A fruit wedge may add the perfect finishing touch to a drink, but it can also be surprisingly unsanitary.

These garnishes are often stored behind the bar and cut on surfaces that may have previously held other items.

They can also fall on the floor and be picked back up, carrying dirt and germs on the peel.

Additionally, if the knife used isn’t properly cleaned, bacteria can transfer onto the fruit, which then ends up in drinks.

Card machines are touched by countless customers and staff members daily, yet many restaurant managers rarely think to clean them.

Hands and credit cards transfer germs onto these devices, but they’re often overlooked as contamination risks.

In some restaurants, card machines may have never been sanitized.

A quick wipe with a disinfectant would significantly improve hygiene, highlighting the need for more attention to these small but important details.

All restaurant utensils should be thoroughly cleaned, yet salad tongs often don’t receive the same attention as knives, forks, and spoons.

Many remain out all day for self-service, making them susceptible to contamination from unwashed hands, coughs, and sneezes.

This can also spread germs to the salad itself.

Any frequently handled item should be regularly sanitized, but because salad tongs don’t always look dirty, they’re often overlooked.

While tables may seem like the main hotspot for bacteria in a restaurant, chairs are actually far worse.

Studies show that up to 70% of restaurant chairs contain bacteria due to infrequent cleaning.

Dirt and germs from one person’s clothing are left behind for the next, yet staff rarely sanitize chairs as thoroughly as other surfaces.

Cushioned chairs are especially prone to staining, but even wooden ones can be surprisingly unsanitary.

Servers often use dishcloths to wipe down tables, counters, and other surfaces, but these rags can quickly become breeding grounds for bacteria.

With a limited supply, staff frequently reuse them, unintentionally spreading dirt and germs from one table to another.

Ideally, dishcloths should be replaced with clean ones after each use, as they retain crumbs, sauces, and other debris, making proper sanitation a challenge.

Servers routinely clean table surfaces but often neglect the undersides.

While it’s not necessary after every service, wiping beneath tables at least once a week helps maintain cleanliness.

People may stick gum or other debris there, making it an unsanitary spot.

Even if it’s just dust accumulation, regular cleaning enhances a restaurant’s overall hygiene and demonstrates attention to detail.

Have you ever picked up a restaurant menu and felt a sticky residue?

That alone highlights how unsanitary they can be. The real concern is the unseen bacteria accumulating on them.

Throughout a meal, people handle food, sauces, and drinks, then transfer germs onto menus.

While keeping menus at the host station may suggest regular cleaning, many restaurants avoid using cleaning chemicals to prevent damage.

As a result, menus often remain secretly filthy.

Condiment bottles can be sticky, but there’s more than just sauce on your hands!

Throughout the day, countless people handle the same bottles, and staff simply return them to their stations without frequent cleaning.

Unless they’re visibly covered in sauce, they’re rarely wiped down.

The residue alone harbors bacteria, and worse, you never know who touched—or even tampered with—them before you.

Any bartender will tell you that bar mats are filthy.

Designed to catch drips and spills, they quickly become sticky and smelly by the end of the night.

Ideally, they should be machine-washed for proper sanitation, but many restaurants skip this step.

Simply rinsing them under a tap and putting them back may make them look clean, but it doesn’t eliminate bacteria—making this a common yet overlooked hygiene issue.

Like condiment bottles, salt and pepper shakers are handled by countless people throughout the day, yet they’re rarely cleaned.

Servers often return them to their spots without wiping them down, allowing grease, dust, and sauce residue to build up.

Some restaurants also fail to regularly replace old salt and pepper, raising further hygiene concerns.

In addition to being unsanitary, contaminated shakers could pose allergy risks if they come into contact with certain foods during meals.

Free tap water is always a plus—unless it comes from an unsanitary sink faucet.

Over time, dissolved minerals in the water can lead to bacterial buildup, while grime and debris may fall into customers’ drinks.

Many restaurants overlook faucet cleaning, but regular maintenance is essential to ensure the water remains uncontaminated and safe for consumption.

Most of us have probably never cleaned a bottle opener, but in restaurants, it’s essential.

With multiple people handling them, germs can easily transfer, especially since the opener touches the area where people drink.

Regular cleaning as part of the bar’s closing routine helps keep bottle openers free from dirt, stickiness, and rust.

Light switches are major touch points for contamination, yet they’re often overlooked in restaurant cleaning routines.

Staff focus on dining and kitchen areas, neglecting frequently touched surfaces like switches.

A quick wipe with a clean cloth removes bacteria, reducing the risk of spreading germs.

While customers rarely touch them, staff do—and since they handle food and drinks, maintaining strict hygiene is essential.

Most restaurant entrances require touching a doorknob, but there’s no way to know how clean it is.

With so many people passing through, frequent cleaning is essential, though it’s impractical to sanitize after every use.

Doorknobs on entrance doors, kitchen doors, and restrooms often get overlooked, making them prime spots for germs.

Regular cleaning throughout the day helps maintain hygiene, but it’s always a good idea to wash your hands after touching them.

Ice may seem harmless, but it can be surprisingly unhygienic if restaurants neglect their ice machines.

Without regular deep cleaning, these machines can develop mold and bacteria, contaminating the ice.

Proper maintenance involves removing and washing all panels when the machine is empty, yet some establishments rarely, if ever, clean them.

This means the ice in your drink could be carrying more than just a chill.

Restaurant bathroom floors can get dirty fast, accumulating toilet paper, urine, and other unsanitary substances.

While most restaurants clean them at the end of the day, they often need more frequent attention to maintain proper hygiene.

A visibly dirty bathroom floor may also suggest deeper cleanliness issues elsewhere, potentially discouraging customers from returning.

Babies are undeniably messy, making restaurant high chairs some of the most unsanitary items around.

Studies suggest that high chair trays can harbor more bacteria than toilet seats due to food, drool, and other residues accumulating daily.

A simple wipe-down isn’t enough—these chairs need thorough cleaning with strong detergents to ensure proper hygiene.

Restaurant trays come into contact with countless drinks and foods, yet many establishments neglect to clean them properly.

Instead of using soap and water, staff often wipe them down with dry rags, which does little to remove bacteria.

This oversight means that even clean glasses and plates can be placed on contaminated surfaces before reaching customers.

Proper tray sanitation should be a priority, but it’s something many restaurants forget.

Measure pourers are typically rinsed between uses, but throughout a night of service, they accumulate sticky residue from various spirits and wines.

For proper hygiene, they should be thoroughly washed with soap and hot water regularly and always at the end of service.

Simply rinsing them isn’t enough to remove bacteria, yet many restaurants neglect to soak and dry them properly because they appear clean.

This oversight can lead to contamination and should be addressed with stricter cleaning practices.

Pens are used constantly in restaurants—by customers signing checks, servers taking orders, and chefs making notes.

With multiple people handling them throughout the day, pens can accumulate bacteria and even become sticky.

Since hand hygiene is crucial in restaurant settings, regularly sanitizing frequently handled items like pens should be standard practice.

However, many establishments overlook this simple but important step in maintaining cleanliness.

Bread baskets may not seem as dirty as other restaurant crockery, but they can still become unsanitary if not properly cleaned.

Since they come into contact with food, leftover crumbs and grease can transfer to the next customer if not washed off.

Neglecting to clean them also allows bacteria to spread.

Unfortunately, some restaurants simply return used bread baskets to the shelf without washing them, but anything that has been handled should be thoroughly sanitized.

Not all restaurants use microwaves, but those that do often fail to clean them properly.

Food spills inside should be wiped up immediately to prevent them from drying and becoming moldy.

At the end of each service, staff should scrub the microwave’s interior to ensure it’s spotless for the next day.

The exterior can also be unsanitary due to frequent handling by chefs.

Restaurants should clean their microwaves with the same thoroughness as their ovens.

Aprons are meant to maintain hygiene, yet many servers and chefs are forced to wear dirty ones due to poor management.

By the end of a shift, aprons are covered in food, drinks, sauces, and other contaminants, making them breeding grounds for bacteria.

To uphold proper food hygiene, restaurants must ensure aprons are regularly washed and replaced, preventing germs from spreading in both the front and back of the house.

Coffee pots are essential in many restaurants, yet they’re often not cleaned properly.

Simply rinsing out leftover coffee grounds isn’t enough—moisture and coffee residue can encourage bacteria growth.

To ensure proper hygiene, coffee pots should be cleaned like glasses, preferably in a machine, and thoroughly dried to eliminate moisture and odors.

Chopping boards are used by chefs, bartenders, and sometimes servers, but they aren’t always hygienic.

Many restaurants simply rinse them instead of using sanitizing solutions between uses, which is especially risky when handling raw meat.

Cross-contamination poses serious health risks, so strict sanitization processes for chopping boards and other kitchen equipment should always be followed.

Waste disposal systems are naturally dirty, but their lack of sanitation can easily spread throughout a restaurant.

Many servers forget to wash their hands after handling garbage, transferring bacteria to meals and drinks.

Since customers don’t see these areas, they often overlook how easily germs from waste disposal can make their way into the kitchen and dining spaces through staff.

Grease traps are essential for restaurant hygiene, preventing fats and oils from entering sewage systems.

However, if not cleaned daily, they become extremely unsanitary.

Staff often overlook them, leading to clogs, foul odors, and excessive grease buildup.

A neglected grease trap can compromise the cleanliness of back-of-house areas and indicate poor overall hygiene practices.

Sugar packets may be single-use, but they accumulate germs from frequent handling and spilled drinks.

While the sugar inside remains safe, the packets can become unsanitary over time.

Restaurants should regularly clean the containers holding them, yet many simply top them up, ignoring any dirt or residue beneath.

Restaurant guests rarely see kitchen freezers, making it easy to overlook their cleanliness.

Walk-in freezers, like smaller ones, must be regularly sanitized to prevent mold, food contamination, and ice buildup.

Left uncleaned, they can even attract pests like roaches and rats, posing serious hygiene risks.