Professional Kitchen Cleaning Services: Cost Guide for Restaurants

Written by: Ashley Smith

Ashley is an accomplished writer with a B.A. in journalism from the University of NH. She reports on major developments across business, technology, and the professional cleaning industry.

Reviewed by: Karen Lawes Maguire

Karen is the founder and CEO of CleanerMatch.com, a leading cleaning industry website. With 10+ years experience, she's an expert on new cleaning technologies, regulations, and best practices.

Last Updated: Jan 31st, 2024

Summary: Kitchen Cleaning Service Prices

Most commercial kitchen cleaning companies will charge between $50 to $150 per hour depending on the number of cleaners. A two person crew may cost $50 an hour while a 4 person crew may cost $100 per hour. On average expect to pay $20 to $30 per cleaner, per hour.

Table of Contents

1. Cost to Hire a Kitchen Cleaning Service
2. List of Cleaning Tasks
3. Customer Perspectives
4. Free Kitchen Cleaning Service Estimates

In the restaurant industry, a clean and sanitary kitchen is non-negotiable. Dirty kitchens put your customers at risk of food-borne illness and present a major fire risk. And if your kitchen is not maintained in accordance with state and federal laws, your restaurant could be fined or shut down.

Maintaining Cleanliness is Crucial for Restaurants

For restaurants, having a spotless, hygienic kitchen should be a top priority every single day. Proper and thorough cleaning is not just for passing the occasional health inspection - it is essential for the health and safety of your customers.

According to the Culinary Institute of America:

"You never know when the health inspector will visit, so restaurant managers should approach everyday cleaning as if they were expecting a health inspection that same day. If you don’t allow grime to build up, your daily cleaning list can be completed quickly."

This highlights that consistent, diligent cleaning practices are key. Grime, grease, and food debris can accumulate quickly in restaurant kitchens. If deep cleanings only happen occasionally, then your daily tidying may not be sufficient.

Partnering with a professional kitchen cleaning service ensures your kitchen is properly sanitized regularly, not just before inspections. This prevents the build up of bacteria and makes it easier to maintain cleanliness daily.

With a rigorous cleaning schedule from a professional service, restaurants can be confident their kitchen meets the highest cleanliness and food safety standards every day of operation.

Cost of Professional Kitchen Cleaning Services

Most kitchen cleaning services charge anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour, depending on the size of the crew. You might spend $50 per hour for a two-person cleaning crew, but the job will take longer than if you hire a four-person crew for $100 per hour. Generally, budget about $20 to $30 per crew member, per hour.

Here is a general idea of what a kitchen cleaning service may charge per task:

Be wary of any kitchen cleaning service that offers you a quote over the phone. Any reputable service will want to do a walk-through of the kitchen before giving you a price.

Be sure to get a detailed quote before hiring any service, and get it in writing.

Customer Perspectives: Real World Kitchen Cleaning Service Pricing

We operate a small diner and pay a local cleaning crew $100 per cleaning. They come in for 2 hours once a week to clean our modest kitchen.

For my upscale restaurant, I hire a team of 4 cleaners that charge $150 per hour. It takes them about 4 hours for a thorough monthly deep clean of our large kitchen.

I own a franchised fast food location. The corporate office has us on a contract with a national cleaning company that charges $200 per biweekly visit to clean the kitchen and dining area.

We run a high volume restaurant with 2 large kitchens. A cleaning crew of 6 comes in overnight 3 times a week. We pay $120 per hour, with each cleaning taking around 5 hours.

I hired an industrial pressure washing service to do quarterly cleanings of my huge commercial kitchen. They charge $2000 each visit but it gets the kitchen spotless.

Professional Kitchen Cleaning Tasks

Most restaurants handle their own day-to-day kitchen cleaning. The kitchen staff washes the dishes, sweeps, mops and sanitizes all surfaces before the end of the shift. Heavy-duty cleaning tasks, on the other hand, are usually left to the professionals.

Professional kitchen cleaning companies offer a wide range of services, including:

• Cleaning and removing grease from kitchen hoods and exhaust fans
• Emptying grease traps
• Replacing filters
• Deep cleaning all ceilings, walls, floors and kitchen equipment
• Sanitizing and disinfecting sinks and countertops
• Refilling soap and chemical dispensers
• Deep cleaning floor mats
• Cleaning vents

Of all those tasks, cleaning the exhaust fans is the most important. Left dirty, exhaust fans present a serious fire hazard. Regular cleanings are not only important to your health and safety; they're required by the National Fire Protection Association and the Federal Food and Drug Administration.

You can hire a professional cleaning service to perform regular deep cleanings - perhaps on a quarterly or twice-yearly basis. Or, you can opt for specialized service in order to prepare for fire, insurance and health inspections. The service will perform a comprehensive cleaning and provide proof of that cleaning to satisfy state and federal laws.

Some services use pressure washers to clean and sanitize your kitchen. The method may seem unconventional, but it's popular because it works. The powerful blast of water is very effective at removing dirt, grease and grime in a short amount of time.

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