How Often Should You Clean Your Kitchen Hoods?

Keeping your kitchen clean is important, especially if you run a commercial business. By knowing how often you should clean your hoods, you can help keep your business up to health codes.

How Often Should You Perform Cleaning On Your Hoods?

The National Fire Protection Agency has mandated a requirement that restaurant and commercial hoods must be cleaned periodically. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, different types of hoods must been cleaned within different type intervals. Fortunately, because the agency has already laid out requirements for how often you should perform hood cleaning, all you have to do is ensure that you follow the guidelines. This will help insurance companies in determining liability in the event that a fire does occur in your establishment.

Hoods Over Non-Grease Appliances

Hoods that are placed over non-grease appliances don’t have to be cleaned as frequently as those placed over grease appliances. Examples of non-grease appliances include stoves, microwaves and ovens. Grease appliances, on the other hand, include large fryers and any other appliances that require hot grease to run. The National Fire Protection Agency states that hood over non-grease appliances only have to be cleaned once a year since there isn’t as high of a likelihood that they will catch fire as there is for those that use grease.

Oven Hoods in Pizza Restaurants

Many pizza restaurants have oven hoods to help ventilate the pizzeria, but because pizza ovens don’t require the usage of any grease, these hoods can go the longest without undergoing cleaning. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, pizza restaurants only have to clean their hoods every 180 days to stay up to code.

Hoods in Average Restaurants

Hoods in average restaurants have to be cleaned much more frequently since they pose a higher risk of grease fires. Average restaurants typically consist of cafeterias and hotel or hospital kitchens. They must be cleaned every 90 days. More fast-paced restaurants, such as ones that are open 24 hours a day like fast food restaurants, must be cleaned every 30 days. Of course, not only does keeping your hoods cleaned keep your restaurant up to code, but it also preserves the life of your appliances and brings rate deductions with insurance companies.