Copyright (c) 2012 Alison Withers
Grease is the main enemy of any commercial catering operation because it readily dissolves in steam, cannot be seen, and then settles on surfaces as well as clogging up extraction filters, making it a potential hot spot as a fire hazard.
While the amount of grease varies with the type of cooking, the size and workload of the particular kitchen, from the small café to the food factory, it is cannot be ignored because it can reduce the efficiency of an extraction system and lead to increased energy costs if the system has to work harder to do the same job.
Kitchens producing bar snacks and cafes are examples of light use, while medium use would cover school and work canteens and high use would include large and fast food outlets, and certain types of cuisine such as Mexican and Asian restaurants.
Ignoring maintenance will affect the efficiency of the filters in canopies above cookers is only storing up bigger problems for later.
An inefficient filter and canopy can leave more dissolved grease in the air, to eventually deposit on floors and walls, leading to potential safety issues for staff rushing to fill customer orders and therefore at risk from tripping on slippery floors. The resulting deposits may also lead to the need for more frequent deep cleaning of the kitchen.
This means there are good economic reasons for having a proper canopy and extract cleaning service in place that can be carried out at regular intervals and for regular visual inspection of all components of the extraction system.
Some can be incorporated into the normal daily hygiene routine carried out by the kitchen staff, but other aspects need the attention of specialist canopy and filter cleaning services.
Grease drawers, for example, should be cleaned by staff at least once a week or more frequently if the kitchen activity and the type of food merits it. Clearly, a high intensity fast food operation or a 24-hour food production factory will require daily attention while a small café and a school canteen will need less.
The periods between proper inspection and replacement of canopies and filters also vary with the intensity of kitchen use and can vary between three and six months, but it should be remembered that no grease filter is likely to be 100% efficient.
Kitchen extract and canopy cleaning is a job for properly trained and experienced professionals. Although a certain amount of routine washing down of canopies with soapy water can be included in the normal hygiene routine, cleaning the inside of the canopy and the extract system and replacing the filter needs to be done correctly and with the proper equipment and cleaning agents and using proper, gripping, cut-resistant work-gloves for protection against metal edges.
Properly trained professionals will be able to carry out this operation more quickly and efficiently than in-house kitchen staff and will also report back on and deal with any repair work or replacement parts that might be discovered during the regular routine inspection.
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The invisible parts of an extraction canopy and filter system need regular canopy and extract cleaning to prevent grease dissolved in steam from settling and impairing their efficiency. By Ali Withers. http://www.pro-ductclean.com/extract-canopy-and-filter-maintenance.asp
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