Keeping kitchen hoods clean and in working order is important for the safety of restaurant employees. Grease is flammable and can cause fires if not kept away from the hoods. A hood can also become inefficient if it is not cleaned regularly. There are several things you can do to keep your hood in tip top shape.
Using a degreaser solution to remove grease is recommended. This should be mixed with warm water. It should then be used with a soft-bristle scrub pad. You can then rinse it off with hot water.
You should also ensure your restaurant’s hoods and fans are in good condition. If they are, you may be able to get away with only having your hoods cleaned once or twice a year. However, if you have a lot of grease build-up, it may be recommended to have them cleaned more often. Especially if you use a wood burning stove.
To prevent a fire, you need to have your hoods and fans thoroughly cleaned. This process includes removing the fans and ducts. The hood itself should be scrubbing with a detergent or degreaser solution. For extra protection, you can also cover the hood with plastic. In addition, your hood may have fans and vents on the roof.
When you hire a hood cleaning service, you should make sure the company has proper access to your roof. This will allow the technician to access hidden areas. They can also perform a thorough inspection of the hoods and vents to detect any anomalies.
You can keep your hoods in excellent shape by hiring a professional service to regularly clean them. A company will be able to recommend a cleaning schedule that is best for your business. Some restaurants only need to clean their hoods once a month or even once a week. Others may have to clean their hood filters more frequently.
After the hood is properly cleaned, you should follow up with a reinstallation of the fan. Before doing this, however, you should remove the hood fan from its place in the duct work. Ideally, you should soak the hood fan in a solution of hot water and soap to remove any leftover residue. Once the Hood Cleaning fan is dry, you can then reinstall the fan and reattach the ductwork.
In addition to cleaning your hoods, you should also have your exhaust system undergo regular maintenance. This can include pressure washing the duct work, scrubbing the baffle filters, steaming, and hand cleaning the entire kitchen exhaust system.
Hood cleaning typically includes cleaning the plenum, filters, and grease traps. These components are important parts of your kitchen’s ventilation system. They help remove hazardous particles from the air. Also, the hood can have removable grease cups, which will need to be cleaned when they become dirty.
The National Fire Protection Association Standard 96 is the national standard for hood cleaning. Several jurisdictions have adopted this standard, and most commercial cooking establishments in the United States must comply with it. As a result, NFPA 96 dictates that most commercial hoods need to be cleaned at least quarterly.