Deep Cleaning Checklist
Weekly kitchen deep cleaning checklist: hood vents, behind equipment, walk-in scrub-down, floor grout, and drain cleaning.
- Estimated time
- 90 min
- Frequency
- weekly
- Business type
- restaurant
- Category
- cleaning
- Role
- kitchen manager
- Role
- prep cook
- Role
- line cook
- Role
- dishwasher
Purpose
Reach areas daily cleaning misses and maintain health code standards on a weekly schedule.
Run this deep cleaning checklist once per week during a slow period or after close. Assign sections to multiple staff; the kitchen manager signs off when every zone is complete.
Hood & Vents
Degrease hood system components.
-
Hood filters removed for cleaning
-
Hood interior and surfaces degreased
-
Exhaust vents wiped and pass inspection
Pass / Fail
Behind Equipment
Clean areas blocked during daily service.
-
Movable equipment pulled from wall
-
Walls and floors behind equipment scrubbed
-
Equipment returned and leveled
Walk-In Deep Clean
Scrub cooler interior beyond daily wipe-down.
-
Shelves removed and washed
-
Walk-in walls and floors scrubbed
-
Door gaskets inspected and pass
Pass / Fail
Floors & Drains
Address grout and drain buildup.
-
Floor grout scrubbed and degreased
-
Floor drains snaked and cleaned
-
Deep clean notes or maintenance requests (optional)
Note
Frequently Asked Questions
- How often should a restaurant kitchen deep clean?
- Most independents deep clean weekly: hood filters, behind equipment, walk-in walls, and floor drains. High-volume kitchens may rotate zones daily to cover everything each week.
- Who should complete the deep cleaning checklist?
- The kitchen manager schedules deep cleaning and assigns tasks to line cooks and dishwashers. A manager must sign off before the kitchen reopens for service.
- How is deep cleaning different from daily kitchen cleaning?
- Daily kitchen cleaning covers prep surfaces, fryer filtering, and floors. Deep cleaning pulls equipment, scrubs hood vents, cleans walk-in gaskets, and clears drains.
- Do health inspectors check deep cleaning records?
- Inspectors look for grease buildup behind equipment, dirty hood systems, and neglected drains. A signed weekly deep clean log shows proactive sanitation management.
- How long does kitchen deep cleaning take?
- Plan about 90 minutes with a team of three, or split zones across two nights if you cannot close the kitchen fully.