A bartender’s worst nightmare is to arrive just in time for a busy weekend shift and find the bar looking like the invasion of the Battle of The Bulge.

Nothing is where it should be. Garnishes are gone with the wind; house liquors are scattered randomly across a greasy counter and napkin holders are upside down patiently waiting for someone to fill them up.

Burying the silent scream brewing under the surface and vowing to get even, a harried bartender rushes to make it all right in time before the evening rush begins. 

This scenario would never happen in a bar that is clean, well cared for and organized.

If you own or manage a bar or lounge and live in fear of this occurring, read on for some tips and helpful information from the experts at Enviro-Master.

Why Is A Clean Bar Vitally Important?

Master comedian, the late Flip Wilson, used to say that “what you see is what you get.” While he was referring to the many charms of his hilarious female counterpart, Geraldine, the bar industry lives by that mantra every single business day.

A dirty bar translates into neglect, and its cleanliness, or at the very least a customer’s perception of such, matters.

Every bartender understands that a clean organized bar attracts patrons and makes money.

The work space opens up and becomes easier to navigate, indirectly encouraging efficiency of service, which ultimately leads to higher tips.

One suggestion offered by the experts at Enviro-Master is for a bartender to treat the bar he or she works in as would be the case if visiting the house of a relative or friend.

While removing shoes before entering might not be necessary, cleaning up after oneself and replacing anything that might have been touched to its rightful spot in all likelihood would occur.

Adopting this same approach to maintaining a clean, inviting bar will make these tasks flow more easily and ultimately become second nature.

This translates into always putting things away after you have finished using them, if possible, cleaning up after customers as soon as they leave, washing and restocking dishes and keeping things organized. 

Cleanliness makes customers happy, and they will avoid a bar that is sticky, greasy and neglected. Besides this obvious factor, a clean bar improves the appearance of an establishment and keeps patrons and employees healthy.

Germs and pathogens flourish on wet, grimy and sticky surfaces and must be kept at bay every single day a bar, tavern or lounge is open for business.

There is also a safety issue, as avoiding the build up of debris, cleaning up spills, dirt and removing clutter all contribute to the prevention of mold, slips and falls and permit quick egress from the premises if necessary.

Some Relevant Statistics

A P&G Professional survey discovered that more than 90% of Americans consider cleanliness a vital factor in whether or not they will become repeat customers of any business.

In addition, a 2015 poll indicated that 85% of customers would not visit a business of any kind that received negative online reviews about its cleanliness. 

A clean bar translates into a clean reputation, and alas, for the opposite is also true. The nature of all business involves pleasing consumers, and in the long run, doing this well pays off in return traffic, brand loyalty and an increase in that all-important bottom line.

The specialists at Enviro-Master provide the key to success, which lies in establishing maintenance agendas for each day, week and month of the business year. 

Daily Cleaning Regimen

Preventing the transmission of germs, pathogens and illness must be a priority for all bartenders and custodial staff.

Periodic cleaning throughout the work day using solutions such as bleach, hot water and even electrostatic disinfecting is recommended in bathrooms, kitchens and entrances. Sanitized bars improve the quality of customer service.

Picking up debris and trash, cleaning doors and windows, and vacuuming as necessary also helps to keep a bar clean at all times.

In respect for the next shift of workers, at the end of each work day there should always be time for a scheduled cleaning.

Our professionals at Enviro Master suggest daily maintenance tasks that include: melting remaining ice from the night before and restocking ice tray; checking keg levels, and if low, restocking; refilling fridges with both bottles and canned beer; making notes of liquor, wine, beer and mixers that may be running low; checking dates on open wine bottles and juices and discarding if more than than a few days old; preparing garnishes for drinks; setting up mats; stirrers, trays and other tools; restocking napkin straws, utensils; washing down glasses, bar, tables and chairs (with wood cleaner) and counting cash in the register and stocking with extra change.

Weekly Duties

These tasks concern areas and equipment that require deeper cleaning.

They include: emptying. and cleaning reach-in coolers; cleaning behind mobile service and storage equipment; sanitizing keg lines; cleaning shelving for glassware and liquor bottles and organizing drawers and cabinets.

While most bars do hire a porter who surface cleans every morning before the bar opens, deep cleaning must also be addressed as part of the weekly agenda.

Monthly Agenda

At least one deep cleaning shift should be scheduled every month and conducted on a rotational basis among bartenders.

Some tasks could include: delving into the refrigerator and cleaning out old and expired products; washing underneath the bar mats where the glasses and the liquor bottles are kept; cleaning the restaurant hood if the bar has a nearby grill or range; and deep cleaning around the bar sink and underneath it.

A Few Additional Bar Cleaning Measures

Bar-maintenance also involves procedures that must be professionally addressed by the specialists at Enviro-Master.

These include: floor scrub, odor-control and air freshening and sanitizing services for restrooms. More on each follows below.

Floor Scrub and Auto Scrub Deep Cleaning

To avoid confusion, these two terms mean the same thing and are often used interchangeably.

Quality commercial floor cleaning is vital to any business because the floor is the first thing a customer sees when crossing any commercial threshold. 

The five basic reasons floor scrub services are necessary for effective bar maintenance are: compliance; appearance; safety; longevity and liability. 

There is no more powerful tool to maintain the shine of hardwood floors with large dimensions than a floor scrubber.

Cleaning agents, a rotating scrub pad and a real time suction vacuum are capable of penetrating layers of wood that no conventional floor cleaning product can reach.

These machines work well with other types of flooring besides hard wood including: concrete, vinyl and tile. They do, however, require extreme caution when applied to overly porous or non-sealed natural wood floors. 

Restroom Hygiene Cleaning Services

Commercial restroom services, which include: odor-and pest control and air freshening options proved by Enviro-Master are vital to bar operations and maintenance.

Established in 1983 and working in tandem with Air Scent International, and Pestco, this bundle of services can be amended depending on the particular needs of the bar.

Sanitizing and deep cleaning of bathrooms in bars and lounges should only be attempted by professionals. 

Enviro-Master services represent the most affordable and efficient blanket of services available on the market today for bars and lounges operating within Pittsburgh and western PA.

They include: treating porcelain fixtures and removing built-up uric acid and trapped bacteria.

A germicidal coating is generously applied to urinals, toilets and sinks, which are all hot beds for germs and gram-positive bacteria.

The finishing touch is a germicidal fog, which prevents bathroom surfaces from absorbing germs until the experts return on their next monthly visit.

In Conclusion

If you are a bar owner or manager, call Enviro-Master today and see how our teams can help improve both your traffic and bottom line!