Bars are some of the favourite recreational places for adults to drink, eat and relax. With alcohol comes a lot of accidents and spills, so maintaining a clean and sanitised bar is essential in creating positive memories for your guests.
Nobody’s going to have a great time at a bar that still has yesterday’s grime on it. Sticky tables, wet floors, and foul odours can be off putting for the average bar goer. Keep your bar at its peak condition, and keep the beer flowing, with our checklist to maintain your bar during opening, closing, and even general cleaning.
Bar Cleaning Checklist - Opening
This bar cleaning checklist is for when you are preparing for the next shift, right before the bar opens. Take some time to meticulously inspect and clean each active part of your bar, so you can provide your guests with the best service possible throughout the day.
- Check Drinkware and Plates
Inspect drinkware, plates, and eating utensils for any smudges or streaks that would make your food look dull. Check if dinnerware has been properly cleaned and dried, and stack them in the proper storage area for convenient procurement during service hours.
- Prepare the Ice Machine with Fresh Water
Prepare the ice machine by filling it with clean drinking water, and allow the machine to do its job so you can serve fresh ice throughout the day.
- Inspect Ingredients and Garnishes
Inspect your ingredients for their expiry, and your garnishes for freshness. Check your inventory if you have a complete list of ingredients needed for the night, and restock if necessary.
- Clear Buildup from Beer Taps
Overnight, the beer taps could have accumulated some buildup from the previous shift’s use. Simply open the tap and let the beer run for a few seconds to clear the beer taps.
- Organise Liquor Display
The previous shift might have had a busy night with no time to properly organise the liquor display. Part of cleaning is keeping with the quality and standards of your bar, so organising the liquor display is important not just for aesthetics, but also for the overall neatness of your bar.
- Wipe Down Countertops, Stools, and Tables
Wipe down the around and behind the bar counter, stools, tables, and chairs with a sanitising solution on a damp cloth. Allow the areas to dry before placing anything on them.
- Mop Floors
Every night is an exciting time at the bar, and floors can attest to that. Spilled drinks, food crumbs, and more could linger on the floors, making them look and feel extra dirty. Mop the floors before opening to present sparkling clean floors during service hours.
- Clean Bathroom and Line Trash Cans
Check the bathroom and line trash cans if needed. Throw away any discarded items, and sanitise the space with a bathroom cleaner.
Bar Cleaning Checklist - Closing
During closing is when most of the dirt and debris are scattered about. Prepare for the next night’s shift by cleaning up after closing, so you can maintain the pristine condition of your bar. Leave some time after closing for bar cleaning tasks.
- Pick Up All Discarded Items
Use gloves to pick up discarded items like straws, napkins, paper towels, garnishes, and more. Place them in a garbage bag for easy disposal.
- Dispose of Empty Cans and Bottles
Carefully pick up any empty cans and liquor bottles that have been left by customers, and discard them in accordance with your city’s recycling initiatives.
- Properly Store Unused Ingredients
All garnishes, ingredients, and liquors that were not used during service hours should be properly disposed of, or kept as per standard protocol.
- Wash and Dry Drinkware and Plates
Wash plates and utensils thoroughly, or leave them in the dishwasher to clean overnight. Dry, and place them back into the cupboard or storage area.
- Wipe Down Liquor Bottles
Before placing them back onto the shelf, wipe down liquor bottles with a dry cloth to remove any drips and condensation that may have formed around the bottle.
- Wipe Down Counters, Stools, and Tables
Using a clean cloth dampened with a sanitizing solution, wipe down around and behind the bar counter, stools, tables, and chairs off any grime or spills that may have occurred during the night. Repeat the process twice for a thorough cleaning.
- Sweep and Mop the Floors
All spilled drinks should be wiped or mopped immediately, while food crumbs and discarded items should be swept away by the end of the night. Use a sanitising floor cleaner to mop down the floors of any bacteria or dirt that may still linger.
- Clean the Kitchen and Drink Preparation Areas
Wipe clean any areas in the kitchen that need sprucing up, particularly in areas where food and drinks are prepared. Sanitise the areas, and allow them to dry.
- Sanitise the Bathroom and Take Out the Trash
With such high foot traffic in bars during the night, the bathroom can get particularly musty. Use a sanitising bathroom cleaning solution to disinfect and clean the bathrooms thoroughly. Place all non-recyclables in a garbage bag, and dispose of the trash in accordance with your district’s sanitation guidelines
Weekly Bar Cleaning Checklist
Once a week, a thorough, deep cleaning is essential in keeping your bar neat and tidy. Dust down your displays and decors, and sanitise areas you don’t regularly clean. Here is a bar cleaning checklist you should be doing at least once a week:
- Dust Off and Wipe Down Display Bottles, Glasses
Your display bottles and glasses would benefit from a weekly dusting and wiping with a sanitising solution to keep them looking shiny and new.
- Flush Out and Sanitise Beer Taps and Keg Lines
At least once a week, flush out the beer taps and keg lines for any possible obstructions and buildup.
- Inspect Ingredients Expiry Dates, and Keep Stock
Check your stock for freshness and discard any items that have been past their expiry date. Restock if needed, and follow a FIFO (first in, first out) system in using these ingredients.
- Update Stock Checklist
Update your inventory checklist to make sure all ingredients are well-stocked, and for you to have a guide on when to replenish your inventory.
- Sweep and Mop Hard-to-Reach Areas
Once a week, clean out in and around the areas you don’t get to clean regularly; like underneath tables, counters, and under heavy kitchen equipment.
- Clean and Re-organise Decorations
Keep your bar looking fresh by dusting and re-organising decorations around, so your guests can look forward to a new layout every week.
- Inspect Area for Pests
As with any other restaurant, check your cupboards, your storage areas, and pantry for pests. Call for pest control if needed, and maintain a routine pest control service to prevent critters from settling in.
Shaken, Not Stirred
If mixology is more of your thing than cleaning is, your bar may benefit from professional cleaning services that can deep clean your entire bar, shaking away any hidden dirt and grime to make your place ready for the next social night.
We here at Luce SG cater to all types of offices and establishments cleaning in Singapore, including bars. We love drinking nights as much as the next person, and we understand that you have other things to do than worry about your bar cleaning checklist. Give us a call today and let’s set an office cleaning schedule that works for you.
