Restaurant Range Hoods – Maintenance and Cleaning Tips

Range hoods are an essential component of any kitchen, domestic or commercial. Unless you happen to enjoy setting off the smoke detector and releasing plumes of smoke around your restaurant, you’ll need a quality range hood (sometimes called a vent hood or exhaust hood) for your restaurant. Below are a few maintenance and cleaning tips to keep your range hoods in tip-top shape:

Consider Daily Usage

A residential range hood is typically used far less, and for shorter periods, than commercial range hoods commonly used in restaurants. Whilst a domestic range hood still accumulates plenty of grease and grime over the course of time, restaurant range hoods experience orders of magnitude moreover the course of a busy day when the grill is being used non-stop.

Similarly, an unkempt and neglected domestic range hood can potentially facilitate fire hazards in the home just as restaurant range hoods tend to be amongst the most vulnerable fire hazard areas of a busy commercial restaurant.

Consequently, your commercial range hood may require routine care and cleaning more often than the restaurant across the street, for example, if you’re using your grill more frequently. In all cases, commercial range hoods must be regularly cleaned, some more frequently than others.

Remove and Deep Clean the Grease Receptacles

Nearly all commercial range hoods have removable grease receptacles which can be removed with relative ease, typically from the side of the range hood. Carefully remove the grease receptacles and drain out any of the icky liquid contents into a bin (not down the drain). Shake out any loose debris that may be stuck inside if possible.

Next, fill up a kitchen sink with plenty of water and a grease-cutting detergent product. Some oven cleaners and harsh chemical products will work as well; just ensure you’re following the directions on the product label. Douse the receptacles for 10-15 minutes at least while the detergent eats away at any caked-on residue.

With gloves, goggles, and appropriate PPE, scrub the receptacles thoroughly, rinse, then allow to air dry completely.

Deep Clean the Hood Filters

After the receptacles have been removed and deep cleaned, remove the range hood filters from the inside of the range hood. Using the same procedures as above, soak the filters in a grease-cutting detergent, allow to sit, scrub away any residue, rinse, then allow to completely air dry.

Surface Cleaning

Both for aesthetic and functional, hygienic reasons, the surface of the range hood, both inside and outside, must be thoroughly cleaned as well. Use a degreasing solution to spray the surface of the range hood, then, using a microfibre cloth or sponge, work away by scrubbing the entire surface.

Thick areas of caked-on grease or grime can be chipped away with a plastic scraper (avoid metal or knives). Follow up with a rinse of the entire range hood, then dry completely.

All that’s left is to simply replace the filters and range hood grease receptacle and your range hood will be in great shape for another few weeks, again, depending on usage.

Domestic Appliance Repair

There’s no telling what might go wrong with a commercial range hood, but what really matters is that your restaurant has access to reliable repair services when they’re needed most. Contact us at Domestic Appliance Repair today.

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