You might be a restaurant owner, and if so, you probably know that one of the most important things that you must focus on is to keep your kitchen in good condition at all times, especially since this will prevent unnecessary problems later on. This is why you must ensure that you maintain the exhaust system in your kitchen.
If your restaurant is relatively new, it’s possible that you never had to go through this process, which is why you might be wondering – what can I do to prepare my kitchen for maintaining the hood? Fortunately, this article might shed some light on what you’ll have to do, so without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the steps you’ll have to take:
Step 01: Preparing The Area
Before the actual work can take place, you’ll have to shut off all the gas valves and pilot lights. This is something that you’ll need to do in order to protect your investment, as well as the workers that will be maintaining the hood. Once you shut them off, you can begin preparing the kitchen area for the process.
For starters, you’ll have to wrap all of the hoods in large, plastic sheets, and you’ll also have to create a ‘funnel’ that will allow all the grease and fluids to run down from the ducts into the container. You also must ensure that you cover all the equipment and nearby surface with plastic sheets as well. Why should you do this?
Well, for starters, it’ll prevent any greasy fluids to splatter over your equipment, and it also means that you’ll not have to spend as much time cleaning the area later on. Of course, you should do this by yourself, however, there are companies that offer to prepare the area instead of you.
Now, in order for you or a professional sanitation company such as Premier Grease to access all the ducts in your kitchen, the baffle filters must be removed first and left aside until it’s time to clean them. Once you have protected the surface, floors, and equipment, double-check everything in order to start the process.
Step 02: The Cleaning Process
When you determine that the area is secured and that you turned off all of the necessary components, the washing can begin. Now, all the parts of the hood system must go through a spray and rinse, and the procedure needs to be repeated from the top to the bottom of the system.
The fan and blades need to be sprayed with the right solutions and then, they’re rinsed with hot water. This particular step needs to be repeated as many times as necessary until all the grease has been removed. The ducts also need to be serviced and the process is basically the same as washing the ducts and fans.
Keep in mind, if you didn’t frequently maintain the ducts, it is possible that they’ll need to be manually scraped in order to get rid of all the grease that has been building up over time. All of the processes will generate a lot of grime and greasy liquid, which will go down directly into your kitchen, and this is exactly why you must protect all the surfaces and equipment.
Step 03: Cleaning The Area
Although you might have done everything in your power to protect the surfaces, floors, and equipment, it is likely that some grease and liquids for onto the floor or other areas, which is why you must ensure that you clean it, especially since it could pose a safety hazard and risk.
So, once the entire process is done, grab a mop and scrub the floors. Now, you should not allow for all the surfaces and equipment to dry on their own, hence, ensure that you dry everything with a rag or towel. After you’re done, you should remove all the plastic sheets, double-check if there is any grease left, and you’ll be good to go.
Should I Hire a Contractor?
It is possible for you to clean the hood by yourself, it might be better if you choose to hire a contractor. Why? Well, the most important reasons why you should choose to do this is because they’ll provide you with a report that will detail all the steps in the process, including the date and time of the maintenance, as well as how it was done.
By having a report, you’ll be able to pass all the safety requirements imposed by most states, hence, strongly consider hiring a professional for the job. Additionally, by hiring a company, you can ensure that your kitchen is properly cleaned, and more importantly, they’ll take extra measures in order to protect all of your equipment.
What Should I Look For in a Company?
Before we conclude this article, it’s worth mentioning a few things that you need to check when looking to hire a professional hood cleaning company. For starters, you must ensure that they’re certified. If you don’t you might be subjected to some really costly fines, that can even lead to your restaurant closing.
Besides this, you also might want to check their experience since some companies might be better at cleaning specific hood types. Hence, before you choose the first company that comes up in your search results, read all the reviews posted by previous clients since this will tell you whether or not they can provide you with a reliable service. Last, but not least important is to ask for references since this will certainly guarantee that you make the right decision.
Conclusion
The process of cleaning the exhaust hood system in your restaurant can often be time-consuming and quite daunting. However, by following all of the aforementioned steps, you’ll be able to make the entire process easier, less daunting, and more importantly, you’ll ensure that everyone involved in the process is safe.
So, now that you’re aware of all the things you’ll have to do, you might not want to lose any more of your time. Instead, you should open up a new search tab and start looking for a professional hood cleaning company that will suit all of your needs, as well as the safety requirements most states have.