Kitchen grime builds up fastest when nobody has time to deal with it. At home, clear everyday mess daily, tackle less-used surfaces weekly, and inspect the oven and fridge monthly. Give the oven a full clean every three months and the fridge every three to four months.

Restaurants need a tighter routine, with checks before service, cleaning throughout the shift, a full closing clean, and any records required by their food-safety program. A family kitchen and a busy restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD simply don’t face the same workload.

Use this kitchen cleaning checklist for residential tasks or follow the commercial kitchen cleaning checklist for restaurant routines. Keep in mind that restaurant schedules must suit the food handled and equipment used while following manufacturers’ instructions, local council requirements, the business’s food-safety program, and Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s cleaning and sanitising guidance.

Table of Contents

Daily Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Daily Tasks for Residential Kitchens

Wash the dishes or load the dishwasher.
Put dry dishes and cooking equipment away.
Wipe benchtops, tables, and splashbacks.
Clean the sink, drain, and taps. Stainless steel also needs the right method to avoid scratches and streaks, so make sure you learn how to clean a stainless steel sink properly.
Wipe the stovetop once it has cooled.
Clean refrigerator handles and other frequently touched surfaces.
Sweep or vacuum crumbs from the floor.
Wipe up spills as soon as they happen.
Empty the bin when it’s full or contains food waste.
Make sure to always use a clean cloth for food preparation surfaces.

Daily Restaurant Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Restaurant kitchens need a structured routine that states who cleans what, when, and how, as recommended in the Victorian Government’s food-business cleaning guidance. Cleaning should happen before service, throughout the shift, and after closing. Leaving everything until the end makes the final clean harder and allows mess to spread.

Before Service

Inspect food preparation surfaces, then clean and sanitise them where needed.
Check that utensils and cooking equipment are clean.
Check that dedicated handwashing basins have warm running water, soap, and single-use towels or another suitable hand-drying method.
Fit clean bin liners.
Check floors for spills, grease, or other hazards.

During Service

Clean spills immediately.
Clean and then sanitise food-contact surfaces whenever contamination may have occurred, particularly when moving between raw and ready-to-eat food.
Keep handles, switches, taps, and touchpoints clean.
Remove waste before bins overflow.
Keep sinks and washing areas free from clutter and food waste.
Replace dirty cloths and cleaning tools when required.

After Closing

Clean food-preparation areas, then sanitise food-contact surfaces and equipment.
Degrease stovetops, grills, fryers, and nearby surfaces.
Wash removable equipment parts according to their instructions.
Clean sinks, taps, and dishwashing areas.
Thoroughly clean and degrease the floors using the method specified in the kitchen’s cleaning schedule.
Empty and clean all bins.
Complete any cleaning and food-safety records required by the business’s food-safety program or applicable food-safety standards.

Weekly Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Weekly cleaning tackles the areas that don’t need attention after every meal but still collect dust, crumbs, grease, and food residue.

Weekly Tasks for Residential Kitchens

Clean the microwave inside and out.
Wipe cupboard doors, drawer fronts, and handles.
Clean the exteriors of appliances.
Degrease the splashback.
Check food dates, discard spoiled food and anything past its use-by date, and wipe visible spills from the refrigerator shelves.
Mop the floor thoroughly.
Wash and disinfect the rubbish bin.
Inspect the rangehood filter for grease.
Wipe windowsills, light switches, and power points.
Check corners and spaces beneath movable items for crumbs.

Weekly Tasks for Restaurant Kitchens

Weekly commercial cleaning should focus on equipment requiring scheduled attention, storage areas, drainage, and jobs not covered during the daily close.

Add these jobs to the roster and assign each task to a person or shift.

Inspect rangehood filters, and clean them at the frequency specified in the kitchen’s maintenance schedule.
Clean cool-room shelves, and sanitise any food-contact surfaces as required by the kitchen’s food-safety program.
Check stored food and remove expired items.
Scrub floor drains using the cleaning product specified in the kitchen’s cleaning schedule.
Clean walls around cooking and preparation areas.
Clean and organise dry-storage shelves.
Move lightweight equipment and clean underneath it.
Remove grease from equipment sides, legs, and lower surfaces.
Inspect cleaning tools and replace worn or damaged items.
Check beneath benches and shelving for food debris.

Monthly Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Monthly cleaning reaches the spots that are easy to ignore during a normal week. These jobs take longer, so allow enough time to complete them properly.

Monthly Tasks for Residential Kitchens

Inspect the oven for spills and build-up, and schedule a thorough oven cleaning service every three months, or sooner with heavy use.
Spot-clean the refrigerator interior as needed, and schedule a full interior clean every three to four months. Check out our guide on how to clean a refrigerator properly.
Wipe inside cupboards and drawers.
Clean skirting boards and remove visible marks from lower walls.
Move safe, lightweight appliances and clean behind them.
Remove grease and dust from the rangehood exterior.
Clean the rangehood filter monthly, or every two to three weeks if the kitchen regularly handles heavy or oily cooking.
Check pantry items for spills, pests, and expired products.
Dust the tops of cupboards and the refrigerator.
Clean around appliance seals and edges.

Monthly Tasks for Restaurant Kitchens

Monthly restaurant cleaning should deal with high-level, heavy-duty, and difficult-to-access areas.

Depending on the kitchen and its equipment, tasks may include:

Deep-cleaning ventilation and extraction systems where appropriate.
Emptying and cleaning freezers and walk-in freezer areas, where applicable.
Cleaning ceilings and other high-level surfaces.
Deep-cleaning walls and other washable surfaces throughout the kitchen.
Cleaning behind heavy or fixed equipment when it’s safe to access the area.
Inspecting seals, hinges, wheels, and equipment edges.
Arranging specialist cleaning or equipment servicing when required.

Some equipment has specific cleaning and maintenance instructions. Follow the manufacturer’s guidance, and use qualified help where the work involves electrical, gas, ventilation, or other specialist systems.

Call Simone’s When Your Kitchen Needs More Than a Quick Wipe

Everyday cleaning keeps most mess under control. For trickier jobs, Simone’s guides explain When grease, detailed appliance cleaning, or a packed schedule makes DIY unrealistic, a tailored cleaning service can take the heavier work off your list.

Simone’s Cleaning Services is an Australian-owned family business established in 2017. We serve homes and commercial properties across Melbourne’s western suburbs.

Cleaners are police-cleared, identity-checked, professionally trained, and equipped with the required products and tools.
Cleaning plans can be tailored, with environmentally friendly products used where practical.

Got bigger cleaning jobs on the list? Melbourne households and businesses can talk to Simone’s about a cleaning plan that fits. Contact us to get started.

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