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Kitchen extraction cleaning - whole system
The parts of an extraction system - filters, canopy, ductwork, fan - are one connected system, so cleaning them together in one coordinated visit makes sense: the whole system cleaned at once, thoroughly and efficiently, with one set of records. Here is why extraction, duct and filter cleaning in one visit is the better way. This is general commentary.
The short answer
An extraction system is not a set of separate parts but one connected system: the grease-laden air is drawn through the filters, into the canopy, along the ductwork, and out through the fan - so grease builds up throughout, in all the parts, as one system. This is why cleaning the extraction, ductwork and filters in one coordinated visit - cleaning the whole system together - makes sense and is generally the better way. What 'one visit' means: a single, coordinated clean of the whole system - the grease filters, the canopy, the ductwork throughout, and the extract fan - all cleaned together, to the same standard (TR19 Grease), in one visit. Why it is better than piecemeal cleaning: (1) More thorough - the whole system is cleaned at once, so nothing is left uncleaned or out of step. Cleaning parts separately at different times risks some parts being missed, or being cleaned much less often than others (the classic problem of the canopy cleaned but the ductwork left) - whereas one whole-system visit cleans everything together. (2) More efficient - one visit means one set-up (access opened once, equipment brought once), one job, and one set of records (one report, one set of before-and-after photographs, one certificate) for the whole system - more efficient than multiple separate visits for the different parts. (3) Consistent and coordinated - the whole system cleaned to the same standard at the same time, kept in step (all cleaned, all recorded together, the next clean of the whole system scheduled together). So because the extraction is one connected system, cleaning it in one coordinated visit - filters, canopy, ductwork and fan together - is more thorough, more efficient, and keeps the system consistently clean and compliant. (Note: the filters, loading up fastest, are also often cleaned more frequently in-house between the whole-system visits - but the professional whole-system clean is best done as one coordinated visit.) So extraction, duct and filter cleaning in one visit cleans the whole connected system together - the better way. This is general commentary on extraction cleaning.
Key points
One connected system
The reason to clean the extraction, ductwork and filters together is that they are one connected system - the grease flows through all of them, so they build up grease as one system. The extraction system draws the grease-laden air from the cooking through a connected path: through the grease filters (in the canopy, the first defence), into and through the canopy, along the ductwork (the enclosed runs carrying the air away), and out through the extract fan (which drives the airflow) to discharge outside. So the grease-laden air, and the grease in it, passes through all these parts in sequence - and grease builds up in all of them (the filters loading up first and most, then the canopy, then the ductwork, and on the fan).
So the extraction is not a set of independent parts but one connected system through which the grease flows and in which it builds up throughout. This connectedness is why it makes sense to clean the parts together: they are one system, all accumulating grease from the same source, all needing cleaning to control the same fire risk. Cleaning one part but not the others leaves the system partly grease-laden (the classic canopy-cleaned-but-ductwork-left problem). So treating the extraction as one system - and cleaning it as one - is the sound approach. The following sections cover what a one-visit whole-system clean involves and why it is better than piecemeal cleaning. So one connected system - grease flows through all the parts - is the basis for cleaning them together. So grease flows through all the parts. This is general commentary.
What one visit means
Cleaning the extraction, ductwork and filters in one visit means a single, coordinated clean of the whole connected system - filters, canopy, ductwork and fan - all cleaned together, to the same standard, in one job. So rather than cleaning the filters at one time, the canopy at another, and the ductwork rarely or never (piecemeal), the whole system is cleaned in one coordinated visit: the grease filters cleaned (or replaced), the canopy cleaned inside and out, the ductwork cleaned throughout (reached via the access panels), and the extract fan cleaned - all in the one visit, to the TR19 Grease standard.
This whole-system approach in one visit is what a proper extraction clean is (as covered in what a full clean covers) - the complete system cleaned together, not just one part. The parts are cleaned in a coordinated way (the access opened, the system worked through from the canopy and filters to the ductwork and fan), and the whole is verified and recorded together (one report, one set of before-and-after photographs covering the system, one certificate for the whole clean). So 'in one visit' means the whole connected system cleaned together in a single coordinated job - the natural way to clean a connected system. This is distinct from piecemeal cleaning (different parts at different times) - it cleans everything at once, keeping the whole system clean and in step. So what one visit means: the whole system cleaned together. So the whole system cleaned together is what one visit means. This is general commentary.
More thorough
One key advantage of cleaning the whole system in one visit is that it is more thorough - the whole system is cleaned at once, so nothing is left uncleaned or out of step. When the parts are cleaned piecemeal at different times, there is a real risk of some parts being missed, or cleaned much less often than others - most notoriously, the visible canopy and filters cleaned regularly while the hidden ductwork is left (the compliance-gap, years-of-missed-cleaning problem). So piecemeal cleaning can leave the system partly grease-laden, with the different parts out of step (some clean, some not), and the important hidden parts neglected.
Cleaning the whole system in one visit avoids this: every part - filters, canopy, ductwork, fan - is cleaned together, to the same standard, at the same time. So nothing is left out (the ductwork and fan are done along with the canopy and filters), and the whole system is brought to a clean state together, in step. This is more thorough: the whole connected system genuinely cleaned, not just the accessible parts, with no neglected component. And because it is done and recorded together, you can see (from the one report and photographs) that the whole system was cleaned - proof there is no gap. So the one-visit whole-system clean is more thorough than piecemeal cleaning, leaving nothing uncleaned or out of step - controlling the fire risk throughout, not just in the parts that happen to get cleaned. So more thorough - nothing left out of step. So nothing left out of step is the thoroughness benefit. This is general commentary.
More efficient
The other main advantage is efficiency: cleaning the whole system in one visit is more efficient than cleaning the parts in separate visits - one set-up, one job, one set of records. Set-up: cleaning the extraction involves setting up (accessing the system, opening access panels, bringing the equipment, preparing the area) - and doing this once, for the whole system in one visit, is more efficient than setting up separately for each part in multiple visits. Job: doing the whole system in one coordinated job (working through the connected system) is more efficient than multiple separate jobs. Records: one visit produces one set of records for the whole system - one report, one set of before-and-after photographs, one certificate - rather than separate records for separately-cleaned parts.
So a single whole-system visit is more efficient in time, cost and administration than piecemeal cleaning: one visit rather than several, one set-up rather than repeated, one record rather than fragmented. This efficiency is a practical benefit - it makes cleaning the whole system (the thorough thing to do) also the efficient thing to do, so there is no efficiency reason to fragment the cleaning. It also keeps the records coherent (one certificate and report for the whole system, at one date, easy to track and produce). So the one-visit approach is both more thorough and more efficient - the whole system cleaned together, once, with one coherent set of records. So more efficient - one set-up, one job, one record. So one set-up, one job, one record is the efficiency benefit. This is general commentary.
The whole system, together
So cleaning the extraction, ductwork and filters in one coordinated visit - the whole connected system together - is generally the better way: more thorough (the whole system cleaned at once, nothing left out of step), more efficient (one set-up, one job, one set of records), and consistent (the whole system cleaned to the same standard at the same time, kept in step and scheduled together). Because the extraction is one connected system, cleaning it as one makes sense. So clean the whole system together - clean, compliant and in step.
This is the natural conclusion of the extraction being one connected system with the grease flowing through all its parts: the sound way to keep it clean and control the fire risk is to clean the whole system together, in one coordinated visit, to the standard, with the records. This cleans everything (filters, canopy, ductwork, fan), keeps nothing neglected (avoiding the ductwork-left gap), and does it efficiently with coherent records. So a whole-system clean in one visit is what a proper extraction clean is - and the better alternative to piecemeal, part-by-part cleaning that risks gaps and inefficiency. (One nuance: the grease filters, loading up fastest, are often also cleaned more frequently in-house between the professional whole-system visits - a sensible interim measure - but the professional clean of the whole system is best done as one coordinated visit.) So keep the extraction clean by cleaning the whole system together in one visit - thorough, efficient, and keeping the system clean, compliant and in step. This is general commentary on extraction cleaning.
Questions
Because the extraction is one connected system where grease flows through all the parts, so cleaning them together is more thorough and efficient than piecemeal. The grease-laden air is drawn through the filters, into the canopy, along the ductwork, and out through the fan - so grease builds up throughout, in all the parts, as one system. Cleaning them together in one coordinated visit cleans the whole system at once: more thorough (nothing left uncleaned or out of step - avoiding the classic canopy-cleaned-but-ductwork-left problem), and more efficient (one set-up, one job, one set of records - one report, one set of photographs, one certificate - rather than separate visits and fragmented records for each part). It also keeps the system consistent (the whole cleaned to the same standard at the same time, scheduled together). So because the extraction is one connected system, cleaning it in one whole-system visit is the sound, thorough and efficient way. So clean the whole system in one visit because it is one connected system. This is general commentary.
The whole connected system: the grease filters, the canopy, the ductwork throughout, and the extract fan - all cleaned together in one coordinated visit. Rather than cleaning parts at different times, a one-visit clean does the whole system: the grease filters cleaned (or replaced); the canopy cleaned inside and out; the ductwork cleaned throughout (reached via the access panels); and the extract fan cleaned - all in the one visit, to the TR19 Grease standard, and verified and recorded together (one report, one set of before-and-after photographs covering the system, one certificate). This is what a proper full extraction clean is - the complete system cleaned together, not just one part. So a one-visit clean covers the filters, canopy, ductwork and fan - the whole system - in a single coordinated job. This is the natural way to clean a connected system, and it ensures nothing (especially the hidden ductwork and fan) is left out. So a one-visit clean covers the whole system: filters, canopy, ductwork and fan. This is general commentary.
No - piecemeal cleaning risks parts being missed or cleaned out of step, and is less efficient, than cleaning the whole system together. When the parts are cleaned separately at different times, some parts can be missed or cleaned much less often than others - most notoriously the visible canopy and filters cleaned regularly while the hidden ductwork is left grease-laden (the compliance-gap, years-of-missed-cleaning problem). So piecemeal cleaning can leave the system partly grease-laden, with the parts out of step and the important hidden parts neglected. It is also less efficient (separate set-ups, jobs and records for each part). Cleaning the whole system in one visit avoids this: every part is cleaned together, to the same standard, so nothing is left out and the whole system is brought to a clean state in step - more thorough - and it is done in one set-up with one coherent set of records - more efficient. So no - separate piecemeal cleaning is not as good; the one-visit whole-system clean is more thorough and efficient. So piecemeal cleaning is inferior to a whole-system visit. This is general commentary.
Yes - the grease filters are cleaned (or replaced) as part of the whole-system visit, along with the canopy, ductwork and fan. The filters are one of the components of the connected system, so a whole-system clean includes them - cleaned or replaced (baffle filters washed, mesh cleaned or replaced, cartridges cleaned or replaced per type) as part of the coordinated visit. That said, there is a nuance: the grease filters load up with grease fastest (being the first defence), so they are often also cleaned more frequently in-house (by the kitchen staff) between the periodic professional whole-system cleans - a sensible interim measure to keep them working. So the filters are cleaned both in the professional whole-system visit (along with everything else) and, often, more frequently in-house in between. But in the professional clean, yes - the filters are cleaned as part of the one-visit whole-system job. So yes - the filters are cleaned in the same visit as the rest of the system (and often in-house in between too). This is general commentary.
No - it is generally more efficient, so cleaning the whole system in one visit is usually more cost-effective than separate visits for the parts. Cleaning the whole system in one coordinated visit involves one set-up (accessing the system, bringing the equipment, preparing the area once), one job, and one set of records - which is more efficient in time and administration than setting up separately and doing multiple jobs for the different parts. So a one-visit whole-system clean is generally more cost-effective than piecemeal cleaning would be for the same total work. And crucially, it cleans the whole system (the thorough thing) efficiently - so you are not paying more for the thoroughness. The alternative (piecemeal cleaning) is not cheaper for doing the same whole-system work - and if it is cheaper, it is usually because it does less (skipping the ductwork), which leaves the fire risk and compliance gap. So a one-visit whole-system clean is not more expensive - it is the efficient way to clean the whole system. So no - one visit is more efficient, not more expensive, for cleaning the whole system. This is general commentary.
At the interval matched to your cooking (the frequency to keep the fire risk controlled) - the whole system cleaned together at that interval. The right frequency for the whole-system clean depends on how much and what kind of cooking you do, because that determines how fast the grease builds up (heavy, greasy or solid-fuel cooking building up faster, needing more frequent cleaning; lighter cooking less often). So the one-visit whole-system clean is done at the interval appropriate for your cooking (per the risk-based approach, TR19 Grease) - the whole system cleaned together each time. Between these professional whole-system cleans, the grease filters are often cleaned more frequently in-house (as they load up fastest). So the pattern is: the whole-system professional clean at the appropriate interval for the cooking, with interim in-house filter cleaning in between. A competent extraction cleaner can advise the right whole-system cleaning interval for your kitchen. So the one-visit whole-system clean is done at the interval matched to your cooking. This is general commentary; we can advise an interval.
The extraction is one connected system, so we clean it in one coordinated visit - filters, canopy, ductwork and fan together, to TR19 Grease, with one set of records. More thorough and efficient than piecemeal cleaning that leaves parts out of step. Ask us about a whole-system extraction clean.
