After the holiday rush, a restaurant or banquet hall needs a reset that nightly cleaning skips: behind equipment, drains, storage floors, carpets and hall floors. Nightly work keeps the room presentable. A January reset catches what built up while every shift was busy.
Here is a checklist for the dining room, kitchen floors, banquet halls and entrances, plus how to schedule it around bookings. For the service itself, see our restaurant cleaning services and banquet hall cleaning pages.
Short answer: nightly cleaning vs a January reset
Nightly cleaning covers what the crew can reach and finish between close and open: floors, washrooms, bins and table tops. A reset is a one-off or seasonal pass that goes under, behind and into the places nobody reaches on a weeknight.
Hood and exhaust cleaning is a separate line on the quote, and so is grease-line work. We do hood cleaning, so ask for it when you book the reset. Our guide to choosing a restaurant cleaner covers the rest of the selection questions.
Dining room and bar
- Floors under booths, banquettes and the bar rail
- Carpet in the dining room, with spots treated and the traffic lanes extracted
- Upholstered seating, vacuumed and spot-cleaned
- Glass: entry doors, partitions and the bar mirror
- Baseboards and the bottom edge of walls, where splashes dry
- Light fittings and vents above the bar
Start with the floor. Holiday traffic leaves the worst wear along the bar, at the host stand and from the door to the first tables.
Kitchen floors, drains and storage
Kitchen floors take grease and food residue every shift. A reset adds a degreasing pass, scrubbing along the wall and under equipment that can be moved, and the drains.
Storage rooms and walk-in floors get the same attention. Stack or move shelving first so the crew can reach the whole floor. Hood and exhaust cleaning has its own quote line.
Banquet hall floors, tables and chairs
Banquet floors, usually hardwood or tile, take a beating from stacked chairs, rolling carts and dance floors. The reset includes a full clean of the floor and a check on whether the finish has held.
A buffed hall floor looks very different from a worn one. If the finish has lost its shine or has scuffs that no longer clean off, a recoat or strip may be on the list. Our guide to when to strip and wax floors explains how to decide, and the strip and wax services page covers the work.
Tables, chair frames and stage skirts can be wiped down and spot-cleaned in the same visit. Ask the crew to list how many chairs and tables are in the room, so the scope matches the count.
Washrooms and entrances after peak traffic
Washrooms see the heaviest wear in December. Plan a deep clean of grout, partitions, tile and dispensers, and replace anything worn. Entrances collect the most grit and water in winter, so check the mats and the first stretch of floor inside the door. Our winter floor care services cover that part of the job.
How to schedule a deep clean around bookings
Pick the quietest stretch of the calendar, usually the first or second week of January, and check it against the booking sheet for private events. A hall that is empty for two nights can finish a full floor job and let it dry.
For a restaurant, close a day early or start after the last seating. For a banquet hall, block the date as you would for a private event. Tell the crew the real closing time and when staff arrive, not a rough estimate.
What to ask a provider to put in the written scope
- Each area listed by name, with the tasks for the reset
- Which tasks are part of the nightly route and which are extra
- The number of nights and the hours on site
- What is moved, by whom, and put back where
- Whether hood and exhaust cleaning is part of the quote or a separate line
- How completed work is signed off
Order of work for a two-night reset
- Move furniture and shelving, then degrease kitchen floors and scrub drains (night one).
- Vacuum and spot-treat dining room carpet, and clean upholstery (night one).
- Machine-clean or recoat hard floors and let them dry (night two).
- Detail washrooms, entrances and glass (night two).
- Walk the site with the supervisor and sign off the scope in the morning.
The order matters. Wet work goes first, floors go last, and nothing heavy moves across a floor that has just been finished.
Frequently asked questions
What should be deep cleaned in a restaurant after the holiday season?
Floors under and behind equipment, drains, storage rooms, dining room carpet and upholstery, glass, washrooms and entrances. Hood and exhaust cleaning is a separate line. Make a list by area and attach it to the quote.
How do I schedule a banquet hall deep clean around bookings?
Choose the quietest days after the holiday season, check them against private events and block the room for at least two nights. A floor job needs time to dry, so allow for that before the next event.
What is the difference between nightly cleaning and a deep clean?
Nightly cleaning keeps the room usable: floors, tables, washrooms and bins. A deep clean goes under and behind furniture and equipment, into drains and corners, and across surfaces that are not touched every night.
Do banquet hall floors need stripping after a busy season?
Only if the finish has failed. If the floor is dull or scuffed but the finish is sound, a scrub and recoat is usually enough. Look for yellowing, powder or peeling before you book a full strip.
Plan the reset
Send the layout, the booking calendar and the date you have in mind. We will walk the space, write the scope and quote it in writing within 1 business day. See restaurant cleaning services, or get a free quote.
