Hood Cleaning
Cleaned to bare metal. Photographed before and after.
Hood cleaning, formally kitchen exhaust cleaning, is the core of what we do. We clean the full system, from the hood interior through the ductwork to the rooftop fan, and every visit produces a written report you can hand to your insurance carrier or fire marshal.
A kitchen exhaust system is only as clean as the parts nobody can see. The hood face and the filters are visible to everyone, so they tend to get attention. The horizontal duct run above the ceiling and the fan housing on the roof are where accumulation actually collects, and they are the first places a fire inspector looks with a flashlight.
We clean the whole system. Access panels are opened along the run, interior surfaces are cleaned to bare metal, the rooftop fan is lifted and degreased, and the kitchen underneath is protected throughout. Then we photograph what we found and what we left, and the report is furnished to the owner within the window NFPA 96 requires.
For a system that has been neglected, the work usually starts with a restoration cleaning to bring the system back to a compliant baseline, followed by maintenance cleanings on the frequency your system actually requires under the standard.
Methods and standards
- All cleaning is performed using commercial degreasing agents and professional pressure washing equipment designed specifically for kitchen exhaust systems.
- Technicians protect kitchen equipment and cooking surfaces during service, and perform a post-cleaning wipe-down and polish of all impacted areas.
- All services are performed in accordance with NFPA 96 and IKECA standards.
- Work is routinely performed after close of operations and through overnight windows, so the kitchen is ready for morning service.
- Kitchen exhaust hood interior surfaces
- Grease filters and grease troughs
- Fire suppression pipes and nozzles
- Hood exterior surfaces
- All ductwork from hood to rooftop
- Rooftop exhaust fan and fan housing
- Surrounding work areas impacted during service
What you receive after each visit
- Before and after photo documentation of all work areas
- Service report summarizing work performed, crew details, and any observations
- NFPA 96 compliance sticker applied to the hood system with the date of service and the next required service date
- Notes on any system conditions, excessive grease buildup, or items of concern observed during service
Restoration first, then maintenance
If a system has been under-serviced, one cleaning will not put it right, and pretending otherwise sets up a failed inspection later. We start with a restoration cleaning to get the ductwork and fans back to a compliant baseline, then move into a maintenance schedule matched to your system's NFPA 96 frequency.
This is also the honest answer to why two kitchens that look alike get different quotes. The condition we start from is part of the job.
Can we clean the hood ourselves?
Often the in-house work is genuinely good. Filters pulled and run through the dish machine at close, troughs wiped, plenum kept clear: that is exactly the kind of daily maintenance that keeps a system in reasonable shape between services, and it makes our job easier.
What it cannot produce is the documentation. NFPA 96 requires a written report furnished to the owner within two weeks of an inspection under 12.6.14 and within two weeks of a cleaning under 12.6.15, and a dated label on the hood identifying who performed the service under 12.6.13. Those are the artifacts a fire marshal or an insurance carrier asks to see. Your daily maintenance complements the scheduled service. It does not replace the paperwork that service generates.
How cleanliness is measured
The standard puts numbers on it. Accumulation measured at 2000 micrometers, about 0.078 of an inch, triggers cleaning. A properly cleaned system verifies at 50 micrometers, about 0.002 of an inch, or less. Fan housings carry their own threshold of 3175 micrometers, about 0.125 of an inch.
A measured surface with a photograph attached is evidence that the work was done.
NFPA 96 is the reference, not our opinion
Frequency, access requirements, filter type, measurable cleanliness, and reporting are all set by the standard. We publish what it requires so you can hold any contractor to it, including us.
Most often for
Hotels, Resorts, and Casinos
Multiple kitchens under one roof, narrow overnight windows, and brand or gaming standards that expect documentation on file.
School Districts
Many kitchens, one summer window, per-site reports the district can file, and vendor paperwork that clears procurement on the first pass.
Colleges and Universities
Dining halls, retail outlets, and student unions on one campus, worked as a multi-day project inside semester-break windows.
Grocery and Multi-Site Retail
Consistent execution across every store, with consolidated reporting that a compliance program can actually be run from.
Tell us about your kitchen
Tell us about the kitchen and we will come look at the system. Free estimates, anywhere in our service area.
Estimates are free, anywhere in our service area. If you are working against an inspection or insurance date, say so in the form and we will tell you plainly what we can do.
Other services
View allKitchen Exhaust Repair and Maintenance
Access panels, hinge kits, fan repairs, and the related components we find during cleaning, documented with photographs and quoted as a single job price.
Commercial Kitchen Deep Cleaning
Full deep cleaning of the kitchen and cafeteria, including surfaces, equipment, and flooring, performed after close of operations.
Exterior Pressure Washing
Building exteriors, entryways, dumpster pads, drive-through lanes, parking lots, and the rooftop grease containment around your exhaust fan.
Emergency and Priority Service
For a failed inspection, a shutdown order, or a system that cannot run. These situations receive priority scheduling.
Call and tell us what you are working against
Call and describe the situation. We will tell you plainly what we can do and when we can do it.