridge drip trays. Drip trays collect condensation and overflow liquid from the cooling system. If they are not emptied and cleaned daily, they develop odours, attract pests, and can overflow onto surrounding floor areas.

• Clean and degrease hobs, burners, grills, and hot tops. Grease and carbonised food residue build up on cooking surfaces during every service. Use a heavy-duty alkaline degreaser and scrub thoroughly to remove burnt-on deposits that are both a fire hazard and a hygiene risk.

• Wipe internal surfaces of microwaves including trays and seals. Food splatters inside microwaves harden quickly and can harbour bacteria. Remove the turntable tray, wipe the interior walls and ceiling with sanitiser, and clean the door seal where food debris collects.

• Clean internal surfaces of ovens including trays, seals, and runners. Ovens accumulate carbonised grease on internal walls, runners, and door seals. Pull out trays and runners to scrub them separately, and wipe down the oven interior with an appropriate degreaser while the oven is cool enough to work on safely.

• Scrub fryers and hot holding units including under and behind. Fryers collect oil residue and food particles both inside the unit and around its base. Scrub the interior after draining, and pull the unit forward to clean underneath and behind where grease and debris accumulate out of sight.

• Drain dishwasher and scrub filters in hot water. Dishwasher filters trap food debris from every wash cycle. If not removed and scrubbed daily, they become clogged, reduce cleaning effectiveness, and create conditions for biofilm growth inside the machine.

• Remove and clean dishwasher wash and rinse arms. Wash and rinse arms have small nozzle holes that can become blocked with food particles and limescale. Remove them, clear each nozzle, and scrub the arms in hot water to maintain proper water distribution during cycles.

• Wipe dishwasher door seals and interior walls. Door seals and interior walls are often overlooked but accumulate grease and food residue. Wipe them down with sanitiser to prevent biofilm forming in these damp, warm areas.

• Leave dishwasher door open to air dry overnight. Closing the dishwasher door while the interior is still damp creates a warm, moist environment where bacteria and biofilm thrive. Leaving the door open allows the interior to dry completely and discourages bacterial growth.

• Clean floors, walls, and doors in all kitchen areas. Floors collect grease, food debris, and liquid throughout the day. Walls and doors near cooking stations accumulate splash marks and grease. Sweep and mop floors, and wipe down wall and door surfaces to prevent pest attraction and maintain hygiene standards.

• Empty all waste bins, clean lids and surrounding floor area. Overflowing or dirty bins attract pests and create unpleasant odours. Empty every bin, scrub the lids to remove residue, and clean the floor area immediately around each bin where drips and spills collect.

• Reline all bins with fresh bags. Replacing bin liners immediately after emptying prevents waste leaking into the bin itself. A clean liner also makes it easier for staff to identify when a bin needs emptying during the next service.

• Clean and sanitise cleaning sink and sluice. The cleaning sink itself needs cleaning. It accumulates grease, food waste, and cleaning chemical residue. Scrub the basin, taps, and surrounding surfaces with sanitiser to prevent it becoming a source of contamination.

• Top up soap and paper towel dispensers at all stations. Empty dispensers mean staff cannot wash and dry their hands properly, which is one of the most basic food safety controls. Check every handwashing station and prep area and refill as needed.

• Check detergent and rinse aid levels in dishwasher. If detergent or rinse aid runs out mid-service, your dishwasher will not clean or sanitise effectively. Checking levels at the end of the day ensures the machine is ready for the next shift without interruption.

Customising this template. Every kitchen is different. You may need to add items for equipment specific to your operation, such as bain-maries, soup kettles, water boilers, or coffee machines. If your kitchen has multiple fridges, consider adding a line for each unit so nothing is missed. You can also remove items that do not apply, for example if your kitchen does not have a dishwasher. Use the notes feature in Pilla to add specific product names or methods for each task.

Dishwasher Cleaning Checklist

The Dishwasher Cleaning Checklist is a comprehensive 14-step procedure designed to prevent biofilm, limescale, and bacterial growth inside your dishwasher. Dishwashers may appear self-cleaning, but they collect grease, food debris, and mineral deposits that can actually spread contamination if not addressed manually. This template should be completed daily, typically at the end of the last service.

• Drain the dishwasher completely. Start every clean by draining all water from the machine. Standing water left in the tank overnight becomes stagnant and supports bacterial growth. Follow your machine's drain procedure to ensure the tank is fully emptied.

• Remove filters and scrub in hot water with degreaser. Filters catch food particles during wash cycles and become clogged quickly. Remove them, soak briefly in hot water with degreaser, and scrub thoroughly to remove all trapped debris. Rinse well before replacing.

• Remove wash arms and scrub thoroughly. Wash arms distribute water and detergent during the wash cycle. Food debris and limescale can block their nozzle holes, reducing cleaning performance. Remove them, clear each hole, and scrub the full length of each arm.

• Remove rinse arms and scrub thoroughly. Rinse arms deliver the final hot rinse that sanitises items. Blocked nozzles mean some items will not reach the required rinse temperature. Clean them with the same thoroughness as the wash arms.

• Check for pink biofilm and scrub off if present. A pink or salmon-coloured film inside the dishwasher is biofilm, a colony of bacteria that is resistant to normal detergent. It must be physically scrubbed off. If biofilm is recurring, review your cleaning frequency and check that water temperatures are reaching the correct levels.

• Check for white calcium carbonate scale and treat if needed. In hard water areas, white chalky deposits build up on interior surfaces, heating elements, and around nozzles. Scale reduces cleaning effectiveness and traps moisture where bacteria can grow. Use an approved descaling product and follow supplier guidance.

• Wipe all interior walls with sanitiser. After removing filters and arms, wipe down the inside walls, floor, and ceiling of the wash chamber. Pay attention to corners and edges where debris accumulates. Use a food-safe sanitiser and a clean cloth.

• Clean door seals thoroughly. Dishwasher door seals are warm, damp, and frequently splashed with food-laden water. Clean along the full length of each seal, opening folds where grease and debris collect. Dry the seals after cleaning.

• Clean external touchpoints and surrounding floor area. The outside of the dishwasher, including control panels, handles, and the floor around the machine, collects grease and water. Clean these areas to prevent slip hazards and maintain overall kitchen hygiene.

• Check detergent levels and refill if needed. Running out of detergent during service means items are being washed in plain water, which does not remove grease or kill bacteria. Check the detergent supply and top up so the machine is ready for the next shift.

• Check rinse aid levels and refill if needed. Rinse aid helps items dry quickly and prevents water spots, but more importantly it ensures the hot rinse covers all surfaces evenly. Low rinse aid levels reduce sanitisation effectiveness.

• Verify wash temperature is 55-60 degrees C. The wash cycle must reach 55-60 degrees C to effectively remove grease and food residue. Check the temperature display during a cycle. If temperatures are consistently low, report the issue for maintenance.

• Verify rinse temperature reaches 82-88 degrees C. The final rinse must reach at least 82 degrees C to thermally disinfect items. This is a critical food safety control. If the rinse temperature is not reaching this range, the dishwasher is not sanitising properly and must be serviced.

• Leave door open overnight to air dry. Once cleaning is complete, leave the door propped open so the interior can dry fully. A closed, damp dishwasher overnight is where biofilm starts to form.

Customising this template. If you have multiple dishwashers or glasswashers, consider creating a separate instance of this checklist for each machine. In hard water areas, you may want to add a step for checking and refilling dishwasher salt. If your machine has a self-cleaning cycle, add a step to run it weekly as part of your routine.

Specialist Kitchen Equipment Cleaning Checklist

The Specialist Kitchen Equipment Cleaning Checklist covers the cleaning procedure for slicers, mixers, and food processors. These are machines with internal surfaces, blades, and moving parts that cannot be cleaned by wiping the outside. Only trained staff should complete these 10 steps, following manufacturer instructions at every stage. This template should be used after each use of the equipment, or at minimum daily.

• Switch off and unplug equipment before cleaning. This is a non-negotiable safety step. Slicers, mixers, and processors have sharp blades and powerful motors. Switching off and unplugging prevents accidental activation during cleaning, which could cause serious injury.

• Dismantle blades, guards, and internal components following manufacturer guide. Each piece of equipment has a specific dismantling procedure described in its manual. Following the correct sequence ensures you can access all food-contact surfaces without damaging the machine or injuring yourself.

• Scrub all food-contact parts manually in hot water. Blades, guards, bowls, and feed tubes must be scrubbed by hand in hot water to remove food residue. Pay particular attention to crevices and joints where food gets trapped. These hidden areas are where Listeria and allergen traces accumulate.

• Rinse all components thoroughly. After scrubbing, rinse every component under clean running water to remove loosened debris and any remaining cleaning chemical. Residual detergent left on food-contact surfaces can contaminate the next batch of food processed.

• Sanitise all components with food-safe disinfectant. Once rinsed, apply food-safe disinfectant to all food-contact parts. Follow the contact time specified on the product label. This step kills bacteria that survived the initial scrub and rinse.

• Allow all components to air dry fully before reassembling. Reassembling equipment while parts are still wet creates damp conditions where bacteria can multiply. Lay components out on a clean, sanitised surface and allow them to air dry completely.

• Reassemble equipment following manufacturer instructions. Put the machine back together in the correct order as described in the manual. Incorrect reassembly can affect the machine's performance, create safety hazards, or leave food-contact surfaces exposed.

• Perform visual check for any dried food, grease, or obstruction. Before the equipment is used again, inspect all visible surfaces for any remaining contamination. Check around blade mounts, gaskets, and feed tube openings. If anything is found, repeat the cleaning process.

• Wipe external surfaces of equipment. The outside of the machine, including control knobs, handles, and the base, accumulates grease and dust. Wipe these surfaces down with sanitiser to prevent cross-contamination from hands and surrounding areas.

• Log completion and report any damage or concerns. Record that the cleaning has been completed, and note any issues found during the process such as damaged blades, worn gaskets, loose guards, or unusual wear. Reporting damage early prevents food safety risks and costly breakdowns.

Customising this template. Add specific equipment names to each instance of this checklist so staff know exactly which machine they are cleaning. If you have multiple pieces of specialist equipment, create a separate checklist for each one. You can attach manufacturer cleaning instructions as notes within each Pilla checklist item, so staff always have the correct procedure to hand.

Weekly Kitchen Deep Cleaning Checklist

The Weekly Kitchen Deep Cleaning Checklist covers intensive cleaning tasks for areas and equipment that require deeper attention beyond what daily cleaning can achieve. These 12 tasks should be scheduled on quieter days with longer gaps between services, giving staff the time to complete them thoroughly without rushing.

• Clean extraction canopy and ducting. Extraction canopies collect grease vapour from cooking, which builds up as a thick, sticky layer over time. If not cleaned weekly, grease-laden canopies become a fire risk and can drip contaminated grease onto food preparation areas below.

• Clean all shelves, racks, and drawer units. Pull out shelves and racks to clean both surfaces and the supports they sit on. Food debris, dust, and grease accumulate on shelving throughout the week, especially in storage areas and around prep stations.

• Clean undersides of equipment and unit legs. The undersides of worktops, ovens, and fridges are often missed during daily cleaning. Grease, food debris, and moisture collect here, attracting pests and supporting bacterial growth in areas that are out of normal sight.

• Clean plate racks, dollies, and trolleys. These items move around the kitchen constantly and collect food residue, grease, and water. Remove plates and items, then scrub racks, dollies, and trolley surfaces. Check wheels and castors for trapped debris.

• Perform deep fryer boil-out using approved degreasing agents. A boil-out involves filling the fryer with water and a specialist degreasing chemical, then heating it to dissolve built-up carbon and polymerised oil. This restores frying performance and removes contamination that daily cleaning cannot reach.

• Clean potato rumbler or peeling machine if applicable. Potato rumblers accumulate starch, skin residue, and grit in their drums and drainage systems. If your kitchen uses one, dismantle accessible parts and scrub the interior to prevent buildup that can harbour bacteria and affect machine performance.

• Wipe down all equipment plugs, switches, and controls. Electrical controls and plugs are touched frequently with greasy or wet hands. Wipe them with a damp cloth and sanitiser, taking care not to let liquid enter the electrical components. This reduces cross-contamination and keeps controls readable.

• Clean all cleaning equipment including brooms and mop heads. Dirty cleaning equipment spreads contamination rather than removing it. Wash mop heads in hot water, clean broom bristles, and sanitise handles. Replace any items that are worn out or heavily soiled.

• Clean hot cupboard runners and handles. Hot cupboards keep plates and serving equipment warm, but their runners and handles accumulate grease and food debris. Pull out runners to scrub them, and wipe handles where staff grip them during service.

• Run empty high-temp cycle with descaler in dishwasher. Running a descaling cycle weekly removes limescale buildup from the heating elements, spray arms, and interior surfaces. This maintains wash and rinse temperatures at their correct levels and extends the machine's lifespan.

• Deep clean coffee machine group heads and drip trays. Coffee oils and milk residue build up in group heads, portafilters, and drip trays. Backflush group heads with cleaning powder, soak portafilter baskets, and scrub drip trays to prevent rancid flavours and bacterial growth.

• Check for calcium carbonate buildup in dishwasher and descale if needed. Even with a weekly descaling cycle, hard water areas may develop visible scale deposits. Inspect the interior, heating element, and nozzles. If white chalky residue is present, run an additional descaling treatment or contact your supplier.

Customising this template. Assign each weekly task to a specific day and role so that the workload is spread across the week. For example, schedule the fryer boil-out for a quieter midweek day and assign it to a specific chef de partie. If your kitchen does not have a coffee machine or potato rumbler, remove those items. Add any weekly tasks specific to your setup, such as cleaning walk-in cold room walls or servicing water filtration units.

Monthly Kitchen Deep Cleaning Checklist

The Monthly Kitchen Deep Cleaning Checklist targets low-access areas and sealed equipment that do not require daily or weekly attention but pose significant risks if neglected. These 10 tasks reduce pest risk, prevent long-term bacterial growth, and address buildup in areas that are out of sight during normal operations. Schedule adequate time for thorough completion.

• Deep clean freezers and walk-in freezers including door seals and hinges. Freezers need defrosting and thorough cleaning monthly. Remove all stock, defrost if needed, and scrub internal walls, shelves, floor, door seals, and hinges. Ice buildup reduces cooling efficiency, and dirty seals let warm air in.

• Clean all food and ingredient storage bins. Flour bins, sugar bins, rice containers, and other dry goods storage accumulate dust, debris, and moisture at the bottom. Empty each bin completely, wash and dry it, and check for signs of pest activity before refilling.

• Clean dry goods and non-food cupboards. Cupboards storing dry goods, packaging, and non-food items collect dust and can harbour pests. Remove all contents, wipe shelves and interior walls, check for droppings or damage, and reorganise items before restocking.

• Clean pizza oven internals and burners if applicable. Pizza ovens accumulate ash, carbonised dough, and grease on their floors, walls, and burner assemblies. If your kitchen has a pizza oven, brush out ash, scrape the oven floor, and clean burner components according to the manufacturer's instructions.

• Clean under-counter fridge compressor grills. Compressor grills at the back or bottom of under-counter fridges collect dust and grease, which reduces airflow and forces the compressor to work harder. Vacuum or brush the grill and surrounding area to maintain cooling efficiency and prevent overheating.

• Clean skirting boards and wall-mounted pipework. Skirting boards and exposed pipework collect grease, dust, and cobwebs over time. These areas are easy to overlook but are checked during EHO inspections. Wipe them down thoroughly and check for gaps or damage that could allow pest entry.

• Clean high-level areas including top of wall cabinets. The tops of wall cabinets, extractor hoods, and high shelving accumulate dust and grease that can fall onto food or work surfaces. Use appropriate step equipment to reach these areas safely and wipe them clean.

• Clean behind extraction units. The wall and floor area behind extraction canopies and ductwork collects airborne grease and dust. Pull units forward where possible, or use long-handled tools to clean behind them. This is a common area for pest harbourage if neglected.

• Inspect and clean all fridge and freezer seals for cracks or tears. Monthly inspection of seals goes beyond daily cleaning. Look for physical damage such as cracks, tears, warping, or loss of flexibility. Damaged seals let warm air into the unit, increase energy costs, and create condensation that supports bacterial growth. Report any damage for replacement.

• Deep clean all specialist equipment following manufacturer instructions. Beyond the after-use cleaning covered by the specialist equipment template, a monthly deep clean addresses areas that only need periodic attention, such as motor housings, internal gearing covers, and hard-to-reach mounting points. Follow manufacturer guidance for each piece of equipment.

Customising this template. Add any monthly tasks specific to your kitchen, such as cleaning walk-in cold room drains, servicing ice machines, or inspecting pest bait stations. If your kitchen does not have a pizza oven, remove that item. Consider scheduling the monthly deep clean on a day when the kitchen is closed or operating reduced hours, and assign a senior team member to oversee completion.

Summary

These five templates work together to create a complete kitchen cleaning programme. The daily checklist keeps your kitchen hygienically safe between services. The dishwasher and specialist equipment checklists ensure the two most common sources of hidden contamination are properly maintained. The weekly deep clean addresses equipment and areas that daily cleaning cannot reach. And the monthly deep clean catches everything else, from freezer seals to high-level surfaces and compressor grills.

Using all five templates in Pilla means every cleaning task is assigned, scheduled, completed, and recorded. When an Environmental Health Officer asks to see your cleaning records, you can show a documented history of consistent, thorough cleaning across every part of your kitchen.