Between Projects: In Praise of General Contractors

When It's Time to Schedule an HVAC Cleaning for Your Commercial Kitchen

Cleaning out the HVAC system of your commercial kitchen, including cleaning the vent hoods over the stove and its filters, is vital for a healthy and clean kitchen. Unfortunately many restaurant and kitchen managers overlook this cleaning because they assume it doesn't affect the food quality or the safety of their staff, like having a greasy stovetop or greasy floor. You want to ensure that you schedule a cleaning of the HVAC of your kitchen as often as necessary, and if you aren't sure how often that is, note a few considerations to keep in mind. This will ensure your commercial kitchen is always as clean as it should be.

1. Consider the grease produced

If you run a vegetarian restaurant that only cooks meatless patties and such dishes, chances are your kitchen produces very little grease. However, the more meat you fry on the stovetop, the more grease that gets dissipated into the air. The same is true for when you have a number of deep fryers you use. You can regularly check the HVAC and vent over your stove to see how much grease has built up, but consider that the more grease your kitchen produces, the more often you should be doing this check and having your HVAC system cleaned.

2. Note humidity

Humid weather and water evaporation from boiled water can mean water droplets clinging to the inside of the HVAC system and vent hood. This can then allow for mold and mildew to form, and this water can also hold bacteria and other contaminants. If you boil water for many dishes, such as for pasta or boiled vegetables, you will need to check the humidity levels and amount of moisture inside the HVAC system often and have them cleaned as necessary.

3. Cooking odors

If you notice that your commercial kitchen has a distinct odor every time you walk into the space, this often means that the HVAC system is not being cleaned often enough. This system brings fresh air into the kitchen along with removing stale air, and when you notice odors in the kitchen, you may not be circulating that fresh air through a clean HVAC system. Having the system cleaned more often can mean keeping the kitchen smelling good so that these odors don't get absorbed into your restaurant's linens and also ensure that your indoor air quality is good and healthy for your staff.

For more information, contact local commercial kitchen cleaning services.