Many restaurant owners opt not to hire employees to clean the kitchen space every night and instead hire an outside company to handle the task.

In general, the cost of a restaurant cleaning service can vary, based on the size of the space and the complexity of the job. These jobs are billed either by the square foot or by the hour.

You can expect to pay between .12 and .40 cents per square foot or $20 to $75 per hour to have your restaurant professionally cleaned.

What are Restaurant Cleaning Services?

Restaurant cleaning services provide a very important task – they keep restaurants, both the dining room and kitchen areas – clean and sanitary.

Since restaurants handle many different types of food, the possibility of cross-contamination can increase when spaces aren’t cleaned properly. In addition, germs like E.coli and salmonella can grow in the kitchens. So, it’s important to keep these spaces as clean as possible.

Why Choose Restaurant Cleaning Services?

Restaurant owners know that every square inch of their business needs to be kept very clean, so they hire cleaning services to complete the task.

These experts know how to clean restaurants and their related spaces effectively. Spaces frequented by customers need to be dust and grime free, while kitchens and other food preparation areas must be thoroughly disinfected.

Determining The Best Restaurant Cleaning Service for Your Needs

There are many different aspects of restaurant cleaning services. Depending on what areas of your restaurant need to be cleaned, the rate may vary.

In order to make it easy to determine the price of a cleaning service, we’ve broken it down into categories. Some, or all of these, may apply to your restaurant.

Floor Cleaning

There are many different types of flooring in restaurants. Dining areas may be carpeted, while kitchen spaces have tile and floor mats.

Depending on the size of the floors and the exact types that need to be cleaned, you can expect to pay between .12 to .20 cents per square foot or $20 to $25 per hour.

Kitchen Cleaning

Kitchens are the most complicated job. All of the equipment must be wiped down, along with food preparation surfaces and the pass where the plated food is placed after it’s cooked.

Kitchen cleaning is the most expensive, due to the disinfecting work involved. General prices vary from .30 to .40 centers per square foot or $50 to $75 per hour.

Bathroom Cleaning

Bathrooms are small, but restaurants often have several of them. There might be an employee-only bathroom at the back of the restaurant, as well as separate men’s and ladies’ rooms for customers.

Due to their size, bathrooms tend to cost a bit less overall, but rates still vary between .12 to .20 cents per square foot or $20 to $25 per hour.

Walk-In Refrigerator Cleaning

The walk-in refrigerator, known in restaurant parlance as “walk-in” is where uncooked food, as well as leftovers, are stored.

Most restaurants have their kitchen staff handle cleaning the floor and other spaces in the walk-in, although if an outside service is used, it will cost .30 to .40 centers per square foot or $50 to $75 per hour.

Cleaning Outdoor Spaces

In most cases, the outdoor spaces, like those nearest the dumpsters – exterior exits used by employees and similar spaces – are very small and inexpensive to clean.

You can expect to pay a restaurant cleaning service of .12 to .20 cents per square foot or $20 to $25 per hour for these areas.

Cleaning Waiting Areas and Entrances

Both the waiting areas and entrances to a restaurant must be cleaned, as they are the first things customers see upon entering your establishment. These spaces see a lot of foot traffic and have floors and walls that must be cleaned.

The cost for street entrances and other spaces is .12 to .20 cents per square foot or $20 to $25 per hour.

Office Space Cleaning

The office space in a restaurant is where the owner handles paperwork, signs contracts, and does basic bookkeeping work.

These spaces are priced very similarly to the others, at .12 to .20 cents per square foot or $20 to $25 per hour.

Average Hood Cleaning Cost

Cleaning the kitchen hood is an hourly task and is priced between $120 to $200 per hour, and may cost more if you need a large team. Expect to pay more for cleaning components like exhaust fans, which will be an additional $50 to $75. Also, filter cleaning may cost an additional $5-$10.

In-House Cleaners Versus Hiring a Restaurant Cleaning Service

Restaurant owners have two main choices when it comes to getting their businesses cleaned. They can either hire in-house cleaning employees or a professional restaurant cleaning service.

In-House Cleaners

In-house cleaners are employees who come in after-hours to clean the restaurant. They work a standard eight-hour shift and leave before the restaurant opens for the day.

These workers need to be paid by the hour, and many receive benefits as they are full-time employees. As a result, they tend to be more expensive than a cleaning service. Plus, they need to be trained in order to do their jobs.

Hiring an Outside Service

Professional restaurant cleaning services employ trained cleaners who know the ins and outs of the cleaning process. They handle the job quickly and easily. You only need to pay them their required hourly or square-foot rate, and you won’t have to worry about anything else.

Restaurant Cleaning Service Costs

Different areas of the restaurant are billed at various rates, depending on the size and complexity of the space.

Here is a breakdown of costs per area:

Other Potential Costs

There may be other costs included when hiring a restaurant cleaning service. For example, you may have to pay extra for extremely messy areas or spills that are above and beyond the scope of the quoted job.

Choosing a Restaurant Cleaning Service

Before you choose a restaurant cleaning service, make sure to ask about their rates, how they train their employees, and what types of additional charges are involved.

These companies are run by professionals, and they will answer any questions that you have.

However, as stated previously, a good rule of thumb is to expect to pay between .12 and .40 cents per square foot or $20 to $75 per hour. Finally, if you don’t already have a way to collect excess grease you should consider finding out the cost to install a grease trap.