How to Clean Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System

Qandeel Nazir
3 min readOct 31, 2022

Following are the steps that can be followed to perform regular cleaning of the commercial exhaust system.

Turn off the power supply

Make sure to switch off the power supply of the exhaust system before cleaning. By switching off the power supply to the system, cleaning can be done properly, while reducing the risk of an electric shock. It will also prevent any damage to the exhaust system and the risk of appliance vibration that will shake off all the dirt and make the area messy.

Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System

Use a Vacuum

A very cost-effective way to clean the dirt and debris from the inner parts of an exhaust fan is to suck it with a vacuum cleaner. A vacuum will remove any clogs inside the fan. It will also remove allergens and other particles that might trigger an asthma attack if inhaled directly

Check fan blades movement

The dirt is accumulated very easily on the blades of the exhaust fan with continuous use. Check the fan blade’s movement, if they are moving freely without any friction, it means the condition is fine, If they are not moving freely, you may need to lubricate them.

Clean the fan blades

Dust, dirt, and grease accumulate on the fan blades over time. This can cause more airflow resistance, which in turn means less air circulation through the area. This leads to higher power consumption and electricity bills because you’re using your air conditioning or heating system more often than is required.

To save yourself from this situation, it is necessary to clean the fan blades. In order to do so, Wear your synthetic rubber gloves. Grab an aerosol degreaser. Spray all over the surfaces of the fan. Remove the extra grease on the fan blades by rubbing soft brush bristles on them. Wait a few minutes for the liquid to dissolve the grease and dust.,then wipe the fan with a clean cloth. Finally, you can wash your exhaust fan with warm soapy water to remove any remains of grease. The process takes a few minutes so it is easy to do it regularly.

Clean the exhaust hood filters

The grease and dirt on the filter affect the smooth functioning of the exhaust system. Make a dishwashing soap and baking soda solution in hot water. Place the hood filters in the solution and let them soak for 15 minutes. Take a non-abrasive cleaning brush and scrub the filters to remove the remaining grease. Rinse your filters and dry them off.

Change the filter

A significant part of exhaust system maintenance is to change the filter regularly. A kitchen exhaust fan accumulates a lot of dirt and grease in an attempt of expelling cooking vapors and steam out of a commercial kitchen. It’s important to change the exhaust filters whenever needed otherwise just removing grease from your exhaust fan won’t make any difference in the overall performance.

Clean the grease buildup in the duct

The exhaust ducts get messy while running a commercial kitchen. The Grease build-up in the air ducts can be a big problem as it blocks the air. Aerosol degreaser should be used to wipe the grease out of the duct now and then, it is better recommended to call an HVAC specialist to come and inspect the exhaust duct.

Commercial Exhaust and ventilation system cleaning can be very challenging and time-consuming as exhaust fans are usually heavy and can be difficult to move, thus it’s the job of HVAC specialists to provide cleaning and maintenance services for exhaust systems. A thorough inspection, cleaning regularly, and getting it serviced by Altruras Contractors HVAC specialists in Los Angeles ensures the long-lasting life span of your exhaust system.

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Qandeel Nazir

The future is uncertain, but that can be a good thing. — Jennifer Niven