The Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Process
Kitchen exhaust cleaning (also known as hood cleaning) is the process of eliminating grease that has built up inside the ducts, hoods, fans, and vents of commercial kitchen exhaust systems. Kitchen exhaust systems that aren’t cleaned regularly amass enough grease to pose a serious fire threat.
Exhaust systems must be evaluated regularly, at intervals corresponding with usage, to see if cleaning is required before a dangerous amount of grease builds up. Professional commercial kitchen hood cleaning services company Bare Metal Standard outlines the main reasons hotels need to stay NFPA 96 compliantand schedule regular cleaning services.
Caustic Chemicals For Cleaning
To break down the grease, caustic chemicals might be used. After that, the residue can be rinsed away with hot water. Chemicals are typically administered with a garden sprayer, downstream injection via a pressure washer, or a chemical foamer.
After applying the chemicals, they are allowed to sit on the grease’s surface for some time before being washed away with hot water.
Scrapers may be used to remove excess grease build-up from contaminated surfaces before chemicals are applied in extreme cases where grease build-up is too heavy for a chemical application and rinse.
Hot Water Pressure-washing The Hood, Fans and Exhaust
Machines that boil water and then apply it under high pressures can be used. Heavy-duty tarps are fastened to the hoods and then angled into plastic garbage cans to catch the run-off, which is a popular technique of preparation.
The contents of the cans are disposed of in order as they are full. To avoid blockage, the grease should be removed rather than poured into the local drains. Excess grease buildup in inaccessible ductwork is one issue that can come from an incorrect horizontal duct cleaning.
Steam cleaners tend to push grease deeper into grease ducts, resulting in huge grease accumulations in the ductwork between the hood and the roof fan.
Companies that use hot water methods should use a caustic chemical degreaser to break down grease so that it may be flushed out of the system using both hot water and caustic degreaser agents, allowing the buildup in inaccessible regions to be eliminated.
Finishing A Hood Cleaning Project
Hoods are frequently polished by cleaners to make them simpler to clean and to improve their appearance.
The authority having jurisdiction, as well as insurance adjusters and health inspectors, can check for compliance with municipal, county, and state fire codes by placing a certification sticker on the hood of each cleaned kitchen exhaust system.
How Frequent Should Hotel Kitchen Hoods Be Cleaned?
The amount and frequency of your cooking operations influence how often your kitchen exhaust system needs to be cleaned. More build-up in the system is caused by higher cooking volumes and kitchens that employ greasier meals (and, therefore, more cleanings).
Burgers and other meats, as well as venues that use a lot of oil for cooking, such as fast-food restaurants or Asian cuisine, are examples of “greasier foods.”
Due to their production, commercial cooking operations that are open 24 hours a day or that are continuously cooking will have a higher frequency of cleanings. More use equals more grease.
Due to their production, commercial culinary enterprises that utilize their kitchens less frequently or do not use a lot of fat in their meals, such as a restaurant that only serves breakfast/brunch, will require fewer cleanings.
Two to three times per year, moderate-use kitchens will need to be cleaned or inspected. If your business does not include much cooking (such as a church, senior center, or youth club), you will need to clean your system once a year.
Dangers of Dirty Hotel Kitchen Exhaust Hoods
Kitchen exhausts must be cleaned regularly, as they can become a health danger in a variety of ways if they aren’t. Customers who use their kitchen exhaust filter “intensively” should extract and clean it every three to four months, according to cleaning experts.
The vapors have nowhere else to go once the hood has trapped enough grease. In the kitchen, the steam and smoke will remain, posing a new health risk. People may have difficulty breathing, or the smoke may aggravate chronic respiratory problems.
Mold and germs thrive in excess moisture in the fume hood, which spreads throughout the kitchen. Cooking hoods keep these organisms out of their preferred warm, moist environments. If the hood isn’t working properly, pockets of mold may appear in the kitchen, particularly in cabinets.
The kitchen will loom huge in the space if heat and smoke cannot escape. As a result, dirt will accumulate on the ceilings and walls, cracking and drying up over time. In the end, this could result in a slew of new costs for homeowners.
Dust and grease will collect in the filter if a cooker hood is left unattended for a prolonged period. Grease is extremely combustible, thus individuals who do not clean their range hoods risk setting their home on fire. All that is required to start a fire is heat, not necessarily an open flame.
Major Advantages of Professionally Cleaning Kitchen Exhausts
Reduced Fire Hazard
As kitchen hoods become more and more clogged with grease and other debris, they become severe fire dangers. This is why, in most states, hood cleaning is required regularly to ensure that the risk of fire is minimized.
On the hoods, not all of the grease and filth are visible. As a result, exhaust systems must usually be tested to see whether there are excessive levels of grease that could become problematic.
Improved Ventilation
Cleaning your hood will improve smoke and another odor airflow throughout your kitchen. When oil and other filth clog your exhaust system, it prevents air from being cycled throughout the system, which is the whole point of having one in the first place.
Improved ventilation not only makes your space smell better but also makes for a safer and more comfortable working environment for your kitchen staff.
Lower Insurance Premiums
Keeping your kitchen hoods clean will help reduce the risk of fire and potential damage to your business, both of which can be costly to repair. It can also assist you in making instant financial savings.
Having your hoods examined and cleaned regularly might help you save money on your insurance premiums. When insurance companies notice that you take the appropriate precautions to keep your hoods clean, which lessens the chance of a fire, they are less likely to raise your premiums because you are less likely to have to use your coverage.
Save Time
Many restaurant operators underestimate the time and work required to clean a hood effectively. It’s a filthy, time-consuming process that can last all day. A professional hood cleaning company will complete the job in a fraction of the time, eliminating the need for you or your employees to perform the task.
Prevent Damage
When cleaning a kitchen exhaust system, novices run the risk of causing significant harm. Not only can this necessitate costly repairs, but a broken hood might also put staff in danger. Professional hood cleaning companies understand the ins and outs of kitchen exhaust systems, and they’ll take apart, clean, and reassemble the system without damaging any parts.
ComplyWithFireCodes
To help limit the risk of a fire, fire authorities devised standards for commercial kitchens. Professional hood cleaning services are familiar with fire code regulations. They will ensure that your kitchen exhaust system complies with all rules and regulations while they clean it. If it isn’t for any reason, they will let you know.
CleanDeep
These professionals will thoroughly clean your hood, including even the most complicated exhaust systems. They have the tools and equipment necessary to completely clean every inch of your system and remove any grease, filth, or grime that has accumulated.
Multiple Cleaning Methods
Many low-cost exhaust hood cleaning services concentrate solely on manual scraping. Hand scraping is the simplest technique to clean a kitchen exhaust hood, and it is possible to accomplish a decent job with minimal training and no credentials.
A professional kitchen exhaust hood cleaning firm, on the other hand, will not only do a superior job of hand-scraping but will also provide alternative cleaning options. Flue Steam, for example, provides skilled hand scraping and steam cleaning for kitchen exhaust hoods and ducts.
In addition, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our work by measuring the depth of grease deposits before and after cleaning with a special IKECA comb.
Service for Your Entire Air Control System
The availability of complete service for your full air control system is another trademark of a competent kitchen exhaust hood cleaning firm. This demonstrates that the company understands the impact of the cleaning on the rest of your system.
Every time Flue Steam comes out to clean your exhaust system, for example, they check your exhaust fan to make sure it’s clean and in good working order. This is vital because if you don’t have a fan to pull hot, greasy air out of the kitchen, grease deposits can build up faster on your exhaust hood and ductwork, increasing the risk of a fire.
