Food Business Tips: How to Increase the Lifespan of Your Kitchen Extractor Fan

Your kitchen extractor fan and hood are one of the places you won’t notice is dirty until you check it. Fat and grease can build up overtime making it unsafe and unsanitary to cook in the kitchen.  It is very important that you check your extractor fan regularly so you know when it’s time to give it a good cleaning again.

How regularly you clean your kitchen extractor will depend on the number of hours you spend cooking in the kitchen.  If your establishment relies on cooking every day, then a monthly cleaning is recommended to minimize fire risk. You may want to hire the services of a commercial kitchen extractor fan service in London or, you can do it yourself. It’s very easy.

Here’s how to increase the lifespan of your kitchen extractor fan so it lasts throughout the years.

1. Cleaning is preferably done on the weekends when your establishment is closed or is temporarily unavailable for maintenance. Before commencing, make sure that your kitchen extractor has been switched off and is not hot.

2. Remove the filter and its other parts from the cooker hood. If you do not know how to, you might want to refer to the manual that came with your hood and fan or you can check the internet for instructions on the proper way to taking the parts off.

3. Kitchen extractor fans are cleaned best using a specially formulated product or solution. We recommend Cif’s stainless steel cleaner or better yet, you can make your own solution using a mix of mild detergent and warm water.

4. Dip your soft cloth in the solution and begin wiping it on the extractor fan. Stubborn areas can be removed using an old toothbrush. This also helps you clean hard-to-reach crevices with grime build up. Avoid using a wire sponge as this might leave scratches or other marks on your fan.

5. Remove the filter from your extractor fan and wash it using hot soapy water. If you are using a charcoal filter, make sure to replace it every four to six months.

6. After cleaning the fan, the next step is to clean the extractor hood. Use a newly made cleaning solution and a clean soft cloth. Wipe the solution-dipped soft cloth on the hood.

7. Check the filter inside the hood. Depending on what type it is, it may need a special kind of cleaning.

• Paper filter – disposable and should be replaced every month
• Metal filter – clean using hot soapy water
• Sponge filter – clean using hot soapy water but should be replaced every five to six washes
• Carbon filter – is not washable and should be replaced every six months.

For a deep clean, you may want to add a cup of vinegar to your solution and leave it overnight. This should cut through the grease and be easily rinsed under running water.

Another solution you can use is washing powder or bicarbonate soda paste. Be careful in trying out these solutions and test to make sure it doesn’t cause any discoloration on any of the parts.

Avoid getting any of the solution on your skin and wear gloves if needed.

Quick tip: Frying is one of the main reasons for a sticky and grimy cooker. Try to minimize cooking fried food if you want to make your next scheduled cleaning easier.

Just follow these simple steps to cleaning your kitchen extractor fan and hood. You should be able to enjoy using your kitchen extractor system for many years without having to worry about hazard or sanitary issues.

Do you have any other hacks for caring for a kitchen extractor system? Let us know in the comments.