The kitchen hood is one of the most important parts of your restaurant, and they clean the air, decrease the temperature in the space, and they make sure all the odors and smells are sucked in and the room stays fresh. Just like every other part of equipment the commercial kitchen hoods need to be cleaned and maintained regularly. If you don’t do this, you risk the whole system getting clogged, you risk the equipment breaking, not working properly, and the scariest of all, your restaurant may catch on fire if you don’t make sure they are properly washed.
Many people think that the cleaning and washing process is difficult, but in reality, there are just some simple things you need to do in order to get this part of your restaurant spotless. Continue reading if you want to learn some tips and tricks that will help you a lot in the process of cleaning your commercial kitchen hood, and that will make the whole process a lot faster and easier.
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Do your research before you start cleaning
Before you start taking things apart and cleaning them, you need to know what you are doing. If this is your first time washing the hood, you should research the make and model of the unit. Find out which parts can be easily taken out, and which parts should stay in. You should also read about how to replace filters, and when is the right time to do that.
By doing your research beforehand, you will save yourself a lot of time and trouble, and you will know how to take it apart, and on the same note, how to install everything back in. When you choose to leave the research after you start washing it, you may make mistakes, and you risk damaging or breaking the equipment. Even though most of the hoods are really similar, there are some slight differences that can create a lot of confusion.
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Never use too much force
When you clean the equipment, you need to remove it and you will need to wash it. Note that in some cases, there can be grease residue that’s stuck on and in it, and if it is dry, you may have a hard time taking it apart.
When this happens, you should never remove the hood by force, and instead, you should use proper cleaning products to give the grease time to dissolve so you can take things apart. Remember that you should not use harsh chemicals, because this unit is still placed above the food that you are cooking. Take your time, give the products enough time to work, and if it is still stuck, you may want to try with a different product.
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Clean every part thoroughly
The process of maintaining your equipment means that you need to wash every single part of the system. You should know that the filters and the exhaust system usually take up the most grease, so you need to pay special attention to them. Take the filters out, let them soak in lukewarm water, and then gently clean them.
If the filters are not doing the best job, then the ducts will be extremely dirty as well, so you need to check and properly clean them. Note that the fans are an important part of this system, so every time you wash this system, you will need to check them and make sure there is no grease residue stuck, and that they are working as they should. When any of these parts are not properly cleaned, the air quality in the kitchen will suffer, and you will notice that there is constant grease buildup.
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Consider hiring the professionals
Sometimes this whole process can take too much time, and if you don’t know what you are doing, you may even damage some of the equipment. According to hoodcleaningservicesatlanta.com, when you hire professionals, they will help you clean the filters, the trap, exhaust, and they will do this in the right and correct way. Choosing to collaborate with a professional service will save you a lot of time and money, and you will know that the job is always done right.
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Make sure everything is dry
Once you wash all the parts properly, you need to let them dry. It is said that the best thing you can do is air dry throughout the night, but if you don’t have time to do that, then leave them on a towel on a counter for at least 15 minutes, and then dry them with the towel. You can use cloth, but if possible, you should use paper towels so you can see if there is any moisture left.
If you don’t dry them properly before installing them back, you risk damaging the equipment, speeding up the rusting process, and they may even get moldy. Wet and moist parts are going to collect dust, and the grease is more likely to get stuck on them. So, don’t rush things, and give yourself time to dry every part of the equipment properly.
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Be careful when putting things back in place
The last thing we are going to talk about is putting things back in place. Once again, you need to make sure that everything is properly washed, that there is no soap residue, and that you’ve used the correct products. Double-check if all the parts are dry, and if everything seems correct, you just need to get them all back in place.
Just like you did with the taking things apart, you need to be gentle and you need to take your time. Never use too much force, and don’t try to shove things in, especially the filters and the fans. If you think that something is stuck, it is better to take it out again, align it properly, and see if you can put it in with one swift motion. If you try and use force, you will either get things stuck, or you will break them. In any case, they won’t be working properly, and you may need to replace the whole system.
Do your research, use the right products, learn how to do the cleaning properly, and if you don’t want to spend too much time, know that calling a professional cleaning service is always an option. The professionals will let you know how often you should maintain all of your equipment depending on the size of your restaurant, they will help you get things done the right way, and they can give you some tips on how to prolong the life of all the things you are using in your commercial kitchen.