Grease, Grime, and Safety: Why Kitchen Exhausts & Floors Need Nightly Attention

Commercial kitchens are one of the most dangerous environments to work in. Heat, open flames, sharp instruments, greases and oils – commercial kitchens present a number of potential hazards. This is why caution, care, and safety are critical practices that every employee needs to keep in mind. 

However, ensuring safe practices among cooks and wait staff is only part of the picture. The other important component that can help create and maintain safe conditions for employees and customers alike is cleaning. Here we’ll take a look at the importance of removing grease and grime from floors and from kitchen exhausts or fume hoods on a nightly basis. These areas need much more than a nightly wipe down in order to keep them safe and to keep restaurants and commercial kitchens compliant with fire regulations, health and safety regulations, and insurance policy requirements as well. 

Commercial kitchen hood cleaning and air duct cleaning

The National Fire Prevention Association’s (NFPA) code 96 is a standard code used to inspect commercial cooking areas in restaurants, convention centers, event venues, hotel venues, and any other type of commercial kitchen. This industry-standard code sets levels of cleanliness and maintenance for commercial kitchen exhaust systems including vent hoods. 

One of the biggest concerns in these areas is vaporized grease, which occurs when grease and oils are released from food or cookware and become fine particles that float upward in the air. While these begin as a small amount coming from cooking, over a short period of time that vaporized grease can condense on hood filters, grease filters, and kitchen exhaust ducts. These grease deposits, which are highly flammable, can build up quickly on both the visible and non-visible areas of a kitchen, creating a serious fire hazard. 

Grease vapors are also very effective at attracting and retaining other dirt and grime, creating additional hazards. Food particles, germs, bacteria, and other contaminants tend to collect in grease-coated areas such as vents and hoods, leading to health hazards from contamination. If left unaddressed, these contaminants can also lead to costly equipment malfunction or failure, and to health code violations that may incur fines or shutdowns. 

While there are standard cleaning practices that restaurant personnel engage in on a daily and weekly basis, ensuring maximum safety and compliance often requires commercial kitchen cleaning services like those from MasterCorp. For one thing, commercial oven cleaners may not fully address buildup and bacteria on oven and hood surfaces.

This is why removing grease from surfaces, appliances, fixtures, vents, hoods, ranges, and other key areas is part of the overnight cleaning and post-event cleaning service offered by MasterCorp’s technicians. Each of our team is trained in treating multiple surfaces with safe, effective cleaning equipment and substances. 

Commercial kitchen cleaning services include walls and floors as part of this cleaning process as well, and MasterCorp team members understand how to apply purpose-made chemicals and processes to properly clean, sanitize, and enhance the safety of any small or large commercial kitchen space. 

Commercial kitchen floor care and cleaning for enhanced safety

Overnight cleaning options should also include deep cleaning for commercial kitchen walls and floors as well. These surfaces require a special level of attention to detail for a variety of reasons. 

Many commercial kitchen floors, backsplashes, and other areas consist of tile and grout surfaces, which can be difficult to maintain even with regular cleaning. Grout lines are notoriously difficult to clean, especially in high-traffic areas such as commercial kitchens. The additional challenge of grease, food residue, and grime buildup can make them very difficult to keep clean, and lead to staining or contamination. 

Grout and tile surfaces can also harbor bacteria and present slip-and-fall hazards for anyone working in the space. Regular use, spills, and dirt accumulation can make cleaning and sanitization challenging to accomplish through standard cleaning procedures. 

Commercial kitchen walls and floors should be cleaned regularly. But given the specialized nature of the materials and surfaces involved, this can be difficult for restaurant, hotel, or janitorial staff to accomplish.

This is another area where employing cleaning solutions from a commercial kitchen and event venue cleaning services provider can help enhance the safety and compliance of any operation. Professional tile and grout cleaning from MasterCorp is designed to address every level of cleanliness in restaurant, resort, hotel, and venue operations. That includes deep cleaning of every type of tile surface, as well as grout deep cleaning, floor polishing, and stain removal. Our team’s experience with every type of commercial flooring surface ensures that overnight cleaning of your commercial kitchen will result in enhanced safety, durability, and compliance. 

Explore your professional restaurant cleaning options

Appliances, floors, countertops, fixtures, walls, ceilings – commercial spaces from kitchens to convention centers have unique and challenging cleaning needs. The best way to tackle them is through multi-tiered cleaning protocols that involve regular care from your staff and supplemental, deep-cleaning services from a trusted partner like MasterCorp. 

Commercial kitchens in particular have numerous areas that require significant cleaning in order to remain safe and functional. Preventing potential damage or hazards involves not only flooring or vent cleaning, but extends to kitchen ceiling and overhead tile surfaces as well. Eliminating contaminants, removing grease and fire hazards, and keeping surfaces in the best possible condition helps to create a better experience for employees and customers alike.

Fortunately, MasterCorp has experienced and talented team members who understand the unique needs of every kind of commercial space or venue. To explore the many options available and learn how our team can support you and your team, reach out and request a proposal today.