How to Clean Restaurant Exhaust Hoods

Clean your restaurant exhaust hoods on a regular basis.

Restaurant ovens and deep fryers must have exhaust hoods with fans installed over them, to remove dust or fumes from the equipment. Over time, the hoods will accumulate a thick layer of grease and dust particles. This layer is not only unsightly, it is a good place for bacteria and molds to grow in your kitchen. Use basic safety rules to thoroughly remove this layer, and clean your restaurant exhaust hoods.

Things You'll Need

• Dropcloths
• Ladder
• Rubber gloves
• Shop vacuum
• Bucket
• Green scrubber pads
• Commercial degreaser
• Kitchen cloths

Instructions

1. Turn off the exhaust fan attached to the hood. Cleaning rags are easily sucked up into fan mechanisms, so avoid this by keeping the fan off while cleaning the hood. Wait until the hood is completely cool before proceeding.

2. Move the equipment below the hood if at all possible. If the equipment is not mobile, cover it with plastic dropcloths or plastic garbage bags to prevent dirt from falling onto cooking surfaces.

3. Place the ladder safely and securely below the hood to be cleaned. Make sure that you will be able to safely climb the ladder to reach up into the hood without undue leaning or twisting.

4. Climb the ladder and use the shop vacuum to remove as much loose dust as possible. Most of the dust probably will be attached to the grease layer, but you can remove loose particles with the vacuum.

5. Remove the filters from the hood and set them into the sink. Fill the sink with a mixture of water and degreaser. Allow the filters to soak while you clean the hood.

6. Mix a solution of commercial degreaser and water, according to your degreaser packaging. Use the degreaser and scrub pads to clean the grease layer from the hood, inside and out. It may be easier to soak a part of the hood in degreaser for a minute, then use the pad to scrub and remove the baked-on grease. This will not be a quick process if you haven't done it in a while, so you may want to trade off with a co-worker after 10 minutes of scrubbing.

7. Change the degreaser solution and scrub pads regularly when they get choked with grease. Depending on the last time that this job was done, you may need to change these items many times.

8. Wipe down and clean the hood surface, inside and out, when the grease layer has been removed. Use a rag and clear water. Any degreaser left on the surface can form into an irritating fume when the equipment is turned back on, so make sure all residue has been removed before resuming equipment use.

9. Spray out the filters to make sure all dust and grease have been removed from their insides. Stand the filters up on the end of the sink so that all the water can drain out. When the filters are completely dry, replace them into the hood slots.

Tips & Warnings

• After this initial cleaning, repeat this job at least once a month to keep the hood and exhaust system clean.

• Some people are sensitive to degreaser fumes. Be careful when using these chemicals if you have never experienced their effects.