The Importance of Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning, Explained

You worked hard to build your commercial kitchen. People sit in your dining room and genuinely enjoy your food. You’re extra careful and make sure every surface of your kitchen is clean at all times. 

But is it possible that you’ve overlooked something? Did you clean inside the hood vents?

Most of the time, the average kitchen owner’s answer to this question is no. If that was your answer then think about why that is for a moment. Did you just not think about it?

You should be getting a professional kitchen APEX Hood Cleaning regularly to protect your customers, your employees, and your business. This guide will show you the importance of kitchen hood cleaning.

It Prevents Fire Hazards

Grease is one of the top causes of fires in commercial kitchens. These fires can burn quickly and extremely hot. They can be difficult to put out if in a space such as a vent. 

The longer you go without having your hood vents cleaned, the more grease and smoke build-up in the ducts. There’s an increased chance of this grease igniting and starting a large fire in your building as more grease coats the vents.

Commercial kitchens always produce more smoke and grease than a kitchen in a private home. This means that the hoods in these kitchens will get covered in grease much faster. And when that happens, it can destroy an entire kitchen including its equipment.

A fire in a restaurant kitchen can mean you and your employees lose income for months. Fires in hospitals can mean patients on special diets need to be transferred to other hospitals. In schools, this can mean school districts may need to pay extra to have food catered until the kitchen can be repaired.

It Protects Your Employees and Customers

If your hoods get restricted or clogged with grease and smoke, then any more grease and other contaminants that your kitchen generates are only going to spread elsewhere in the kitchen. This means it’s going to get on your counters, on your chairs, and even into your air vents.

This means that every time the AC or heat runs in your building, there will be smoke and grease flying through your ventilation system for people to breathe in. To start with, this is also a fire hazard when the heat is running in the winter.

On top of this, any person inside that building with health issues is now at risk. Smoke is one of the top triggers of asthma attacks. When you have smoke flowing through your building’s air ducts, suddenly anyone inside with asthma could have an asthma attack.

This could be devastating in hospitals and school situations. Patients, students, and staff in these buildings could all have major asthma issues that cause them to stay vigilant. You don’t want your kitchen to be responsible for any injuries caused by asthma attacks.

It Helps Keep Your Kitchen Clean

Not only does a clogged hood put harmful contaminants in the air, but that same material ends up landing on practically every surface in your kitchen. This means your counters, cabinets, and any plates or cutlery that are sitting out will get covered in grease. Even your sink might be at risk of clogging if this goes on for long enough.

It also might be getting on foods that are being cooked nearby. There is plenty of bacteria that might travel on particles of grease flying through the air. This means that food won’t only just taste weird or greasy, but it can also get cross-contaminated all too easily.

The last thing you want for your kitchen is to be shut down because of diseases being spread. Kitchen exhaust cleaning can help prevent this issue.

It Keeps Your Kitchen Code Compliant

In the United States, each state has its own codes for kitchen cleanliness and safety. You should already be aware of these laws for your area and be acting accordingly. Additionally, you should be paying attention to any proposed changes in these codes.

Commercial kitchen cleaning is taken very seriously. Every state’s code is going to have some sort of regulation for how often commercial kitchen hoods get cleaned. This will usually vary by how the kitchen is used. 

Professional kitchen hood cleaning for restaurants should be done every few months. A school, on the other hand, can usually get away with only once-a-year cleanings. Other commercial kitchens should be fine with cleanings twice a year.

Again, check your local codes for the specific type of facility you run. This way you can be prepared when a fire marshall or health inspector arrives to check on your business. Cleaners will usually leave stickers with the details of the cleanings on the sides of the hoods as well as additional paperwork for you to show inspectors.

It Lowers Your Insurance Costs

Finally, everything comes down to money. If an inspector comes to your kitchen and finds that you aren’t getting a commercial hood cleaning often enough, then they can charge you massive fines or even shut down your business depending on the situation.

Furthermore, if you get hit with such violations, then that might be a problem for your insurance company. You might face a notable increase in your insurance rates if this happens. Some companies will even stop covering your business entirely.

Make sure your commercial kitchen stays up to code. That way, you’ll never have to worry about losing or paying more for your insurance.

Get a Professional Kitchen Hood Cleaning Today

If you’re serious about your commercial kitchen, then you need to get a professional kitchen hood cleaning such as CHRIStal Clean at least every few months. This is to guarantee the safety and health of everyone who enters your facility.

Every facility that has a commercial kitchen from schools to hospitals to restaurants is required by law to get their hoods cleaned with some regularity. Don’t wait to get your kitchen code compliant, get a professional commercial kitchen hood cleaning today.

If you liked this article, be sure to keep an eye on our blog for more articles on how to protect your business.