Top Questions to Ask a Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Company Before You Sign a Contract

The selection of the most appropriate commercial kitchen cleaning company is one of the most crucial decisions that can be made as a restaurant owner or food service operator. Cleanliness in your kitchen directly affects food safety, health inspection scores, staff morale and business reputation. Not all commercial kitchen cleaning companies are the same - and choosing the wrong one can cost you in time, money and potential non-compliance headaches later.

First, though, before you call any commercial kitchen cleaning company and hire them, consider the following questions.

What experience do you have with commercial kitchens specifically?

Cleaning experience in a general setting is not a commercial kitchen experience. The commercial kitchen cleaning company should have an experienced and practical knowledge of grease trap cleaning, exhaust hood and vent cleaning, ductwork cleaning, and fire suppression system cleaning.

Inquire about the length of time they've been offering restaurant kitchen cleaning services and if their staff is trained and certified to work in a restaurant kitchen. The more experience they have, the better equipped they are to handle the unique challenges and complexities of a busy commercial kitchen.

So, What Exactly Does Your Kitchen Cleaning Services Include?

When hiring commercial kitchen cleaning services, always ask for a detailed breakdown of what is included - and what isn't - in the service.

A comprehensive service should include hood canopy cleaning, grease trap cleaning, ductwork and exhaust fan cleaning, surface deep cleaning and floor degreasing at a minimum. A few companies also provide fire suppression system inspection and maintenance. When a provider is unclear on their area of practice, it's a warning sign.

Are you fully insured and bonded?

This is non-negotiable. The commercial kitchen cleaning firm you hire should have comprehensive liability insurance and bonding to cover you if something goes wrong, an accident happens, or your property is damaged, stolen or lost. Request proof of coverage prior to signing. This is something a trusted company should be happy to provide.

Do you run a background check on your employees?       

Your kitchen has a lot of sensitive areas, business information, and even costly equipment. Ensuring your restaurant kitchen cleaning services do screens and background checks all staff members that enter your premises is a must. Inquire if their employees are properly identified as belonging to their company, and if documentation is available for review.

What cleaning products do you use, and what cleaning methods?

Products in your kitchen are important - for safety reasons and regulatory reasons. Inquire about the company's cleaning product choices and if they are eco-friendly, food safe, and health regulation compliant. Any modern commercial kitchen cleaning company should be working with industry-standard methods and technology, rather than those that are no longer in use, which may harm your equipment or leave harmful residues behind.

Can You Work Around My Operating Hours?

Downtime is lost revenue. A good kitchen cleaning services provider will be able to offer flexible scheduling, such as evenings, early mornings and even emergency cleaning, to help minimise disruption to your operations. Before hiring, inquire if they have the time for your particular needs, and how quickly they will respond in emergency cases.

Will you provide a satisfaction guarantee?

The best restaurant kitchen cleaning services take full responsibility for their work. Do they have any sort of guarantee or quality assurance policy? If a service falls short of expectation, a service guarantee will allow you to feel confident that they will come back and fix it for you without any extra expenses.

Making the Right Choice

The selection of the right commercial kitchen cleaning company goes beyond just selecting a price; it's about trust, expertise, and reliability. For more than 50 years, Crystal Clean Maintenance has provided professional restaurant kitchen cleaning services throughout the Maritime Provinces. We are fully insured, bonded and stand behind our work with a satisfaction guarantee, and we are prepared to help you keep your kitchen clean, safe and compliant.

Give Crystal Clean Maintenance a call today for a complimentary estimate for commercial kitchen cleaning services!