Cleaning schedule for a UK cafe: daily, weekly, monthly (with template)

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title: "Cleaning schedule for a UK cafe: daily, weekly, monthly (with template)" description: "A working cleaning schedule is the second thing an EHO asks to see, after temperature logs. Here's what daily / weekly / monthly should cover in a typical cafe, and what makes a schedule pass inspection." date: "2026-05-08" keyword: "cleaning schedule template uk cafe" author: "LogFather"

A documented cleaning schedule is a baseline expectation under Regulation (EC) 852/2004 (retained in UK law) and the FSA's Safer Food, Better Business pack. EHOs almost always ask for it during inspections — usually right after temperature logs.

It doesn't have to be elaborate. It does have to:

1. List every cleanable thing that needs cleaning.
2. State how often it gets cleaned.
3. State who's responsible.
4. Show evidence it's actually being done — sign-offs, dates, initials.

A printed schedule with no signatures is worth less than a properly-signed schedule with one mistake.

Daily — every shift, no exceptions

| Area | Why daily | |---|---| | Front-of-house tables, chairs, high chairs | Customer contact, allergen/food residue | | Counter, till, card reader | Customer + staff contact, food handling | | Coffee machine group heads, steam wands, drip tray | Milk + coffee residue grows fast | | Service utensils (tongs, spoons, scoops) | Direct food contact | | Sinks (hand wash, food prep, ware-wash) | Cross-contamination risk | | Hand-wash station — soap, blue roll, hot water | Has to actually be operational | | Floors (front + back) | Spill / debris control | | Bin areas (front + back), bin lids | Pest attraction, smell | | Toilets — pan, sink, floor, soap, paper | Customer + staff facility | | Door handles + light switches in food areas | High-touch, low-attention |

The ware-washer (dishwasher) needs its own daily check — temperature, rinse aid, detergent levels — covered separately.

Weekly

| Area | Why weekly | |---|---| | Inside fridges and freezers | Spills + drip catchment, allergen residue | | Behind the espresso machine | Milk drip, grounds buildup | | Underneath fridges and prep tables | Crumb trap, pest risk | | Walls and tile splashbacks (food prep area) | Grease + spatter | | Cooker hood filters (lift out, soak) | Fire risk, grease buildup | | Door seals on fridges and freezers | Where mould grows first | | Customer area soft furnishings (vacuum, spot clean) | Hygiene + appearance | | Kitchen tile floors (deep mop, not just wet mop) | Day-to-day mopping doesn't reach corners |

Monthly

| Area | Why monthly | |---|---| | Behind the cooker, fryer, grill | Fire + grease | | Inside microwave (full disassemble + clean) | Splatter buildup | | Extractor fan housing | Fire + airflow | | Inside oven (commercial deep clean) | Carbonised grease | | Light fittings in food areas | Dust shedding, bulb replacement | | Pest-proofing check (gaps, vents, drains) | Inspection point — gaps in seals, signs of activity | | Dry storage shelves (full off-load + clean) | Crumb trap, FIFO check | | Fridge defrost + deep clean | Coil airflow, mould check |

Quarterly / yearly

Some things only need cleaning seasonally, but they still belong on the schedule so they don't get forgotten:

• Quarterly: ducting deep clean, professional pest inspection (or your contract), full kitchen deep clean
• Yearly: fridge engineer service, extractor system professional clean, gas safety check, window cleaner (exterior)

What the EHO actually wants to see

A working schedule isn't just a printed wall poster — it's a document, a routine, and a paper trail of evidence.

1. The document — a list of everything to be cleaned, with frequency, lives somewhere visible (kitchen wall, app, folder).
2. The routine — staff know what's theirs to do at the start, end, and during shifts. Not "everyone helps clean" — specific assignments.
3. The evidence — signatures, initials, or app-logged completions on the day they were done. Not the night before. Not "filled in for the week" in one go.

Build the schedule itself with our free cleaning schedule builder tool — pick from cafe / takeaway / bakery starter templates and customise to your equipment.

Common cleaning-schedule failures

• Schedule on the wall but no sign-off sheet — no proof it's been done
• Sign-offs all in the same handwriting and ink (one person did them all on Sunday night)
• Tasks listed but with no frequency stated
• Generic schedule that mentions equipment you don't have
• "Daily" tasks signed off only on the days the manager was in
• Bulk tick-list filled in retroactively after a near-inspection panic
• Toilet cleaning not on the schedule at all (almost universal miss for small cafes)

Tying cleaning to corrective actions

If a deep clean reveals mould, a pest sign, or persistent grease buildup, log it in your corrective actions. EHOs treat corrective actions as evidence of a working system — a clean schedule is genuinely impressive when paired with three corrective actions over the past month showing you spotted, fixed, and prevented issues.

Checklist: a credible cleaning schedule

• Lists daily, weekly, monthly (and quarterly/yearly) tasks
• Names a responsible role for each task (manager / opener / closer / specific staff)
• Has a sign-off mechanism (paper or app) staff use the same day
• Lives where the team can see it without opening a folder
• Has been updated when you got new equipment / changed layout
• Backed up by corrective actions when the schedule misses something

One thing to do today

Walk through the kitchen and front-of-house with your phone. Photograph or list every cleanable surface, every piece of equipment, every storage area. That list becomes the input to the cleaning schedule builder tool; from there it's a 15-minute job to assign frequencies, print it, get it signed daily. The full inspection-readiness picture is in the 5-star hygiene rating guide — cleaning is one pillar of three.