As a restaurant owner, maintaining a clean space for food preparation and preventing foodborne illness for customers is one of the most crucial requirements of your job. From time to time, the local public health service will conduct inspections to make sure you’re performing this task correctly and keeping the facility safe. Here’s a rundown on how the inspection process works and why a professional cleaning service is the best way to ensure readiness.

How a Cleaning Service Can Prepare You for Health Inspections

What’s the Process?

In Hamilton County, OH, restaurants are inspected between one and four times per year, depending on their menu and the perceived risk of foodborne illness. They can receive citations for two types of violations: critical and non-critical. Critical violations, like improper storage or cooking temperatures, are likely to result in contamination or illness. Conversely, non-critical violations, such as a buildup of debris and lack of hair restraints, are not likely to cause foodborne illness, but they are unsanitary and may become critical violations if left unaddressed.

What Are the Types?

There are several types of restaurant health inspections. Here are three of the most common:

• Standard: An unannounced inspection by a local health department sanitarian.

• Thirty Day Inspection: This type of inspection must be completed within 30 days after a restaurant license is issued.

• Complaint: If the local health department receives a complaint about a restaurant, they will perform this unannounced inspection and discuss the complaint with the owner.

How Can You Prepare?

The best way to prepare for public health inspections is to get regular service from a professional cleaning company. While you and the restaurant staff can clean yourselves, there are several benefits to enlisting the help of a cleaning service. Here are three of the most compelling ones:

• Compliant: A professional cleaning company will follow local and industry standards to ensure you pass every inspection.

• Experienced: Cleaning service team members undergo specialized training in proper sanitization techniques, and they’re not afraid to do the dirty work like cleaning behind the stove or in the bathroom.

• Efficient: If professional cleaners come in, your staff can devote their time on the job to serving customers and keeping the restaurant running smoothly.

If you’re looking for a cleaning service to prepare your restaurant for health inspections, contact Custom Maid Janitorial Service. They’ve been serving commercial spaces throughout Cincinnati, OH, and Northern Kentucky since 1976, and their scheduled cleanings are available 24/7 for your convenience. Call (513) 351-­6571 for a free estimate, or visit them online to learn more about what they can do for you.