How often should kitchen extract systems be cleaned?

Cleaning frequency should be determined by risk, not by copying a date from another premises. Cooking hours provide a useful starting point, but food type, equipment, extract volume, filter effectiveness and the deposits found during inspection all affect how quickly grease returns.

TR19 Grease is the recognised industry specification for grease management in kitchen extraction. Insurers and fire-risk assessors may reference it, while a policy can also set its own conditions. Operators should therefore combine system evidence with their policy wording and fire-risk assessment.

Start with a survey of the full route and record the heaviest cooking periods. Inspect representative points in the plenum, duct and fan rather than judging by the canopy face. The initial interval can then be reviewed against the deposit found at the next visit.

A change in menu, equipment or opening hours should trigger a review. Extending trading, adding fryers or introducing solid fuel can change loading. Equally, a lightly used system may still need attention if filtration or airflow is poor.

A commercial kitchen extract is one connected route: canopy, filters, plenum, ductwork, fan and discharge. Filters reduce carry-over but cannot capture every grease particle. Decisions based only on visible stainless steel can therefore miss the section that contains the greatest hidden deposit.

A useful survey follows that complete route. It records access points and limitations before a quote is agreed, so the cleaned scope and resulting evidence match what was physically possible.

Every project begins with a survey of the complete extract route. The survey records the canopy, filters, plenum, duct direction, access points, fan position and discharge. It also identifies sections that cannot be reached safely with the existing access. That matters because a clean-looking canopy does not prove that hidden ductwork is free from grease.

The written quote defines the included surfaces, access assumptions and any remedial work before the visit. On the day, the kitchen and nearby equipment are protected, grease is contained, and the system is cleaned in sections. After cleaning, the team records the condition with photographs and deposit readings at repeatable points so the next visit can be compared with the last one.

Useful evidence is more than a one-line receipt. It should identify the site and system, state the date and scope, show representative before-and-after photographs, record inaccessible areas and explain any follow-up action. A dated hygiene certificate supports the report, but the supporting detail is what helps a facilities team, fire-risk assessor or insurer understand what was actually completed.

Records should be retained with the fire-risk assessment and maintenance file. Cleaning frequency is reviewed against cooking hours, cooking method, observed deposit levels and any insurer-specific condition. There is no universal certificate expiry period: the relevant date is the next clean established for that system and accepted under the operator's own risk and insurance arrangements.

Collect the latest cleaning report, fire-risk assessment, insurance wording and any system drawings. Note changes to equipment, menu and hours since the previous clean. If the records do not identify the duct and fan, arrange a survey that establishes a complete baseline.

Ask for a fixed written quote. Our commercial extract cleaning starts from £550, with the final price confirmed from system scope, access and condition. Use WhatsApp or the survey form to describe the kitchen and preferred working window.