Hood Exhaust Cleaning – Denver: Every restaurant owner strives to maintain a clean restaurant, but this task becomes even more difficult the busier your eatery gets. Keeping your HVAC system clean is a significant aspect of restaurant cleanliness, and this holds especially true for your commercial kitchen exhaust hood system.
Having proper ventilation in your restaurant’s kitchen is critical for employee and customer health, but also food sanitation. When grease, soot, and debris are ventilated safely from the kitchen and out of harm’s way, the results are myriad: Lower utility bills, increased employee productivity, and even calmer employees and customers. Food quality will also be improved, leading to a restaurant that is always highly reviewed and visited.
The Dangers Posed by a Dirty Vent Hood System
A poorly ventilated kitchen, on the other hand, poses numerous risks to personnel and customer health, and it can hinder foot traffic. After all, who wants to spend time in a restaurant where the air is arid, unhealthy, and stinky? Few, if anyone, will want to spend time in a bistro, café, or another type of restaurant with that type of air quality. Let your HVAC and vent hood exhaust system go uncleaned and unmaintained for too long, and your local health inspector might just penalize you or shut-down your restaurant entirely.
How to Clean & Maintain Your Exhaust Hood System to Improve Restaurant Quality
Scrub Your Vent Hoods & Ducts
Your vent hoods and ducts are responsible for whisking away all the impurities produced by the heavy cooking your kitchen is accustomed to engaging in daily. To properly clean the vent hoods and all the ductwork they’re attached to, it helps to disassemble the system as much as you can. This lets you get to the minuscule parts for a thorough and detailed cleaning. Whatever you do, make sure you unplug all equipment before cleaning. This helps you prevent any surprises, such as a dangerous electric shock, during the cleaning process. Once the power source is disconnected, remove the grease receptacles on either side of each hood, as well as the filters. Soak the receptacles and filters in hot water that has been treated with a degreasing agent and leave them to soak while the cleaning process is ongoing. Apply the same degreasing agent to a soft cloth and give the vent hoods themselves a good scrubbing. You may have to spend some time getting the vent hoods and ducts free of all grease and debris. However, this meticulous job is necessary if you want a clean vent hood system that’s free of grease and safe from the outbreak of fire.
Degrease the Exhaust Fans
When we refer to exhaust fans, we’re talking about any fans that are responsible for directing grease and debris away from your kitchen, which includes all fans on the rooftop. The fan blades and motors that power those blades must be treated with the same attention-to-detail that you used on the ventilation hoods. Any grease that’s left behind on the fan blades themselves or within the motor casing can cause a potential shutdown in the future. At the very least, your system can run inefficiently with caked up grease on the blades and motors, leading to more expensive energy costs and the deadly risk of fire. Don’t take the risk. Instead, spend lots of time ensuring the fan blades and motors are spotless before continuing on to the next stage of proper vent hood cleaning and maintenance.
Clean Your Grease Trap
A busy kitchen is never without a full grease trap. For optimal results and to prevent the outbreak of fire, it’s best to clean your grease trap every four to six weeks. If you let your grease trap go too long between cleanings, not only can grease and food particles clog the sewer or septic system, causing an inconvenient and very expensive shut-down, but the grease trap can overflow, leading to sewer backup and a very messy commercial kitchen cleanup job. Proper grease trap cleaning requires the necessary equipment. All personnel should wear a gas mask, coveralls, or at least clothing that covers the skin, and rubber gloves. In order to clean a grease trap, it helps to understand how they work. The baffles inside the trap effectively separate the flow of wastewater from fats, oils, and grease (otherwise referred to as FOG). The FOG rises to the top of the tank, which allows the cleaner water to pass through the trap before it enters the sewer system. Now that you know how the grease trap works, you’re ready to begin cleaning. First, empty the water from the 3-compartment sink or automatic dishwasher and wait for the water inside the grease trap to cool, which usually takes around ten minutes. Next, remove the lid, which in most cases involves a crowbar. In some cases, a wrench will be necessary to remove the bolts in order to open the grease trap so that the inside can be emptied and cleaned. Using a scraper, begin removing the grease sludge from the top of the tank. This layer can grow to be up to two inches thick in some cases. Once all the sludge has been removed, the remaining contents of the grease trap must be bailed out. A shop-vac can be used to clean out the remaining sludge in the bottom of the trap, then do your best to clean all grease and debris from the pipes within the trap.
Once cleaned, the lid can be replaced, and normal activity can resume. The sludge will need to be thrown away properly. In some cases, this requires a double garbage bag and kitty litter to solidify the material before disposal.
Perform a Deep Fat Fryer Inspection
If your restaurant uses a deep fat fryer, a thorough inspection should be made to ensure your unit is performing optimally. As a general rule, you should inspect and deep clean your fryer every three to six months. The cleaning of a deep fryer is referred to as a “Boil out,” which is the term for emptying out and replacing the old oil with fresh, new oil.
To begin, drain the deep fryer and discard all the oil, grease, and fat into an oil caddy or pre-approved oil discharge container. A fryer cleaning rod can then be used to remove any remaining debris from the drain line. Before refilling the fryer, rinse the fryer with hot water to remove the excess undrained oil and fat.
Fill the fryer with cool water to ¾” from the top. Next, add a deep fryer cleaning agent, which will work to scrub the rest of the fat away. Boil the solution for twenty minutes, then drain the fryer slowly. Once the water has completely drained, use a long-handled brush to clean the sides, top, and each of the heating elements. Rinse the fryer thoroughly to remove any oil residue, then add your new oil. While you’re at it, add fry powder or oil stabilizer to the fresh oil, which will help the solution last longer between cleanings.
Clean the Floors, Walls & Ceiling
FOG can also land on the floor, where it can hide in all the nooks and crannies. It can splatter on the walls and even get onto the ceiling tiles. Most restaurants have specific cleaning protocols for staff to follow at night. The same establishments may have cleaning crews that come and do a regular and more thorough job. Still, it pays to be vigilant to keep your restaurant and personnel safe, as well as to keep the health and fire inspectors at bay. It is important to instruct staff and your cleaning crews to use a degreasing agent on the floors, walls & ceiling, along with their usual cleaning solutions. Any emulsified grease that results from this cleaning should be squeegeed down the drain. A professional commercial kitchen cleaning team may repeat this process five to seven times, depending on how much grease is produced by the degreasing process.
Maintain Your Equipment to Keep Your Restaurant Clean & Safe
In addition to making sure your kitchen is debris and grease-free, it helps to check and maintain your commercial kitchen equipment. Inspecting your exhaust hoods, fans, grease trap, and the deep fryer is necessary to prevent malfunctions and downright shutdowns. If parts or entire appliances need to be replaced, you’ll want to discover the fact during one of these checks and not during a lunch or dinner rush. You have been forewarned. When it comes to the installation, maintenance, and cleaning of your exhaust hoods and all associated equipment, you should only trust Aps-Hoods, now serving clients throughout Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, and Centennial. Contact us now for a free estimate and keep your restaurant clean, safe, and busy all year round.
Your restaurant hood system controls the ventilation in your commercial kitchen and keeps grease buildup to an absolute minimum. If your vent hood system is not properly maintained, all that grease, debris, and other dirty materials can get kicked into your kitchen’s atmosphere, leading to foul odors permeating your otherwise family-friendly environment while increasing the risks posed by dangerous and deadly fires. Proper maintenance of your systems is key to protecting what’s so very important. Here is all you need to know about vent hood cleaning from time-tested professionals.
When discussing proper restaurant hood maintenance, it’s important to know about each individual component. These are the elements that will need to be thoroughly cleaned and inspected to ensure proper maintenance is performed.
Extractor Hoods:
These components are otherwise referred to as exhaust or range hoods. They’re those devices that look like chimneys and hang over the stovetop. Inside the extractor hood is a fan that works to remove all those contaminants that tend to appear in a commercial kitchen, like grease, odors, smells, smoke, and steam. Along with the cleaning and maintenance of the extractor hood, the grease traps of the establishment should also be cleaned thoroughly.
Hood Filters:
Also inside the extractor hood lies the hood filter, which also captures airborne particles. Without the filter in place, all those particles would just be kicked back into your kitchen and the air your staff and customers breathe.
Extractor Fans:
In many cases, extractor fans will be located within the hood, but that’s not always the case. The fans are tasked with removing old and contaminated air from your kitchen, whereby the stale air will be vented outside and away from the building. These fans are responsible for proper ventilation, which keeps your kitchen at the proper temperatures and limits the risk of fire.
Exhaust Ducts:
Otherwise known as grease ducts, these components take the grease, vapors, fumes, and other nasty contaminants outside and away from the building, usually from the rooftop.
Rooftop Containment Systems:
When grease accumulates enough, it can get onto and negatively affect the integrity of your restaurant’s roofing. Too much grease can lead to water leaks and fire hazards, just to name two. This means that a rooftop containment system is necessary, as is the maintenance of such a device if you hope to protect your investment. Within the rooftop containment system, you will find a grease runoff system along with a grease trap. These must be emptied out regularly to prevent grease overflow. Ensure the system is waterproof, as well, since rain getting into the grease trap can cause eventual flooding. Your ventilation hood system may contain different parts than the ones listed here. However, the basic concepts will be similar, no matter what type of system your restaurant employs to keep grease and other contaminants at bay. Check with the manufacturer of your vent hood components to get actual figures and dates for proper restaurant hood maintenance. However, the following checklist should give you an excellent guideline to follow.
Scheduling and hiring a crew to maintain your hood system is critical for your business. Here are just three reasons to convince you.
Avoid Future Repairs:
When your stove hoods are cleaned and maintained on a regular basis, a professional crew can look for faulty components during every scrub down. You want detail-oriented hood maintenance personnel watching out for your kitchen equipment, which you likely spent big money on. Regular maintenance cuts down on unnecessary repairs and any downtime that may occur if a breakdown happens and you were otherwise completely unaware.
Enhance System Performance:
With the expense of owning and maintaining kitchen equipment, you want the most out of each machine and appliance you operate. Proper maintenance ensures there’s no grease build-up that can muck-up even the most powerful of machinery. You’ll keep your fans, vent hoods, and ducts operating at peak efficiency, which has the added benefit of contributing to more energy savings.
Prolong System Replacement:
Even well-maintained equipment will need to be replaced ten, fifteen or twenty years down the line. New and better equipment will have been developed by then, so it makes sense that you’d want to remain current with all technology. Not maintaining your equipment, however, can actually shorten the life of your equipment, adding to your expense. You can get peak efficacy and longer life out of all commercial kitchen vent hoods and related equipment by employing professionals who are experienced in restaurant hood maintenance. Here is the schedule the professionals at APS-Hoods.com recommend for the average commercial kitchen establishment.
Remain Fire Code Compliant
By engaging in the proper maintenance of your restaurant hood system, you will lower the risk of fire. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual inspections, depending on the volume your restaurant is accustomed to producing. Heavy volume restaurants, for example, such as 24-hour establishments, require quarterly maintenance schedules. Meanwhile, low-volume cooking operations, like day camps and churches, can get away with vent hood maintenance checks once per year.
For Best Results, Engage in Daily Maintenance
You can enhance the output and life of your kitchen equipment by making a maintenance schedule part of your staff’s nightly closing protocols. While kitchen staff is mopping floors and cleaning dishware, your personnel can also follow a daily vent hood maintenance checklist. A ventilation hood daily maintenance checklist would begin with the removal of all hood filters. The filters should be soaked in a sink or moved through the dishwasher until all buildup has been removed. All stainless-steel surfaces should be wiped down carefully so that no hard surfaces scratch any of the appliances. The cleaner’s job should be to remove all accumulated grease, especially on those surfaces comprising the ventilation hood system. Using a detergent solution, the vent hood system, including the extractor hood, should be wiped down until cleaned thoroughly. A rinsing cloth should then be used, followed by a dry cloth to remove any excess liquid. If this schedule can be maintained on a nightly basis, you’ll save more at the meter while getting the most out of your vent hood equipment, contributing to your business success.
Monthly Maintenance Schedule
Each month your business should be in the habit of disposing of any contained grease. Check with your local city to ensure you’re following the proper and legal methods of grease disposal. After the grease has been disposed of, check the container for potential leaks. When you become accustomed to checking for leaks and other defaults on a monthly basis, you cut down on a number of business hazards, including the risk of fire. Your rooftop containment system will need to be checked monthly, as well. This ensures that there is no grease buildup on the roof, which we have already established can be detrimental to your investment. Your duct systems will also be checked for grease buildup and mold growth.
Quarterly Maintenance Schedule
A deep clean by a professional restaurant hood maintenance crew is recommended every three or four months. During this cleaning, your vent hood systems will be scrubbed with powerful agents that will simultaneously protect your equipment. The crew will pay special attention to your ducts, grease traps, fans, and filters. The latter will be soaked in heavy degreasing agents or completely replaced to ensure optimum equipment efficiency. A professional crew will also check the bearings in your fans to ensure they are well-lubricated. If the bearings do require lubrication, grease will be added to ensure the fans replace the bad air in your establishment as needed. The crew will clean your vent hood system from roof to kitchen and every inch of duct in-between. The crew will inspect the wiring, fan components, and hood filters to identify potential issues before they get out of hand, leading to potential business shutdowns.
Yearly Maintenance Schedule
During a yearly restaurant maintenance inspection, the professional crew will inspect your belts, bearings, and grease. If something needs to be replaced, this is the time to get it done. Learn more about: What Do Commercial Grease Trap Cleaning Services Entail?
Many business owners, in an effort to save money, ask why their staff can’t perform the necessary maintenance checks. It is possible for staff to do all the degreasing and other dirty work, but you’re putting your business at a distinct disadvantage by trying to cut costs. For one, your staff may not know how each of your vent hood components works. And with how intricate some of those systems can be, only knowing how they all work together can someone properly clean the systems for optimum health and safety.
Here is how the typical cleaning checklist should go:
Disassembly:
In order to clean your restaurant vent hoods and all associated components properly, your entire system should be taken apart. Grease, soot, and debris can hide in the unlikeliest of places, which means that buildup can occur without you realizing how bad it’s getting. The result could be equipment slow-down, breakage, or a dangerous grease fire. A maintenance crew will disassemble all pieces to check for and clean grease.
Fan Removal:
All mounted fans will need to be removed in order to clean the shroud and blades of each unit.
Fan Inspections:
The fans and their individual components will then be inspected to determine if any blades are loose or belts are worn out. Most of all, every aspect of your vent hood wiring will be inspected to check for frays or otherwise search for problems. A faulty wire could cause your fans to break down. In worse cases, a frayed wire could cause the outbreak of fire.
Degreasing:
Each vent hood and fan component, along with will all other stainless-steel appliances, will be thoroughly cleaned until all grease is removed. Even a light sheen of grease could pose a problem down the line. When the cleaning and maintenance crew is finished, you should be able to run a finger along any stainless-steel area of your kitchen without feeling the slightest hint of grease.
Polish All Ductwork:
If your staff aren’t keen on cleaning your restaurant’s duct-work, all that grease buildup can lead to contaminated air and deadly fires. Moisture accumulation can also cause mold to grow, putting your staff and customers at further risk. A maintenance and cleaning crew will polish your ductwork so that it’s free of grease and looks as clean as it is.
Cleaning Certificate:
A professional crew will sometimes provide you with before and after photos that prove that your ductwork has indeed been cleaned thoroughly and on-schedule. Most if not all companies will provide you with a certificate showing that your ventilation system has been systematically dismantled, scrubbed, de-greased, and maintained. You will have dates and signatures that you can then show to health and fire inspectors.
Do You Have a Professional Restaurant Vent Hood Maintenance Company in Mind?
As a business owner, you have a ton invested into your restaurant and the appliances that produce the food that in turn keeps your customers happy. The health of your equipment can spell the difference between business success and one that bleeds money. When you allow grease to build up and equipment to run faulty, you run the risk of breakdowns, business delays, and business-destroying fire. You also put your staff and customers at risk. A professional restaurant hood maintenance crew like APS-Hoods offers impeccable service, the ability to remove grease from every hood component, and peace of mind that comes from knowing that your business is always protected. When you want to maintain a restaurant maintenance schedule you can always count on, contact APS-Hoods in Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, and Centennial, Colorado for a free quote.
Some business owners avoid searching for professional hood cleaning services because they feel their staff can perform the task better. However, if you truly want to protect your restaurant, and your time and financial investments, you owe it to yourself to hire professionals who can deliver the training, experience, and proper tools to do a thorough and inspection-passing job. There are quite a few reasons why you would be better off searching for restaurant hood cleaning services rather than let your staff perform all the cleaning for you.
Call APS-Hoods for a free estimate on your Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning & Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning needs.
The Importance of Restaurant Hood Cleaning Services
Greater Health Standards:Professional hood cleaners know that you face fire and health inspections and that you’ll be fined heavily if your restaurant isn’t kept up to code. With spotless ventilation hoods, your restaurant will be seen by inspectors and customers alike as having one of the cleanest restaurants in town.
Diminished Risk of Fire:
Ventilation hoods can quickly accumulate oil, grease, and other contaminants. That sludge coating may look harmless, but all it takes is a spark to put your restaurant, staff, and customers in grave danger. Professional vent hood cleaning services are designed to keep your vent hoods free of all fire-causing substances, protecting your business and everyone inside.
Better Air Quality:
The job of your ventilation hood system is to scrub the air of impurities and to provide your staff and customers with clean, breathable air that all good restaurants are known for. When all that oil, grease, soot, and other contaminants are left to accumulate, those particles can get trapped in your HVAC and make-up air systems, filling your restaurant with foul odors and harmful air. Professional vent hood cleaners will ensure your air is always clean and pleasant to breathe for staff and customers alike.
Remain Fire & Health Code Compliant:
Every restaurant faces regular fire and health code inspections. A single violation could cause your business to face heavy fines or even a shut-down until any issues are corrected. Filthy vent hoods are one of those aspects of restaurant safety inspections that can send up major red flags. Dirty air and fire are certainly major risks of an unclean vent hood, but there is also a potential risk of dirty particles getting into your customers’ food. Professional vent hood cleaning services are in the business of making sure you pass all NFPA and health code standard inspections.
More Energy Savings:
Cleaner vent hoods don’t have to work as hard to replace the air in your commercial kitchen environment. This means that your HVAC system and make-up air systems will have an easier time maintaining a healthy environment for staff and customers. When you hire professionals to clean your vent hoods, you’ll begin to notice a decrease in your monthly energy bills. Find the right service, and before long your vent hood cleaning services may just pay for themselves.
A Cleaner Working & Dining Environment:
Every commercial kitchen is going to get some grease and grime on their vent hoods. By remaining vigilant with regular cleaning, however, you can ensure that your staff and customers both have an environment they’ll love to spend time in. To put it simply, hiring professional vent hood cleaning services is simply good for the restaurant business.
The Qualities All Good Vent Hood Cleaning Services Possess
You have a lot of choices when it comes to finding the ideal cleaning services to keep your vent hoods in tip-top and spotless condition.
1. Experienced Technicians
Vent hood cleaning is not for amateurs, which is another reason why you should never let your staff tackle the job. Technicians who work on ventilation hoods know how to clean the hoods of top brands on the market. Using specialized tools and techniques they’ve honed for years, professionals are able to dig down into the tiniest nooks and crannies where grease, oil, and debris like to hide. Furthermore, professional vent hood cleaning services typically employ technicians who can maintain and repair your equipment. While cleaning a vent hood, a technician may notice that a fan has a defective part, for instance. If that’s the case, the technician should be able to identify the problem and troubleshoot the issue to restore the fan to optimal conditions. Many companies not only provide cleaning services but also vent hood and component repairs. These companies work with top brands and can furnish you with any type of part for quick service done right. You could say that these are all-in-one vent hood services, which is what you want when the protection of your business and the success of your restaurant are always firmly on your mind.
2. Known for Keeping Clients NFPA Compliant
When searching for a company for your needs, ask about other restaurants they’ve helped, and make sure those businesses remained compliant with the National Fire Protection Agency. Only restaurants that remain code compliant are able to avoid fees and shut-downs that can cost you big. With referrals from other restaurants around the area, you can ensure that your restaurant will remain compliant long into the future.
3. Works Around Your Schedule
Your ventilation hoods can’t be cleaned during your peak hours when your equipment is heated up and flames are active. Instead, a professional service works around your schedule, ensuring that your business operations are never interrupted as your vent hoods are cleaned. A professional vent hood cleaning service will operate when your kitchen is either shut down for the night or during slow periods if you happen to operate 24/7. This ensures your commercial kitchen remains clean and safe, no matter what hours of operation you keep. For the best results, you are encouraged to ask about monthly cleaning services. This keeps your restaurant as clean as possible, even during the busy seasons. The company of your choice should be able to show up and clean without delaying your normal operations or disturbing your staff and customers. Instead, the best vent hood cleaning services will work in the background, doing a thorough job until your entire commercial kitchen cleaned and maintained just as it should be.
4. Possesses the Necessary Accreditation
A company worthy of your money will have no problem showing you the proper accreditation certificates that prove the organization is authorized to clean vent hoods in your area. You have put too much time and money into your business to trust your vent hoods to anyone who can’t hold or refuses to possess the proper credentials. Ask for accreditation and get proof before hiring the vent hood cleaning services for your needs.
5. Provides Photo Documentation
Not every cleaning service offers photo proof that your vent hoods have been cleaned, but this is a good perk to ask about when searching for a nearby company. The companies that do offer photo proof use this method as a way of going above and beyond, and there are many benefits to having before and after photographs in hand. For one, you get to see just how much grime and gunk were removed from your vent hoods, ducts, and fans. Furthermore, you can show the fire and health inspectors the photographs to prove that proper kitchen cleaning is a priority to your business. For those reasons, it may pay to ask the vent hood cleaners you’re interested in if they offer photo proof, as photographic evidence can help you remain confident that your restaurant kitchen is always as clean as it could be.
6. Offers Preventative Maintenance
A good company will know how to check for faulty fan components, frayed wires, and appliances that aren’t working as well as they should. By hiring a vent hood cleaning service that employs experienced technicians, you can ensure that you’re always getting the most out of your vent hoods and all associated components while they’re being cleaned.
7. Performs a Thorough Job
Professional vent hood cleaners have their reputation on the line when it comes to doing a thorough job. If only one restaurant owner complains about a service online or off, that could damage the company’s ability to drum up a new business. For that reason, search online reviews and ask other businesses in the area to see which vent hood cleaning services are the best nearby. When you find a company with an observable penchant for helping customers like you, you can remain confident that your vent hoods will be cleaned with precision and that your business investment will always be well protected.
8. Charges Affordable Fees
You should be able to have your vent hoods thoroughly cleaned without breaking the bank. Companies that clean vent hoods and other commercial kitchen equipment charge based on a variety of factors. You may be charged based on the number of vent hoods you have, the intricacy of your HVAC and make-up systems, whether or not you also require vent hood maintenance and repairs, and if you have multiple restaurant locations. A company worthy of your business will work with you to ensure you get a fair deal for all hood cleaning services and maintenance, repairs, and whatever other tasks you require.
9. Has the Proper Hood Cleaning Equipment
Vent hood cleaning services require heavy-duty tools and powerful chemical solutions in order to cut through all that grease and grime. Examples of equipment that professional hood cleaners might employ include power washers, chemical degreasing solutions, hand-held scrapers, brushes, and others. These tools and chemicals are specially designed to remove pesky grease, oil, and other contaminants to keep your business protected from fires, foul odors, noxious air, and broken equipment, all of which can bring your business to a standstill. Keep your business always operating at its best by finding vent hood cleaning services that deliver the proper tools to perform any sized job.
10. The Company Guarantees That You’ll Pass Inspection
When searching for a company to clean your vent hoods, ask the representative if the organization guarantees you a passing score for all fire and health inspections. A company that isn’t certain of their ability to have you pass the necessary inspections is not worthy of your business. On the other hand, if the company promises to help you pass, no matter what, an organization like that may be worthy of your contention. Only when you get a guarantee that your restaurant will receive stellar marks the next time the fire and health inspectors come calling will you be able to find the cleaning crew that’s perfect for your needs.
If your restaurant operates in Denver, Colorado, we encourage you to contact APS-Hoods, the local leader in commercial kitchen cleaning services. Our vent hood cleaning services, most specifically, are designed to keep your ventilation, ducts, and fans spotless while protecting your business from a dangerous fire. We only employ the most experienced and well-trained cleaning, maintenance, and repair technicians, which means that we not only do a good job, but we also protect your business investment in several key ways. Our professionals clean with precision, ensuring that all nooks and crannies are free of grease, oil, and other debris. We guarantee that you will pass the necessary fire and health code inspections. When inspectors get a glimpse of our thorough work, they’ll have no choice but to deem your business NFPA and health code compliant. Furthermore, we are able to identify issues and troubleshoot the sources to keep your appliances and vent hood equipment consistently operational and at maximum efficiency. This saves you money in energy costs and keeps the air in your restaurant pure for complete staff and customer satisfaction. We are fully accredited to operate in Denver and bring the necessary tools, training, and experience to finish any sized job. For vent hood cleaning services you can always count on, contact APS-Hoods, your local source in Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Centennial, Colorado for precision hood cleaning done right.
Image SourceDenver, CO – Restaurant Kitchen Deep Clean One of the most important, and most overlooked, parts of running a great restaurant is doing a deep clean. While it’s easy to have regular employees do the dishes, wipe the counters, and mop the floors, it’s harder to make time to do the deep cleaning. Deeper cleaning, like cleaning the exhaust hood, ductwork, rooftop exhaust fans, and other appliances, takes a lot more time and effort. This is especially true if you don’t have the proper tools and cleaning products. So what is the cost of professional cleaning and what is the cost of neglecting a deep clean?
The Cost of Professional Cleaning
Time
Yes. The kitchen will have to be shut down for a professional deep clean. The stoves and fryers must be turned off to cool and some other appliances will need to be turned off for proper cleaning and for the safety of everyone. Cleaning the exhaust hood and ductwork takes an average of 2-5 hours. It depends on the number of hoods and air fans and how long the ductwork happens to be, as well as how easily accessible everything is. The good news: APS-Hoods service times are 24/7, so you can pick a time that you are already closed or if you are open 24/7, a time that you get the least amount of business so that you aren’t missing out on many sales.
Cleaning and Servicing Fees
APS-Hoods offers a number of services beyond just exhaust hood, air fan, and duct cleaning. We also offer:
Ceiling Tile, Wall, And Floor Have your ceiling tile, walls, and/or floor pressure washed, disinfected, and de-greased until it resembles its original condition.
The Exterior Keep your restaurant looking inviting and prevent future damage by having dirt and grease build up steam and pressure washed from your parking lot, dumpster area, sidewalks, roof, and building exterior.
The cost is going to depend on which services you choose and the size of your restaurant. For a free quote from APS-Hoods, click here.
The cost of neglecting the deep cleaning of the restaurant kitchen
Fire Hazard
If you have exhaust hoods and fans in your kitchen that have dust or grease build up, that is a severe fire hazard. You may be able to reach some of the gunk yourself. However, there is even more up in the ductwork or in the fans on the roof that is hard to get to and easy to forget about, since you can’t see it. But just because you can’t see grease and dust, doesn’t mean that it isn’t a danger. This report by the National Fire Protection Association lists “Failure to Clean” as the top cause of fires in eating and drinking establishments. That means that the leading cause, 22%, of fires in restaurants was avoidable. Lower Inspection Grades and Higher Inspection Fees Inspectors are trained to find the violations that most people wouldn’t think about. They are there to make sure that buildings are safe and not a health hazard. A simple oversight can cost hundreds of dollars in fees as well as a lower grade, which might turn off some customers.
Customer Perception
No one likes to be in a dirty place, but especially when they are eating. A customer perception and word of mouth are vital to a business’s reputation and profitability. If a customer sees that a place doesn’t look clean, they will not want to eat there and are likely to warn the people they know as well.
Employee Satisfaction
Just like no one wants to eat somewhere that doesn’t look clean, no one wants to work in a dirty kitchen either. If it gets bad enough, they might seek employment elsewhere. You will then have to replace them and spend the time and money training someone else. Not only that, but you want to have a safe environment for your employees. A satisfied employee is a more productive employee.
The Bottom Line
So is it worth it to spend the money and hours of downtime for professional cleaners? Doing it yourself will cost employee hours and stress. Plus, the end result is likely to not be enough. Your employees likely don’t have the experience or the tools to get the job done properly, much less the time. And is it worth the risk of customer perception, inspection fees, and fire hazards? On the other hand, having professionals come in and do a deep, thorough cleaning will eliminate any of the downsides of not having it done well. Furthermore, cleaning will take less time because professionals are trained for this specifically and they have the proper tools to get the job done well. Plus, APS-Hoods guarantees your satisfaction. It will likely save you money in the long run and will give you peace of mind. For more information about cleaning services and Restaurant Kitchen Deep Clean, contact APS-Hoods for a free estimate at (800) 750-7313 in Denver Colorado, and elsewhere around the country.Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Millionairium and Farazandeh are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this document is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.
