Unsure how often to clean
NFPA 96 sets cleaning frequency by cooking volume, from monthly to annually. We look at your equipment and hours and recommend a schedule.
Serving Elgin & nearby St. Charles, Bartlett
Commercial Hood Cleaning in Elgin, IL
Kitchen exhaust cleaning for restaurants and food-service kitchens in Elgin: hood, filters, duct and roof fan, cleaned to bare metal after hours.
- Commercial kitchens across Elgin ZIP 60123, 60124, 60120, 60140
- Nights, early mornings and closed days
- Coordination with the fire and health inspectors
Kitchen exhaust problems we clean up in Elgin
We clean commercial kitchen exhaust in Elgin on the schedule NFPA 96 sets for your cooking volume. That means scraping and degreasing the hood, ducts and roof fan, photographing what we cleaned and telling you about any access or fan problems we find along the way.
Fire inspector asked for proof of cleaning
No sticker, or one that's long expired, is an easy write-up. We schedule a full cleaning and leave the certificate and service report you can show at the reinspection.
Roof fan coated in grease
Grease pooling around the roof fan damages the roofing and is a fire risk. We clean the fan housing and wheel and check the grease containment.
School, church or daycare kitchen
Church and school kitchens are often forgotten between inspections. We set up a simple annual or semi-annual visit with paperwork for the file.
Grease dripping from the hood
Grease drips on the cook line are a sign the system is overdue. We degrease the hood, plenum and filters and check the gutters and cups.
Smoke lingering in the kitchen
A greasy fan wheel moves less air. When smoke lingers, we clean the wheel and check the belt and motor while we're on the roof.
Odors from the roof or exhaust
Old grease in the duct and fan gives off a rancid smell neighbors notice. A thorough cleaning usually takes care of it.
Filters clogged between cleanings
Baffle filters should be washed by your staff between professional cleanings, often weekly or more for busy fryers. We can set up a routine and swap schedule.
Scope of work
- Prep and protectionWe wrap the cook line and set up containment so water and grease go into collection, not onto the floor.
- Filter removal and cleaningFilters soaked and pressure-washed, then checked for damage.
- Hood and plenumThe canopy, plenum and grease gutters scraped and degreased down to bare metal.
- Grease ductVertical and horizontal duct cleaned through the hood, the fan and any access panels.
- Roof exhaust fanThe fan is tipped back, the wheel and housing degreased and the grease box emptied.
- Rinse and wipe-downSurfaces rinsed, the hood polished and the cook line wiped down after the cover comes off.
- Certificate and service reportA dated certificate sticker on the hood and a written report noting anything that needs attention.
What goes into the system
Hot-water pressure washingHeated pressure washing removes what the scraping and chemicals loosened.
Access panels and fan hinge kitsListed duct access doors and fan hinges that make full cleaning possible.
Grease containment at the fanContainment around the roof fan that catches grease before it reaches the roofing.
Hand scrapingHeavy grease is scraped off first so the chemicals and rinse can reach the metal.
Alkaline degreasersCommercial degreasers that break down cooked-on grease on hoods, duct and fans.
Before and after: kitchens near Elgin
Before
AfterCommercial Hood Cleaning in a cafe kitchen, Elgin
The site: a cafe kitchen near Gifford Park. The reason for the call: an expired cleaning sticker before a fire inspection. The result: the same hood degreased to bare stainless with an inspection sticker area. Work included hood and plenum, roof exhaust fan, plus certificate and service report.
Before
AfterA St. Charles commercial kitchen: before and after
A commercial kitchen in St. Charles, a typical kitchen for St. Charles. What bothered the owners most: grease dripping from the hood onto the cook line. Finished kitchen: the same hood degreased to bare stainless with an inspection sticker area. On site this meant grease duct, roof exhaust fan, plus rinse and wipe-down.
Commercial Hood Cleaning in St. Charles →
Before
AfterGrease Trap Installation & Cleaning in a commercial kitchen, Elgin
The same interceptor pumped and the lid closed, service hose coiled on the truck.
Grease Trap Installation & Cleaning in Elgin →
Before
AfterKitchen Remodeling in a 1980s two-story, Elgin
What changed: cabinets in white uppers and deep green lowers with unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls, warm walnut butcher block counters, a green zellige-look tile backsplash, warm oak luxury vinyl plank flooring and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips.
Kitchen Remodeling in Elgin →
Before
AfterAn Elgin 1990s two-story colonial: before and after
Finished: the same doors sprayed in pale mint green, new matte black pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Elgin →From survey to sign-off
- Call or book a visitTell us the kitchen type, the equipment under the hood and when you last had it cleaned.
- Walk-throughA quick survey of the system to see what can be reached and how long it will take.
- Written estimate and scheduleA written quote and a cleaning date outside service hours.
- Cleaning after hoursThe crew cleans hood, duct and fan to bare metal and leaves the kitchen ready to cook.
- Sticker and reportA dated certificate goes on the hood and a report with photos goes to you.
Commercial Hood Cleaning questions from Elgin businesses
Do you clean the roof fan too?
Always. A clean hood with a greasy fan isn't a complete job.
Will cleaning interrupt business?
No. We clean after closing or on days you're closed, and the kitchen is ready for the next shift.
How long does a hood cleaning take?
Most single-hood kitchens are done in one overnight visit. We give you an estimated window after the walk-through.
What does 'cleaned to bare metal' mean?
Bare metal is the target: scraping, degreasing and rinsing until no grease deposit is left on the surface.
How often must restaurant hoods be cleaned in Elgin?
Fire inspectors serving Elgin generally expect the cleaning frequency NFPA 96 sets for your cooking volume, and they look for a current dated sticker. Your fire prevention office can confirm local specifics.
Who inspects kitchen hoods and fire safety in Elgin?
Fire Prevention Bureau, 550 Summit St. We schedule the inspection and have the paperwork ready.
Do I need a Elgin-registered contractor for hood cleaning?
City requires a notarized letter of intent from all licensed contractors; general contractors submit one for each licensed subcontractor. We take care of that before work starts.
Do you work in my part of Elgin?
Yes. Our crews work across Elgin, including Gifford Park, West Side, Downtown — ZIP 60123, 60124, 60120, 60140 — and nearby St. Charles, Bartlett, Hoffman Estates.
Working in Elgin
- Kitchens in Elgin keep cooking as long as possible: we schedule the noisy work for off-hours.
- Permits, plan review and inspections go through Community Development Department (Building permits), City of Elgin, 150 Dexter Court and the fire department when the job needs them.
- We handle the paperwork landlords and property managers ask for: insurance, access times and scope sign-off.
Gifford ParkWest SideDowntown
ZIP 60123ZIP 60124ZIP 60120ZIP 60140
Commercial Hood Cleaning nearby
Other kitchen services in Elgin
Commercial Kitchen Hood InstallationType I and II hoods, grease duct, fans and makeup air, built to NFPA 96.
Grease Trap Installation & CleaningTraps and interceptors installed, cleaned and logged for inspectors.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.
Cabinet RefacingNew doors and fronts on your existing cabinet boxes.