If you’ve heard of the term “hood cleaning” it’s likely you work at a restaurant or a facility that serves food. In order to keep that facility running smooth, frequent hood cleaning in Texas is required to prevent fires and pass inspections.
What is Kitchen Hood Cleaning?
Kitchen hood cleaning is the cleaning of the hood system in a restaurant. When cooking on a stove or fryer, the hood system allows the smoke and grease escape the kitchen. Over time, grease and carbon begin to build up in the system, increasing the risk of fires if not properly maintained.
Who’s Required to Get Their Hoods Cleaned?
The NFPA requires all commercial buildings with kitchen hoods to clean their system on a regular basis. To name a few: fast food restaurants, high-end dining, schools and nursing homes are all required to have professional cleanings completed and documented.
Scheduling a cleaning is often the owner, kitchen manager or head chef’s responsibility if they’re not on a reoccurring schedule.
Hood cleaning frequency depends on the amount of grease and foot traffic at your business. For your cleaning frequency, call Rujo Hood Cleaning at 832-639-4115 or continue reading below.
Why is Kitchen Hood Cleaning Required?
Hood cleaning in Houston is required to prevent fires and improves a restaurants cleanliness. Failure to keep a kitchen hood clean may result in fires, loss of insurance, or worse, closure of a business.
Fires: When a hood system accumulates too much grease, the chances in fires increase significantly. Regular hood cleanings help prevent fires and keep your system running smooth.
Loss of Insurance: Restaurants that are unable to provide documentation of their most recent hood cleaning is at risk for getting dropped by their insurance companies. Insurance companies may also refuse to pay for the damages due to neglect on the owner’s end.
Closure of Business: Houston fire marshals have the right to temporarily or permanently close a business if a company fails to comply with NFPA 96 standards.
To learn more about the NFPA 96 standards, visit the NFPA website by clicking here.
How Often Do Kitchen Hoods Need to be Cleaned in Houston, TX?
As mentioned previously, the cleaning frequency depends on the amount of grease used in a kitchen as well as the foot traffic. Here’s a general outline of how often you should be cleaning your kitchen hood:
Monthly: Systems serving solid fuel cooking operations.
Quarterly: Systems serving high-volume cooking operations such as 24-hour cooking, charbroiling or wok cooking.
Semi-Annually: Systems serving moderate volume cooking operations.
Annually: Systems serving low-volume cooking operations, such as churches, day camps, seasonal businesses, or senior centers.
What Does Rujo Include in a Hood Cleaning?
Unlike many Houston hood cleaning companies, Rujo Hood Cleaning includes:
1. A complete system clean
2. Before and after photos
3. Access panel cleaning
4. Air filter cleaning
5. Lubricate fan bearings
6. Light bulb replacement as needed
7. Fan belt replacement as needed
8. Equipment line cleaning
Click for more information on hood cleaning or to schedule a cleaning, call Rujo Hood Cleaning at 832-639-4115.