Cleaning Tips & Common Questions

NYC’s Best Kept Secret

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NYC's Best kept secret - Cleanse Tec - Lease Dish Machine Service

For over 37 years, Cleanse Tec has provided service to New York’s finest establishments. When you walk into a Cleanse Tec maintained restaurant, hotel, or industrial cleaning facility, the fact is, you will never know. You will never see the avoided emergencies, the almost failed inspections, or any other disasters, because Cleanse Tec is the proven expert in the service and lease of dish machines, industrial cleaning equipment, product supply and installation design.

From Start To Finish

Cleanse Tec provides custom installation, designed for your specific needs. Warewashing, laundry, dispenser systems, it’s all our cup of tea. Let’s talk.

 

 

Why CleanseTec Customers Don’t Panic: 24/7 Emergency Service

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Cleanse-Tec-Dishwashing-Equipment-Lease-Repairs-Bring-on-disasters

New machine, new headaches?

Buying a new product is great, especially when it is something your business needs. Sure, many business owners can relate to the excitement of having a shiny new machine in their store that will make everything more efficient. At least that is how you feel on the first day. What about 3 months down the road, or a year? Is your machine still in tip-top shape? Do your employees thoroughly know how to use it? Do you have new employees that need training so your machine doesn’t get damaged? Do you have time for these headaches? That would be a definite NO!

Know what comes with your dishwasher machine service

When looking for suppliers and equipment retailers, quality parts and machines are just as import as the follow-up customer service provided by companies. Image this: It’s been a busy week at Joe’s Restaurant in downtown Manhattan, and Saturday night means it is just going to get busier. Then the punches start coming in – two of your kitchen assistants call in sick, table turnover is going too slow, the line outside is getting filled with grumpy rumblings of impatient customers and then…..your dish machine breaks.

CleanseTec Customers Don’t Panic

While this may cause panic for people, you know all you need to do is make a phone call, yes a 9 p.m. phone call on a Saturday night to your supplier and you know you will have a technician out there getting your machine fixed. Your Saturday night is saved and your restaurant’s reputation is still stellar.

Sound good? That’s a definite YES! Cleanse Tec  knows the importance of everything going smoothly and everything running for a restaurant to be successful. Your kitchen cannot skip a beat.

Here For You-Design, Maintenance, Training

Cleanse Tec is with you through all the steps of service.  Cleanse Tec will start by custom designing warewashing, laundry, and dispenser systems.  The plans are custom fit to your business’ size specifications for maximum efficiency without conflicting with your other appliances. Next is installation. We come to you and install your machines and dispensers, making sure everything is calibrated and working perfectly.

Our experts will then train you and your employees. They teach you how to properly operate and maintain your machines. Do you need to access training again? Do you need a custom video made? We have excellent training videos here. Our video library is always expanding.

One Stop Shop – Machines, Service, Soap

Your dish machine works best when well taken care of. Preventative maintenance and quality soap subscriptions will extend the life of the machine and drastically reduce any emergency. Cleanse Tec’s preventative maintenance program covers routine cleaning and makes sure your machines continue to certify with local health standards.

Sometimes, emergencies do happen. With Cleanse Tec technicians are on stand-by 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are always prepared to handle any breakdown. Your machine will be up and running in no time.

As a soap manufacturer with a factory right here in NY, we produce all of our soap products and pass the savings straight to you – there is no middle man!

 

Curb Appeal Elevates Outdoor Dining

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Elevate Sidewalk Dining - Curb Appeal Brings in New Customers - Cleanse Tec - NYC

Clean Sidewalks Create Curb Appeal.

Spring time means warmer weather. Warmer weather means foot traffic. People are out and about. This time of year gives your restaurant the opportunity to attract more people!

If you can, make your patio dining visible to pedestrians and people driving by. Depending on your establishment type, you may want to offer an outdoor bar and put in an extra server’s station outside. In addition, a patio dining area typically includes the following:

  • Outdoor tables
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Umbrellas

With all the news eyes on your establishment, it may be time to assess your curb appeal and make some changes.

Curb Appeal

Having an uninviting exterior or dirty windows is the same as a homeowner with weeds and trash in his front yard. People just keep on driving by assuming that it is the same inside.

Clean Up

Start with collecting any litter that may have been missed during your normal outside pickup. Sweep up any leaves and dirt that are in your outside dining area. Cleanse Tec recommends using City Sidewalk Cleaner. Available in Powder or Liquid, this product lifts dirt particles off of the concrete so it can be easily washed away, leaving the sidewalk cleaner and whiter.

Update & Paint

A quick and cost effective way to give your business an update is… Paint! The most successful restaurants we have seen are the managers that follow a “Like New” philosophy. No matter how small a fix, do it right away! Refresh your storefront with a coat of paint and choose colors that represent your restaurants theme and atmosphere.

Add A Seasonal Touch

For spring, add some colorful potted plants and flowers in your outside eating areas.

Outdoor Menus

If you are in an area with heavy sidewalk traffic, outdoor menus are an excellent way to showcase your offerings. You can use a menu board or a simple paper menu in a display case or window to list your offerings. An outdoor chalk board can be used too. Display it prominently and change it often. Highlight the day’s specials or write amusing quotes to attract attention.

Start Cooking

Let the enticing smells from your kitchen attract hungry passers-by. Make sure the cleanliness of your restaurant allows the fragrant flavors of your cuisine to be noticed first!

Sidewalk Success!

Start your exterior update today. Visually invite people into your restaurant through outdoor dining. Make sure that your exterior restaurant design is attractive and eye-catching, and that it clearly communicates to onlookers what your restaurant has to offer. For more inspiration, check out timeout.com‘s article on NYC outdoor dining.

How To Get Rid of Fruit Flies, Drain Flies, Phorid Flies in 4 Easy Steps

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Soapy with bright oranges, lines and lemons. Blog Header.

 

 

Fly Time

It’s that time of year again, the flies start emerging.

Fruit flies are commonly associated with overripe and fermenting fruits and vegetables. However, fruit does not to have to be present to attract fruit flies, as they can originate from other sources. They are the number one pest fly in bars and restaurants.

Location, Location, Location

A sink drain - where fruit flies like to breed.The most common breeding places and feeding materials for these small flies are drains and damp, organic materials of some sort.  One of the most popular products to use for any type of fly that has invaded your drain lines is Cleanse Tec’s®  FlyAway™.

Plan of Action

Let’s back up.

First: we need to find the actual source of the flies. A great and inexpensive way to check if it is the drains is to lay a piece of tape over the opening in all the sinks, sticky side down, not covering the entire opening (the flies still need to get in). Leave the tape on overnight – longer if possible.

Next: Check in the morning to see if there are any flies stuck to the tape. It is best to repeat this process for a couple days to be sure. If you have flies on the tape – you know that is your source.

Get started

Once you have determined that yes, it is the drains, you can start taking the necessary steps to eliminate the flies. Start pouring FlyAway™ down the drains right before closing. You can also:

  1. Locate and eliminate all possible breeding and feeding sources for flies and other pests.
  2. Instruct employees on all sanitation measures needed for your type of business.  Sanitation begins with products delivered and continues through food storage, preparation and disposal of waste materials – all the way to the dumpster.
  3. Use FlyAway™ on a regular, preventative basis.
  4. Make good use of ultra violet traps to draw flying insects away from your customers and away from food.

BONUS TIP: Spray Fly Away around the base of bar area nightly to keep away the flies and keep your bar smelling fresh.

Remember: For Infested Garbage Containers: Spray FlyAway™ around garbage bins and on garbage bags each night. This will keep the fruit flies away as well as small rodents.

Keep it Clean

Bar tender cleaning a wine gLass.
Be meticulous about your cleaning!

Remember – as long as there is a food source for the pests they will stay. Keeping everything clean and sanitary will help eliminate your problem even faster. Be meticulous! Start using FlyAway™ today and watch your fruit fly problem disappear.

How to Rise Above the Competition: Back of the House Insider Tips

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Cleanse Tec blog heading - customer service and the competition - informational

A Step Ahead of the Competition

We should all feel pretty lucky – in America, if you woke up tomorrow and decided to start a business, you can! Small businesses greatly contribute to our economy, community and create jobs. Actually, if you take a walk downtown in your neighborhood, it can seem pretty overwhelming to see how many businesses are up and running. More businesses mean more competition – or does it?
Let’s take, for example, the restaurant business – notoriously known for how hard it is to break into, and then stay open for longer than a year. For hungry customers, the choices out there are endless. What about the hotel business? You can walk out of any airport and be confronted with at least 15 choices in one mile. So how does a business attract customers and start building up a regular client base?

Building a Base

In truth, it is a combination of many things – marketing, attracting and retaining the best employees, staying true to your main goal, growing and expanding as times change, planning and staying with-in a budget and customer service.
Today we are going to talk about customer service. If you have two equally good burger joints in your town, both serving delicious burgers (their main goal) BUT Burger Joint 1 has a rude hostess, wait service that moves too slow, it takes an hour to get your burger, no ever asks if you need a refill, the tables are dirty, the floor is sticky, the bathroom looks like you catch something by just walking by the door, you check is always wrong and the space is cramped and too dark. They may make great burgers, but at this point you’re thinking “So what?”. You may even take the next step thinking, if Burger Joint 2 is the exact opposite – attentive staff, pleasing atmosphere, super clean – you may even be willing to pay a little more or even wait in a line to experience a dinner out at Burger Joint 2.

Don’t Cut Down on Customer Service

Many companies treat customer service as an expensive that needs to be minimized – but taking this route will only hurt you in the long run. How can you achieve “5 star rating” in the hospitality business?

1. Go above and beyond

Does your hotel guest need an extended check out? Give it to them. Does your dinner need food prepared in a special way? Make it happen. Customers today want to know their business is appreciated. These little and relatively easy actions can make or break how your customers feel about you and your business.

2. Stay consistent

Be reliable. Your guest may have had a wonderful experience the first time they visited your business, they may have even told their friends – perfect! Now they come back and nothing is like how they remember it. They will be sure to share their negative experience with their friends as well.

3. Deliver on your promises.

Don’t be deceitful, pulling customers in with the promise of specials or savings, but never following through. While this may be a quick way to get people into the door, customers will quickly shy away from any business that doesn’t seem trustworthy.

4. Listen with an Open Mind

This may seem counter intuitive, but let your customers complain! Sometimes a customer just wants to be listened to. If you are then aware of a bad experience you can address it and hopefully have the customer leaving happy. This also gives you a chance to look into and change policies and procedures as need be. remember this extends to online ratings and reviews. Check out userlike.com‘s article – How Customer Service Can Improve your Google Rankings.

5. Keep it clean!

This is so important. People want to feel safe and content. No one wants to eat or sleep somewhere dirty. Sanitize and clean in one swoop. Customers will start judging your business the moment they arrive outside. Are your store-front windows clean? Is your hotel front and parking lot nicely landscaped? All these things contribute to how the customer sees your business. If they think you care about your business, they are more likely to think they will be provided with a great experience.

These extra efforts will make a huge difference – don’t let them fall to side.

Customer service should be one of your main focuses and should be improved upon daily. You should also provide training to your employees; consistent customer service should be instilled among all employees.

NYC Board of Health: Fruit Fly Alert

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Cleanse Tec's Fruit Fly Eliminator: Fly Away Infographic

ONE NEGATIVE POINT PER FRUIT FLY?!

When NYC Health Department conducts unannounced inspections at least once a year, a swarm of flies can drastically alter your score. This can make or break your business! Although it does not seem like a lot, 30 or more fruit flies is enough for a Health Inspector to legally shut down your business.

Don’t allow these pests to disrupt your business.

Cleanse Tec formulates custom products for your business.  Fly Away™ is the perfect solution to naturally get rid of fruit flies without pesticides or harsh chemicals…

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Implementing a Social Media Plan for Your Restaurant

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implementing a social media strategy for your restaurant

1. Determine an overall budget

Think about how much you can realistically invest in social media advertising, whether it is $30 a month or $600 a month. Having an overall budget will help you plan what you can afford which will, in part, determine where the best place to put your money will be. If you can only spend $1 per day, you will not be able to use Twitter or LinkedIn. Facebook is your only option (it’s a good option and something that I recommend every restaurant invest in).

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Taking your restaurant inspections from a C to an A

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from a c to an a, restaurant inspects

Little things in restaurant inspections can take you down.  Are you looking for ways to up your inspection?  Here are some tips to help you improve your grade and get that A!

 

First and most importantly, be well versed on the rules and regulations. Included below are some publicly available documents on restaurant inspections in the New York City Metro area.

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