How to complete cleaning records in FoodSafety HQ: tick off scheduled cleaning tasks, add photo evidence, and keep a time-stamped, audit-ready cleaning schedule.
To complete a cleaning record, open the cleaning check for your venue, tick off each task as it's done, add a photo if useful, and save. Cleaning is a food safety control, not just housekeeping — a time-stamped record proves surfaces and equipment are cleaned and sanitised on schedule. Clean vs sanitise Effective cleaning is two steps: clean to remove grease and food debris, then sanitise food-contact surfaces to reduce bacteria. Your cleaning items can cover both, and the record shows the schedule is being followed. How to complete the checklist Open the cleaning check for your venue. Work through each task — benches, equipment, floors, cool-room shelving and so on — ticking them off as you go. Add a photo where evidence is helpful (for example a deep clean). Save to time-stamp the record against you. Don't forget the hidden spots The places pests and bacteria love are the ones routine cleaning misses — behind and under equipment, floor-wall junctions, drains and grease traps. Build these into your schedule as periodic deep-clean items so they're not overlooked. Setting up your cleaning schedule Add, rename or remove cleaning items and set how often each is due so the checklist matches your venue. See Managing Check Items . Frequently asked questions Do I need photo evidence for cleaning? Photos aren't always required, but they're strong evidence for deep cleans or anything an inspector might question. FoodSafety HQ lets you attach a photo to a cleaning record when it's useful. How often should cleaning be recorded? It depends on the task — benches and equipment are typically daily, while some deep cleans are weekly or monthly. Set each cleaning item's frequency in the venue settings so the checklist reflects your real schedule. What's the difference between cleaning and sanitising? Cleaning removes visible dirt, grease and food residue; sanitising then reduces bacteria on food-contact surfaces. Both matter — clean first, then sanitise, allowing the sanitiser its contact time. Can I record cleaning offline? Yes. Cleaning checklists can be completed offline in the installed app and sync automatically when you're back online. (Photo capture isn't queued offline yet.)