Our proven restaurant hood cleaning methods remove grease and flammable residue from the interior surfaces of the hood, filters, ducts and exhaust fans to ensure compliance with all municipal codes. Once the restaurant hood cleaning process is complete, a proof-of-performance sticker is posted on the roof of the hood for the fire marshal, health department or insurance agent to see.
What is hood cleaning?
A kitchen hood, also known as an exhaust hood, is a device placed over deep fryers, stoves and other commercial cooking appliances. This exhaust system contains several fans that trap grease particles, odors, exhaust fumes and remove air pollutants from your kitchen.
As important as it is, the range hood is also a magnet for dirt and debris that, if neglected, accumulates excessive sources of grease, the main ingredient for fueling a fire. Hood cleaning is the solution. This process avoids the health and safety hazards of a poorly cleaned commercial kitchen hood system.
How does a commercial kitchen hood work?
Most kitchen hoods have four main parts. Here’s what they are and what they do.
Filters: These are stainless steel or mesh accessories that cover the duct opening and prevent debris from flying into the fans.
Fans: Behind the filters are one or more mechanical fans that draw air into the ducts and exhaust it from the system.
Ductwork: The ductwork is the entire ductwork that collects the airflow through a flared opening and carries it up and out. Filters, fans and grease traps are located inside the ductwork.
Grease traps: When air laden with debris and smoke enters the ventilation system, it collects on the side of the ducts and drains downward. On the inside edge of the duct are small trays that collect grease. These are the grease trays.
Restaurant hood cleaning
It’s inevitable that greasy fluids will find their way onto your kitchen floor during maintenance, so it’s important to pay attention to your floors. We scrub and mop to remove leftover grease and hood cleaning chemicals from your floor after cleaning.
Rather than leaving your equipment to dry on its own, our team checks everything in your kitchen and makes sure it’s dry. Reinstalling your equipment and making sure your restaurant is in working order is the final touch that completes the project. By the time we pack up our tools and leave your restaurant, everything is in place and just like when we arrived.
Benefits of restaurant hood cleaning
Maintaining a regular restaurant hood cleaning program will keep your restaurant kitchen cleaner and reduce the risk of grease fires and smoke problems. Many kitchen fires start on the cooking appliances and spread through the kitchen exhaust system. It’s also essential to making your establishment look its best during government audits.
Air quality improvement
Uncleaned exhaust systems disrupt kitchen airflow, preventing heat, odors and smoke from escaping. Not only does your electric bill increase, but the number of employees calling in sick also increases. Understaffing puts a strain on the kitchen when traffic increases, and those numbers trickle down to yours.
Without proper ventilation, kitchen air pollutants spread and also affect food quality and employee morale and health. Improving air quality through hood cleaning helps prevent these consequences.
Reduce the risk of fire
The function of the hood is to trap grease and smoke, hence its location directly above cooking surfaces in commercial kitchens. As the hood builds up layers of grime, if heated sufficiently, the excess grease can start a fire. A bright flame rises or is created on the range. The flame contacts the filters in the range hood and ignites.
With the exhaust fan running and drawing in air, flames are also drawn up into the ducts. If there is enough grease residue in the ducts, it can act as a fuel source, carrying the fire further into the exhaust system and causing significant damage. Grease fires are very dangerous and burn very hot. They can be prevented by routine cleaning.
Compliance
If it turns out that your restaurant does not meet these or other codes or regulations, your kitchen may fail inspection, costing you additional time and money while it is brought back into compliance, or even putting you out of business. If a fire were to occur due to a lack of cleaning, your insurance company could use this information to determine liability and deny your claim.
Reduction of insurance premiums
Keeping your range hoods clean reduces the risk of fire and potential damage to your restaurant, which would cost you a lot of money to repair. It can also help you save money immediately. Keeping your hoods clean by having them inspected and cleaned regularly can help reduce your insurance premiums.
When insurance companies see that you are taking the necessary steps for hood cleaning, which reduces the risk of fire, they will be less likely to charge you higher premiums since it decreases the likelihood that you will have to cash out your policy.
Keep your business running
Above all, the most important benefit of hood cleaning is that it keeps your restaurant open. Without routine cleanings, your kitchen would quickly become in violation of local fire and safety codes. Having Imperial Cleaning clean your hood is a particularly good choice, as we provide convenient proof-of-service stickers that make record keeping easy.
Stay comfortable
Cooking produces a lot of heat, which can make a kitchen quite uncomfortable. Another great benefit of range hoods is the elimination of excess heat and steam, providing a more pleasant cooking environment for the chef and the rest of the family.
Energy efficiency
A clean range hood allows for better air circulation. More efficient ventilation increases the efficiency and performance of your equipment. More efficient equipment means higher production rates at a lower cost. In the long run, you’ll save money on energy bills and maintenance costs.
Fully trained hood cleaning specialists
You can be sure that Imperial Cleaning offers the best oven cleaning service. Your appliances are in good hands, as all Imperial Cleaning specialists have been fully trained to ensure that hood cleaning is performed in the safest and most efficient manner possible. Our mission is to get you back to cooking with a perfectly cleaned oven, quickly and without any problems.
So no matter how much dirt your oven has accumulated over the course of recent use, our oven cleaning experts are here to help. Give us a call or contact us for a free, no-obligation estimate.
Why choose a professional hood cleaning company?
Some restaurant owners understand the importance of hiring a restaurant hood cleaning team, but don’t know where to turn for reliable support. You can find many companies in the area that offer the quality you need to stay on track, but unfortunately they are not all equal.
Choose a company that employs certified technicians with years of experience in the industry and, most importantly, takes pride in their work and cares about you as a customer. If you find a reliable hood cleaning service, they will exercise caution so as not to damage your restaurant’s expensive equipment.
Finding the time to hire someone to clean your exhaust system won’t always be easy, as you can’t afford to close your doors during peak hours. That’s why the best cleaning companies offer flexible hours and provide their service at a time that’s convenient for you, avoiding downtime during peak customer hours.