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It’s time to floor it – how changing the way you maintain your floors could improve your efficiency and your reputation.
When you walk through your restaurant, how often do you look down? While you probably sweep and mop regularly, there’s a chance you’re overlooking some crucial floor maintenance details that could be affecting public opinion or the safety of your restaurant. Let’s take a look at what you might be missing and how to keep your floors – and your restaurant's reputation – sparkling.
Floor Your Customers with a Clean Floor
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- You’d be surprised how big an impact the state of your floors can make on customer perception. But a poorly kept floor can make diners question the cleanliness of your entire restaurant, including the kitchen. And a dirty-looking restaurant translates into an overall unappetizing experience that could drive diners away for good. In fact, a 2016 consumer survey found that a dirty floor could cause 72% of diners to never come back.¹
- That’s why it’s important to regularly review your floor cleaning standards and revise as needed. High-traffic areas need the most attention because wear and tear will show the fastest there. Customers can track in mud, dirt and other debris year-round, and they’re liable to spill and leave crumbs or other messes around dining areas. Mats and carpets wear down, warp and collect debris quickly – so making sure those critical areas are cleaned thoroughly and regularly is vital to continued success.
- However, keeping an eye on the little unused corners is just as important. You don’t want a customer pointing out where you’ve missed a spot! Baseboards, under tables and wait stations, behind doors and any area a customer may not see frequently are easy to overlook – but that’s where dust bunnies, dirt and refuse will accumulate over time. And it’s better to account for those unexpected nooks and crannies than risk embarrassment down the line.
Take Extra Steps to Improve Restaurant Operations and Safety
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- While customer perception is important, the main reason to review your floor maintenance is for safety. From the front door all the way to the back of the kitchen, a clean, grease-free floor not only minimizes the risk of slips and falls but also contributes to food safety by preventing contamination.
- Beyond cleanliness, floor safety means carefully controlling risk areas. Entrances, stairs and kitchen areas around sinks or fryers should be secured to prevent accidents – and washing isn’t always enough. Taking an extra step with safety solutions like 3M™ Nomad™ Matting and 3M™ Safety-Walk™ Slip-Resistant Tapes and Treads can preempt unsafe conditions. These solutions are designed to adhere quickly and easily, trap dirt and debris, and prevent slips in dry, wet and oily conditions – so employees can keep working and diners can visit safely.
How to Clean Your Restaurant Floors
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- So how do you get your floors flawless for the long run? Clean them right the first time. And cleaning them right means using the right tools, the right cleaning solutions and the right training.
- Choosing a cheap or generic cleaning product can seem economical at first but can ultimately waste time in a heavily used commercial kitchen or dining room. On the other hand, 3M offers a variety of cleaning solutions designed to make keeping floors clean faster and easier. With options designed to clean, de-grease, sanitize, polish and protect all types, ages and stages of flooring, you can easily find the ideal match for your restaurant.
- The 3M™ Scotch-Brite™ Professional 2-in-1 Flat Mop System is designed for performance, versatility, ease of use and user comfort. With an adjustable, ergonomic design and easy, refillable cleaning fluid bottles, this system allows your staff to tackle any mess without the need for buckets or needless muscle strain. The system is compatible with 3M™ Easy Clean Disposable Floor Mop Pads for extra convenience. These pads can be used wet or dry, and they remove two times the ground-in dirt and surface stains than microfiber and dry 60% faster than string mops – for a cleaner floor, faster.
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However, the right tools are only as effective as your staff’s abilities – which means building a strong training and maintenance program. Set a floor maintenance schedule detailing all of the tasks, tools and standards for your restaurant, and make sure your staff is prepared to jump in throughout the day as needed. If staff is well prepared, a big spill during the dinner rush could be a walk in the park.
It’s also vital that your entire staff understands why a clean floor is important. The more they understand why, the less likely they are to cut corners and the more likely they are to self-regulate. Performing both routine and surprise walkthroughs can help catch and correct mistakes as they happen, so there’s less chance of falling out of step.
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Of all the cleaning tasks in your restaurant, keeping floors clean and safe may be one of the most challenging. With careful planning, the right tools, training and a little hard work, you can ensure your floors stay clean – and diners keep walking through the door.
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Related Resources
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