July 10th, 2018 by Chris Chapman

If you’re a pub landlord, the hygiene of your pub is hugely important. Making sure everything - from the bar to the smoking area to the bathrooms – meets hygiene standards could save you a lot of time and money in the future. Upgrading any appliances that have seen better days and replacing them with more energy-efficient models will help you save on your running costs while also giving a safer, cleaner experience to your customers. Don’t be known as the dingy local boozer; stand out from your competition with your excellent service and facilities.

Pub Carpet Cleaning

Pints don't always stay in their glasses, so regular carpet cleaning is essential An important but often overlooked part of pub hygiene is the carpet. Over time, the carpet will absorb all kinds of bad smells and stains that you might not notice. Dirt will get ground in, pints will be spilt on it, and food or snacks can be trampled into it, attracting all sorts of pests. As this degradation of your carpet is a gradual process, you might not notice it if you’re there every day, even though your customers might do. Fortunately, you don’t need to invest in professional carpet repair unless your carpet is damaged. If you have a carpet cleaning machine and some Pro+ Carpet Shampoo, you can do it yourself in a morning for a fraction of the cost. Cleaning your carpet in this way will immediately brighten up your whole pub – you’ll really notice the difference once it’s done!

Cleaning Beer Pumps, Taps and Fittings

Keep the beer flowing cleanly by cleaning out your pumps Often, as long as your beer is refreshing and has a good head on it, people will be happy to drink it. However, you still have a responsibility to make sure it’s free from bacteria and safe to drink. To do this, you’ll need to clean out the inside of your beer pumps to stop beer lines from forming, which can be a hive of bacteria. Pro-Kleen’s Beer Line Cleaner will safely clean and sterilise the inside of metal and plastic components in your beer pump system. It has a purple colour-changing indicator that shows you when an area is safely sterilised, making it a practical beer line cleaner for any landlord.

Keep an Eye Out for Mould and Mildew

Mould and Mildew Remover Mould and mildew like to grow in warm, humid environments. That means pubs, which constantly have large amounts of people drinking and spilling liquids inside them, are particularly susceptible to mould growth, especially in summer. Check our guide on identifying mould and mildew for more detail, but really the most important (and obvious) thing to note is that it’s not something you want in your pub! Make sure you regularly check every corner of your premises for mould or mildew forming. Many people miss the early signs of mildew as it can just look like a dirty smudge at first, so make sure to investigate any suspicious new marks on your wall a bit more closely. If you do find any mould or mildew, give it a quick clean with some Mould and Mildew Remover. Unfortunately, if you have certain kinds of mould, the fungus can actually infest the inside of your wall, at which point you’ll need some professional help, so it’s worth regularly checking to catch any potential mould growths before they get to that point.

Circulate the Air Properly

Summertime is a great time for landlords, but you need to be aware of the effects heat can have on your pub One of the ways to prevent heat and humidity building up inside your bar is to find yourself a fan to circulate the air around the premises. This will help reduce the humidity of your bar and, if you have an aircon unit, it’ll help distribute that cool area around the room more effectively. Your customers will appreciate the cool air during the summer, and you’ll appreciate not having a high risk of mould growing across your ceiling, so it’s a win-win! There are any number of options for getting a good air circulating fan. You can always just pick up a portable fan that you can position anywhere you like. This means you can place it near an open door or window to get the most out of it. Alternatively, you could look at getting a ceiling fan fitted. This is probably the way to go if you’ve got a really large bar area as a small, portable fan might not be quite as effective in a larger room. A ceiling fan will ensure air is always moving around even the largest room and it won’t go unnoticed by your customers!

Clean Your Hard Surfaces

Don't forget to clean your fruit machine You can’t control who’s in your pub or how clean their hands are, but you can control how clean the surfaces are that they touch. All your hard surfaces – bar, bathroom appliances, fruit machine, and anywhere else – need to be regularly cleaned with anti-bacterial sprays or wipes. It’s not a glamorous job, but it is one that is incredibly important. Do the same for other things that people will constantly be touching, too, like pool cues – it will save you a lot of headaches down the line.

Pub Washroom Hygiene

Keep your washroom as hygienic as possible - it needs to look and smell clean Making sure your pub’s bathrooms are up to scratch is a big job, and it’s arguably one of the most important. First-time customers will always comment on the state of your bathroom the first time you visit, and it’s something that will definitely put people off from coming back if it’s unhygienic. Make sure that the surfaces in your washroom are regularly cleaned, and that your bathroom is kitted out with a good air freshener, urinal mats, and sanitary bins. Bathroom hygiene isn’t the most appealing thing to talk about but it is important, and thankfully it’s easy enough to get right. It involves using a bit of common sense and getting all the little details right. That means you should regularly check to make sure your pub’s washrooms look and smell good! In addition…

Get Effective Appliances in Your Pub Washroom

Jet Flow Brushed Steel Manual Push Button Hand Dryer If your old hand dryer is getting a bit wheezy and your soap dispenser has seen better days, it could be time for an upgrade! Old, inefficient appliances are not only less effective at keeping your customers safe and hygienic, but they could be costing you money. If your soap dispenser develops a drip, it can add up to mean you waste huge amounts of soap over the course of a year. Likewise, if your hand dryer isn’t working properly, you’re guaranteed to take a hit on your electric bill.   Making sure you have a soap dispenser that’s easy to simply wipe down and clean will save you a lot of headaches, but you have a lot of options beyond that. If your pub is busy, you might want a tough stainless steel dispenser that can put up with a lot of abuse. Likewise, you should consider similar things when looking at hand dryers (generally, for pubs, we’d recommend a hand dryer over a paper towel dispenser). Automatic hand dryers are inexpensive these days and are easier to clean and maintain as your customer never has to touch them. It’s also worth looking at blade hand dryers which are ultra-hygienic thanks to their drip catching tray, which reduces the amount of water that gets splashed onto your bathroom floor! All of this is dependent on your budget and what your needs are, so if you’re still stuck on what’s best for you, have a read of our guide to electric hand dryers and soap dispensers!

Baby Changing Facilities for Pubs

Bambino Heavy Duty Horizontal Baby Changing Table Another addition you should look at getting for your bathroom is a new baby changing table. If you don’t have one already, a baby changing table is a great way to make your pub more appealing to families, attracting countless potential new customers. If you already have one, then you should make sure it’s doing its job properly and is easy to clean and maintain. Making sure your baby changing table is well-advertised, as well as safe and secure, will go a long way towards encouraging families to come back to your pub again and again. Don’t forget to ensure your baby changing facilities stay hygienic by making use of nappy bins – the last thing you want is for a customer to block your toilet up with a dirty nappy!

Fly Killers for Pubs

Glueboard fly killers can be subtler and more stylish than zappers Summer is a great time to get your beer garden buzzing - unfortunately, this is true in more ways than one! Flies love warm, sheltered areas with lots of food, and that description sums your pub up to a T! Flies will love the sugary deposits left by beer spills and crisps so it's important you mop these spills up as soon as you can. This won't be enough to completely deter flies as they're just too common, so you'll need to look at getting a fly killer to keep your patrons pest-free. Before you rush out and buy a cheap zapper, you should be aware that zappers kill flies by electrocuting them, which can cause bits of flies to fly out and away from the zapper. Zappers are affordable but aren't subtle enough for customer-facing places. You want a glueboard fly killer, which will draw flies in and stick them to a sticky glueboard out of sight of your customers. Believe it or not, modern fly killers can actually be quite stylish so your customers might not even notice them, meaning they can drink in peace without being bothered by flies! If you have any questions about any of the information in this article, please just give our customer service team a ring on 0800 091 3171 for some free advice!