Hygiene & Cleaning

Start by looking at your rinsing set-up. If you work with a rinsing unit or a Spülboy, the loose brush heads are the part that wears out: the aluminium set of three 25 cm brushes replaces worn heads without you having to replace the whole unit. You dose the matching cleaning tablets per fill, which is more precise than a splash of liquid detergent and leaves no soap film on the rim of the glass.

The 110 mm sink strainer fits a standard drain and catches lemon slices, straws and mint leaves before they disappear down the pipe. That saves blockages in the longer run. For the floor there is a simple rule: a rubber mat of 91 by 91 cm covers exactly the working space in front of the tap, and with two mats you lay out an entire bar. Choose a version with through-holes so spilled drink runs away underneath the mat instead of standing on top of it.

Rinse glasses in cold water right after use, so before beer foam or syrup dries on. Put the glass over the brush head, turn it half a rotation and rinse in clean water. This order keeps the head on the next beer intact, because a trace of grease or soap flattens foam immediately.

Fill the rinsing unit at the start of service and change the water as soon as it turns cloudy; cloudy water no longer cleans but spreads dirt onto the next glass. Mount the sanitiser dispenser with elbow operation beside the walkway, so hands stay clean without anyone touching the button. At the end of service, do one fixed round: empty the strainer, lift the mats and mop the floor underneath.

The brush heads are aluminium with plastic bristles and are meant to be replaced as soon as the bristles start to lie flat. A flattened brush scrapes along the rim of the glass and no longer cleans. The strainer and the dispenser are plastic and steel and stay clean with warm water and a neutral detergent.

The rubber floor mat can take a pressure washer or simply go in the sink. Never roll it up tightly while wet, because moisture then sits between the layers. Store it flat or hanging and let it air; that keeps the rubber supple so it does not tear at the holes.

Freshly rinsed glasses are easiest to put away in glass crates, so they dry upright and do not tip over. For the rest of the floor and the worktop there are non-slip mats, and you keep the spirits within reach with speed rails. If you are looking for glassware that can take all this, have a look at the hospitality glasses or the beer glasses. The full range of equipment is under bar tools and the drinks that go with it under cocktails.