Restaurant Kitchen Cleaning Standards in Ontario: What You Need to Know

Toronto Public Health conducts unannounced inspections of food service establishments throughout the year. Facilities that fail to meet Ontario's Food Premises Regulation (O. Reg. 493/17) face written notices, closure orders, and public disclosure on the DineSafe website. The cleanliness of your kitchen — not just its appearance, but its sanitisation to food-safe standards — is the single biggest factor in whether you pass or fail.

What Ontario's Food Premises Regulation Requires

Under Ontario Regulation 493/17, food premises must be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition at all times. This means food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitised after each use, non-food contact surfaces must be cleaned frequently enough to prevent contamination, and all equipment must be in good repair and easy to clean. The regulation doesn't specify exact cleaning frequencies for every surface, but inspectors evaluate whether your cleaning practices effectively prevent contamination and pest activity.

Daily Cleaning Tasks (Non-Negotiable)

• Clean and sanitise all food prep surfaces after each use and at minimum every four hours
• Clean and sanitise all cutting boards after each use
• Wash and sanitise all smallwares: knives, pans, utensils after each use
• Degrease the stovetop, range grates, and burner components
• Clean the interior and exterior of the microwave
• Wipe down the exterior of all large equipment: fryers, ovens, steamers
• Sweep and mop all kitchen floors including under equipment
• Empty and sanitise all waste bins and recycling containers
• Clean the interior of the dishwasher and check sanitiser levels
• Wipe down the hand wash sink and refill soap and paper towels
• Clean pass-through windows and service counters

Weekly Cleaning Tasks

• Deep clean all interior oven surfaces
• Clean inside the reach-in coolers and freezers including shelving and door gaskets
• Degrease all walls behind cooking equipment and prep areas
• Clean the interior of the exhaust hood including baffles and grease cups
• Scrub all floor drains and apply drain treatment
• Clean inside and around all storage shelving
• Degrease fryer exteriors and change fryer oil per your schedule
• Clean the ice machine bin and exterior
• Sanitise all mop heads, cleaning cloths, and equipment

Monthly Cleaning Tasks

• Full hood and duct system deep clean by certified hood cleaning technicians
• Full fryer boil-out and clean
• Deep clean walk-in cooler and freezer walls, floor, ceiling, and coils
• Clean all light fixtures and replace any failed bulbs
• Inspect and clean all pest entry points and bait stations
• Deep clean behind and underneath all heavy equipment
• Clean and descale the coffee and beverage equipment
• Inspect grease traps and schedule pumping if required

Hood Cleaning: The Most Critical Compliance Item

In Ontario, commercial kitchen exhaust hoods must be professionally cleaned at a frequency determined by the volume of cooking — typically every 3 months for high-volume operations and every 6 months for lower-volume kitchens. This is a fire code requirement, not merely a health standard. Grease accumulation in hoods and ducts is the leading cause of commercial kitchen fires in Toronto. CMG Clean provides certified hood cleaning that meets NFPA 96 standards and includes a compliance certificate you can show to inspectors and insurers.

Passing Toronto DineSafe Inspections: Practical Tips

• Keep a written cleaning log with dates, tasks completed, and initials — inspectors ask to see it
• Store all cleaning products separately from food and food contact items
• Use a test kit daily to verify sanitiser concentration (usually 200ppm chlorine)
• Train all staff on proper two-step cleaning and sanitising procedures
• Never stack wet items — ensure all sanitised equipment is fully air-dried before storage
• Label and date all foods in storage — even partially used containers