If you manage a commercial kitchen operation, part of your many duties is to ensure the kitchen exhaust system is completely clean and working efficiently. And, as the video below illustrates, keeping your kitchen exhaust system properly maintained is important because a dirty one creates a major fire hazard.
Restaurant owners always have the bottom line in mind when it comes to daily operations, and preventative maintenance and inspections are usually the first thing to get cut when money gets tight.
Before you hire anyone claiming to be able to clean your kitchen exhaust system, remember that only certified kitchen exhaust cleaners have the proper training and equipment to ensure your restaurant stays up to code and fire-free.
Keep these four differentiators in mind when hiring a cleaning company:
- Experience: Look for a company that specifically states they will perform a complete cleaning of the entire kitchen exhaust system, mentioning all associated components. A contractor who only talks about the hood and filters is throwing up a red flag. Additionally, the company should be certified by the National Fire Protection Agency.
- Insurance: Confirm that the company has proper insurance and qualifications to perform the work – more than likely, this is a requirement of your insurance as well.
- Proper Documentation: This should include identifiable before-and-after photographs of the work completed. Expect a written report that details the work completed and specifies any areas that were inaccessible or not cleaned and why.
- Costs: Hiring a certified cleaning company familiar with the applicable standards, including NFPA-96 is nearly always safer than using an uncertified cleaner who charges a lower fee.
Don’t cut corners when it comes to maintaining your kitchen exhaust system. Hiring a certified cleaning company protects your investment and keeps your business running efficiently and safely.
