Kitchen exhaust cleaning is indeed a vital part of maintenance for restaurants around the country. Kitchen exhaust cleaning is a term describing the process of removing grease build-up from the exhaust fan, duct, and vent hood. NEA sets specific standards for cleaning and maintenance, but also gives the kitchen exhaust cleaning company a standard for cleaning which is known as cleaning down to “bare metal.” Kitchen hood cleaning involves the use of different equipment and skills to accomplish the cleaning. Also, lack of proper maintenance of vent hoods, exhaust ducts, and fans can result in quick and hot burning fires that can lead to costly damage. Below are 7 useful tips on hood cleaning:
1. The kitchen deep cleaning process
Kitchen deep cleaning services involve standard techniques for cleaning the exhaust system. This involves cleaning of the exhaust hood, horizontal or vertical ductwork, and exhaust fans. This type of cleaning is compliant with fire code requirements and guarantees protection from the threat of exhaust system fires. Before the cleaning of the exhaust system, all kitchen sections are draped with new plastic. After this, a plastic funnel is placed below the hood in order to drain away the dirt, grease and another kind of unwanted particle accumulation.
In the comprehensive method mentioned above, the grease buildup in the system is prevented from going to the kitchen drains. In a detailed cleaning process, a combination of scrubbing, chemical degreasing, and power washing is used to get rid of the grease and accumulated dirt. After the cleaning is complete, your exhaust hood is polished, and filters are reinstalled. The last step in the detailed cleaning process is the removal of plastic draping, followed then by the wiping and mopping of kitchen floors.
2. Regular inspections
For a restaurant owner, cleanliness is a critical aspect in running a successful business. Spending endless hours on the decoration of your restaurant and food quality, without taking any initiative towards maintaining a hygienic environment, will lead to an unhealthy indoor environment and unhappy customers. Regular inspections, at least twice a year, should be done followed by professional cleaning services to ensure a clean, safe, healthy and well-maintained indoor space.
3. Clean the access panels
These panels should be opened, and any large amount of grease build-up must be removed by hand. There are a lot of lazy technicians out there, and this is the first thing that is skipped in most cases. This is unfortunate as most restaurant owners don’t know how their kitchen exhaust system works. Skipping this part of the cleaning process will eventually form a fire hazard ad none needs that. Especially when it is easily avoided.
4. Fan blade cleaning
Fans must be flipped to gain access to the fan blades for cleaning. Most kitchen exhaust fires start with the fan. What happens is if there is build up of grease laden vapors on your fan blades and a bearing gets loose, or the fan blades get out of wack during normal operation it may create sparks which in turn ignite the grease. If this happens to say goodbye to your restaurant as grease burns so hot, it may destroy pretty much everything in your kitchen.
5. Use of grade degreasers
The kitchen exhaust cleaning company will use specific grade degreasers for the job. For example, when cleaning a Chinese restaurant a vent hood cleaning company most often will use a higher grade degreaser which would be much more potent in strength. For these types of restaurants kitchen, exhaust cleaning prices will run higher than other restaurants that don’t use oils of that nature.
6. Cleaning tools
Kitchen exhaust cleaning companies will use specific tools and equipment to achieve the desired cleaning. For example, the company will use a pressure washer to clean off the chemical and grease the system has accumulated over the non-cleaning period. Tools like scrapers and drills will help with grease and exhaust fan removal. The technician will examine the exhaust fan to see if it possess the appropriate and required elements. These elements include hinge kits, for easy exhaust duct assess and grease drip pans which catch the grease that drains out of the exhaust fan. This helps because grease will not drip onto the roof and cause damage. If these are not in place, the technician should document the problem and send it certified mail to the customer.
7. Frequently clean the hoods
Exhaust hoods and air ducts require cleaning on the basis of their usage. For systems under light use of two to six hours per day, having a professional inspection and cleaning done every 12 months is generally recommended. For commercial kitchens using exhaust systems and air ducts for more than six hours, cleaning done every six months is recommended. For heavy usage exceeding 12 hours, cleaning of hoods and vents every three months offer a safe and healthy setting.
Proper maintenance is very important when it comes to vent hood cleaning because of the fire factor and for such reason, municipals have set rules and strict standards for the maintenance of the kitchen exhaust system. In some cases, if these rules and standards are not followed the violator will be fined. Routine maintenance must be done by a qualified company with the equipment and skill level to achieve the desired results. Fires can easily erupt or develop within a non-maintained exhaust system and will burn fast if one starts, so proper inspection and maintenance of fire suppression systems, exhaust fans, ducts, hoods, and access panels is vital as recommended by NEA.
Summary
Maintaining kitchen hygiene is important not only from the point of view of your employees’ health but also for preventing fires. Moreover, your kitchen needs to be compliant with the health and safety standards set by various regulatory agencies, such as the NEA. Use these cleaning tips to reduce the risks associated with lack of hygiene to a minimum. Even in the most regularly maintained kitchens, areas such as under the oven and behind fridges can get ignored. That is why most commercial kitchen owners are required by law to subject commercial kitchens to deep cleaning.