How to Clean Under Grocery Store Shelving: Tools & Techniques for Spotless Aisles

March 13, 2025

You walk into the grocery store, ready to pick up fresh ingredients for tonight’s dinner—crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, maybe a perfectly ripe avocado. But as soon as you step inside, you notice the floors are dirty, the produce section smells slightly off, and there’s a sticky spill that hasn’t been cleaned up. Suddenly, your confidence in the store—and the cleanliness of the food you’re about to buy—starts to fade.

A dirty grocery store isn’t just unpleasant; it’s a breeding ground for germs, dirt, and cross-contamination. Fresh produce, often unprotected by packaging, can easily pick up bacteria from unclean surfaces, putting shoppers at risk. Let’s face it, how many times have you pulled an apple or other fruit off the stack and its peers have fallen off the show to the floor. Forcing you to pick it up and put it back, contaminating the rest.

Grocery store cleaning can often be challenging because of factors like high foot traffic, limited time and budget, and the risk of cross contamination. Even if your staff is constantly cleaning, disinfecting, and avoiding cross-contamination, there are still areas that can be easily missed.

Why is Cleaning Under Grocery Store Shelving Important?

One of these easily missed areas is under grocery store shelves. Often forgotten about, underneath the shelf can be a hotspot for bacteria, pests, and unpleasant odors because of potential spills, damaged product, and debris missed during routine cleaning that can remain hidden for long periods of time.

As you can see, cleaning under shelves is an important aspect of professional appearance, overall hygiene, and customer perception in the grocery store. But how do you go about actually cleaning them?

You likely won’t be cleaning all the way under your shelving, as that would most likely require removing all of the stocked items and shelving. This would take way too much time and resources and likely isn’t even necessary, as shelving is usually designed with a metal or hard plastic skirting that keeps debris and soil out from under there.

In this guide, we will be focusing on cleaning the portion underneath the shelving that is visible to the eye, as this is where cleaning is most needed and can feasibly be achieved.

By the end of this article, you will understand the ins and outs of cleaning under grocery store shelving and learn some additional quick tips and efficiency hacks to streamline and improve the cleaning process!

How Often Should You Clean Under Grocery Store Shelves?

We should preface this topic by letting you know that although deep cleaning under grocery store shelving would ideally be done daily, it will likely need to be done periodically, preferably weekly, due to the time and staff required.

Clean at Night

For maximum cleaning efficiency, clean under grocery store shelves at night. This is because there will be less traffic in your store at night to potentially interrupt the cleaning process.

Alternate Between Aisles

Alternating between the aisles you clean each night is also a good idea to keep the store consistently clean. Additionally, working in sections and cleaning a few aisles at a time will keep you from being overwhelmed and lead to better results.

Best Tools & Equipment for Cleaning Under Grocery Store Shelving

The most effective way to clean under your store’s shelving is likely going to be running a floor sweeper and floor scrubber over an entire aisle at a time. This will offer the most complete clean and will allow you to clean a larger area much more quickly.

In some scenarios, however, it may make more sense to use a dust mop and wet mop to clean just a few sections at a time.

We’ve included a guide covering both scenarios, but be sure to consider the cleaning needs of your shelving before deciding how to clean!

Before we get into our step-by-step guide, let’s cover the best tools and equipment for cleaning under grocery store shelving:

Vacuum
Floor Sweeper
Floor Scrubber
Dust Mop
Wet Mop
Air Mover
Wet Floor Signs

Vacuum

Vacuums are able to reach under shelves to remove dust and small debris.

Floor Sweeper

The floor sweeper is the fastest way to clean under store shelving and is very useful for cleaning under a whole aisle of shelves at once!

What is a Floor Sweeper?

An industrial floor sweeper is a cleaning machine designed to efficiently collect and remove dirt, dust, and small debris. Thanks to their motorized design, they can cover large areas quickly, reducing the time and effort needed to complete cleaning tasks.

Models differ in features like weight, cleaning path, dumping system, and brush configuration to better suit the space you need to be cleaned, whether small, medium, or large. Choose the one that will work the best for your store’s needs.

Floor Scrubber

Once you’ve used your floor sweeper, the floor scrubber can come through and remove any stuck on grime and food waste.

What is a Floor Scrubber?

A floor scrubber is a floor cleaning machine that applies a cleaning solution to the floor, cleans the floor through agitation, and dries the floor all in one pass. They eliminate the need for a traditional mop and bucket and clean floors with increased power and a reduced amount of water and solution, providing quicker dry times and a more hygienic clean.

While a floor sweeper is designed to pick up dry debris and dirt, floor scrubbers scrub (with or without chemical solutions) and suck up many kinds of soils.

Dust Mop

Dust mops can be incredibly useful for capturing fine dust and dirt underneath shelving. It should not be used to clean wet or heavy spills, however.

Wet Mop

Wet mops are useful for eliminating wet or heavy spills underneath shelving. It is ideal for cleaning under only a few shelves at a time.

Air Mover

After you’ve finished cleaning, use an air mover to completely dry the area.

Wet Floor Signs

Use wet floor signs to mark areas that are being cleaned and keep customers away from them.

How to Clean Under Grocery Store Shelving

Before you start cleaning, gather the appropriate supplies:

Materials Needed:

Dust Mop
Wet Mop
Combo Bucket/Wringer on Wheels
Dust Wand
Microfiber Cloths
Neutral Floor Cleaner
Disinfecting Wipes
Wet Floor Signs
PPE (goggles, gloves, etc.)

Equipment Needed:

Vacuum
Floor Sweeper
Floor Scrubber
Air Mover

Now let’s dive into the steps you need to follow for cleaning under grocery store shelving:

Step 1: Area Prep
Step 2: Sweep & Vacuum
Step 3: Scrub the Floors
Step 4: Clean Hard-To-Reach Areas
Step 5: Dry the Area

Step 1: Area Prep

Before you start the cleaning process, you need to ensure the area is prepped.

Make sure all areas staff will be cleaning are blocked off with wet floor signs to prevent people wandering in and injuring themselves.

Step 2: Sweep and Vacuum the Area

Now it’s time to vacuum or floor sweep underneath. If you are cleaning underneath a single or just a few shelves, your vacuum is the way to go here. If you are doing a whole aisle at a time, a floor sweeper will save you a lot of time.

No matter which equipment you choose, the goal is to pick up loose debris, dirt, and dust. In the next step, we’ll worry about removing any stuck on grime and food waste. Sweep or vacuum until the loose debris has been removed.

Step 3: Scrub the Floors

Next comes getting rid of any stubborn food waste residue.

If you are cleaning underneath a single or just a few shelves, use a wet mop or microfiber cloth, a mild cleaning solution, and some elbow grease.

If you are doing a whole aisle at a time, a floor scrubber is the way to go because it will save you a lot of time and will offer a more thorough clean. If you are using a floor scrubber, remember to choose the correct floor pad and floor cleaning chemical for the type of floor you are cleaning. Mop or scrub until all of the grime is eliminated.

Step 4: Clean Hard-To-Reach Areas

You also need to make sure to pay attention to corners, crevices, edges, hard-to-reach areas, and any areas your floor sweeper and floor scrubber may miss during routine cleaning. Get these areas with your wet mop or a cloth with a mild cleaner.

You may also need to spend some extra time on areas with built-up dirt, if needed. You can use your scrubber for this if the buildup is in an open area. If the buildup is in a hard-to-reach area, follow the paragraph above.

Step 5: Dry the Area

It is paramount to make sure everything you’ve cleaned is dry. Leaving moisture behind can lead to mold growth, unpleasant smells, and danger to shoppers and staff.

If the cleaned area is still wet after cleaning, consider running an air mover over the area to dry it quickly.

Once the area is completely dry, your aisle is looking good as new!

Quick Tips & Efficiency Hacks

Here are some quick tips and efficiency hacks to make cleaning under grocery store shelving even easier:

Schedule deep cleaning weekly to prevent buildup.
Work in sections. Clean a few aisles at a time for better results and to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
Rotate deep cleaning times. Alternate between aisles each night to keep the entire store consistently clean.
Use a flashlight to check for hidden debris.
Place traps or monitoring stations to detect pest activity early.
Train staff on quick spill response to prevent safety hazards.
Color code cleaning tools to prevent cross-contamination (e.g., restroom vs. aisle cleaning)
Use signage and block off sections to let customers know when areas are being cleaned.

Final Thoughts

Since most of the food products people consume come from grocery stores, store cleanliness is crucial for maintaining food safety, preventing contamination, and creating a positive shopping experience.

Cleaning under grocery store shelving is especially important, as hidden debris, spills, and food waste can attract pests, cause unpleasant odors, and pose hygiene risks to staff and customers. Even with regular cleaning, this area is often overlooked, making it a critical area to focus on in deep cleaning routines.

The best way to clean underneath shelving depends on the store’s cleaning needs and resources. In many cases, using a floor sweeper and scrubber provides the most thorough clean, while a dust mop or low-profile vacuum can be useful for routine maintenance. Essential tools include a long-handled dust mop, wet mop, and an air mover for quick drying.

To streamline the process, scheduling weekly deep cleaning, working in sections, rotating cleaning times, and training staff on quick spill response can help maintain spotless aisles and a healthier environment for customers and employees alike.

If your grocery store is located in the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico, there is an Imperial Dade facility near you with experts that can help you implement a deep cleaning or preventative maintenance schedule. Make sure your stores have the spotless aisle your customers deserve by reaching out to an Imperial Dade expert today.