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Kitchen extraction cleaning - the clean itself
A common question before an extraction clean is how long it will take - the whole system, roof fan to canopy. There is no single fixed answer: a proper clean takes as long as the system needs to be cleaned thoroughly, and that depends on the size, the ductwork length, the access, and how grease-laden it is. Here is what determines how long a full duct clean takes, roof to canopy. This is general commentary; the time varies by system.
The short answer
Understandably, people want to know how long an extraction clean will take - both to plan around it and to gauge the job. The honest answer is that it depends, and it is worth understanding what it depends on (and why a thorough clean matters more than a fast one). This is general commentary; the actual time varies by system, and a cleaner who has seen your system can advise for your specific case. No single fixed answer. A full duct clean means cleaning the whole system, roof fan to canopy - the extract fan, the ductwork throughout, the canopy and the filters. How long that takes is not a fixed number, because systems vary enormously: a small kitchen's compact system and a large kitchen's extensive one are very different jobs. So there is no one-size answer; the time is whatever the thorough cleaning of your particular system requires. What it depends on. Several factors determine the duration: (1) Size of the system - a bigger kitchen with a bigger extraction (larger canopy, more filters, a bigger system) takes longer than a small one. (2) Ductwork length and complexity - the more ductwork there is, and the more bends, runs and levels it has, the more there is to clean and the longer it takes (a long, complex duct is more work than a short, simple one). (3) Access - how easily the system can be reached matters a lot: good access panels and an easily-reached fan make for quicker work, while poor access (few or no panels, a rooftop fan needing working at height, awkward routes) adds time (reaching the parts is part of the job). (4) Grease loading - how grease-laden the system is: a heavily neglected, thickly grease-laden system takes more work to clean thoroughly than a lightly-loaded, regularly-maintained one. So these factors together determine how long your particular clean takes. The priority: thorough, not fast. Crucially, the aim of an extraction clean is a thorough clean to the TR19 Grease standard - not to be done quickly. The time it takes is whatever that thorough clean requires; a clean rushed to save time, skimping on the hard-to-reach parts or not cleaning to standard, is not a proper clean (and leaves the fire risk). So the right question is less 'how fast?' and more 'will it be cleaned properly?' - the duration follows from doing the job thoroughly. A realistic estimate for your system. Because it depends on your specific system, the way to get a realistic idea of the time is to have a competent cleaner see your system (as they do to quote) - they can then gauge the size, ductwork, access and grease loading, and give you a realistic idea of how long your job will take, and plan it around your operation. So how long a full duct clean takes, roof to canopy, depends on your system's size, ductwork, access and grease level - there is no fixed answer, the priority is a thorough clean, and a cleaner who has seen your system can advise the realistic time for your job. So it takes what your system needs for a thorough clean - ask a cleaner who has seen it. This is general commentary; the duration varies by system.
Key points
No single fixed answer
The first thing to say is that there is no single fixed answer to how long a full duct clean takes - because it depends entirely on the system being cleaned, and systems vary enormously. A full duct clean, roof to canopy, means cleaning the whole extraction system: the extract fan (often on the roof), the ductwork throughout its length, the canopy, and the filters. The amount of work in that varies hugely between kitchens - a small cafe's compact extraction and a large restaurant's or hotel's extensive system are completely different jobs.
So it is not possible to give one duration that fits all: the time a full duct clean takes is whatever the thorough cleaning of that particular system requires. Anyone quoting a fixed 'it always takes X' regardless of the system is not being realistic (or is assuming a particular size). The honest and useful approach is to understand what the time depends on (covered next), and to have a competent cleaner gauge your specific system for a realistic estimate. So there is no single fixed answer - a full duct clean takes what the system needs. This sets the frame: the duration is system-specific, driven by the factors that follow. So it takes what the system needs, not a fixed time. This is general commentary.
Size and ductwork
Two of the biggest factors in how long a full duct clean takes are the size of the system and the length and complexity of the ductwork - simply, more system means more to clean. Size: a bigger kitchen typically has a bigger extraction system - a larger canopy (or several), more filters, a bigger overall system - and cleaning all of it takes longer than a small kitchen's compact system. So the scale of the kitchen and its extraction is a primary driver of the time.
Ductwork length and complexity: the ductwork is often the most time-consuming part, and how much of it there is, and how complex, matters a lot. A short, simple, direct duct run is relatively quick to clean; a long duct, with many bends, multiple runs, and passing through several levels of a building (as in a multi-storey or large premises), is far more to clean and takes longer - there is simply more internal surface to reach and clean, and more complexity to work through. So a large system with extensive, complex ductwork is a substantially longer job than a small one with a short, simple duct. These scale factors are a big part of why the time varies so much between kitchens. So size and ductwork - more system, more to clean - are primary factors in the duration. So more system means more to clean. This is general commentary.
Access and grease
Two further factors strongly affect the time: how accessible the system is, and how grease-laden it is. Access: reaching the parts to clean them is part of the job, so access matters a lot. A system with good access panels along the ductwork and an easily-reached fan can be cleaned relatively efficiently. But poor access adds time: few or no access panels (so panels may need cutting, or parts are hard to reach), a rooftop fan needing working at height (with the safe-access provision that involves), and awkward, enclosed or long routes all make reaching the parts slower and more involved. So a poorly-accessed system takes longer than a well-accessed one, even at the same size.
Grease loading: how thickly grease-laden the system is affects how much work the cleaning itself takes. A lightly-loaded, regularly-maintained system (thin grease) is quicker to clean thoroughly than a heavily neglected one caked with thick, baked-on grease (which takes much more effort to remove to the standard). So a long-neglected system is more work - and takes longer - than a well-maintained one (another reason regular cleaning is easier than occasional deep remediation). So access and grease - how reachable and how dirty the system is - are the other key factors in the duration, on top of size and ductwork. So how reachable and how dirty affect the time. This is general commentary.
Thorough beats fast
The most important point about the time is that the priority must be a thorough clean to the standard - not a fast one. The aim of an extraction clean is to remove the grease from the whole system to the TR19 Grease standard, controlling the fire risk - and that takes as long as it takes to do properly. A clean rushed to save time - skimping on the hard-to-reach ductwork, not properly cleaning the fan, leaving grease behind to finish quicker - is not a proper clean: it leaves grease (and fire risk) in the system, defeating the purpose.
So the right question is not really 'how fast can it be done?' but 'will the whole system be cleaned properly to the standard?' - and the duration simply follows from doing that thoroughly. A slightly longer clean that does the whole system properly is far better value than a quick one that skimps (and leaves the fire risk, and the compliance gap). So beware anyone selling speed over thoroughness, or a suspiciously quick clean of a large or neglected system (it likely isn't doing the whole job). The time a proper clean takes is a feature of doing it right, not a delay to minimise at the cost of quality. So thorough beats fast - a proper clean takes the time it takes, and that is what matters. So a proper clean takes the time it takes. This is general commentary.
A realistic estimate for your system
So while there is no fixed answer, you can get a realistic idea of how long your full duct clean will take by having a competent cleaner see your system - just as they do to quote. Because the time depends on your system's size, ductwork, access and grease loading, the way to gauge it is to have someone assess those. A competent cleaner who surveys or sees your system can gauge the scale, the ductwork, the access (including the fan) and the grease loading, and give you a realistic idea of how long your particular clean will take - and plan it around your operation (for instance, scheduling it to minimise disruption to service).
This is far more useful than any generic figure: it is an estimate for your actual system, from someone who has looked at it. It also lets you plan (when to have it done, around your opening and service) and understand what the job involves. So rather than looking for a one-size answer, ask a competent cleaner who has seen your system for a realistic estimate for your job - and prioritise a thorough clean over a fast one. That way you get a proper clean, done in the time your system genuinely needs, planned around your operation. So a realistic estimate for your system - ask a cleaner who has seen it. So ask a cleaner who has seen your system. This is general commentary; the duration varies by system.
Questions
There is no single fixed answer - it takes as long as your system needs to be cleaned thoroughly to standard, depending on the size, ductwork length, access and grease loading. A full duct clean, roof to canopy, means cleaning the whole system (fan, ductwork, canopy, filters), and how long that takes varies enormously between kitchens - a small compact system and a large extensive one are very different jobs. The time depends on: the size of the system (bigger takes longer), the ductwork length and complexity (more duct and more bends take longer), the access (good access is quicker; a rooftop fan or poor panels add time), and how grease-laden it is (a heavily neglected system takes more work). So rather than a set duration, it takes the time the thorough cleaning of your specific system requires. A competent cleaner who has seen your system can give a realistic estimate for your job. So there is no fixed time - it depends on your system. This is general commentary; the duration varies by system.
Because extraction systems vary enormously in size, ductwork, access and grease loading, so the work involved differs greatly - a small simple system and a large, complex, neglected one are completely different jobs. A full duct clean cleans the whole system, and systems differ hugely: a small cafe's compact extraction versus a large hotel's extensive multi-level ductwork; good access versus a rooftop fan and few panels; a lightly-loaded regularly-cleaned system versus a thickly grease-caked neglected one. Each of these differences changes how much work the clean involves and how long it takes. So there is no single fixed time that fits all systems - the duration is specific to your system. Any 'it always takes X' figure ignores this variation. The useful approach is to have a cleaner gauge your particular system for a realistic estimate. So there's no fixed time because systems (and so the work) vary so much. So systems vary too much for a fixed time. This is general commentary.
Yes - a bigger system (larger, more ductwork) and a more grease-laden, neglected one both take more work and time than a small, well-maintained system. Size and grease loading both increase the time. A bigger kitchen typically has a bigger extraction (larger canopy, more filters, more and longer ductwork), so there is more to clean - taking longer than a small system. And a heavily neglected, thickly grease-laden system takes more effort to clean thoroughly (removing thick, baked-on grease) than a lightly-loaded, regularly-maintained one. So both a larger system and a more neglected one lengthen the clean. This is one reason regular cleaning is easier (and each clean less of a big job) than occasional deep remediation of a long-neglected system. So yes - bigger and more neglected systems take longer. Poor access adds time too. So yes - size and neglect both add time. This is general commentary.
It can be, for a large or neglected system - a suspiciously quick clean may mean the whole system isn't being cleaned thoroughly (skimping the hard-to-reach parts); the priority should be a thorough clean to standard, not speed. The aim is to clean the whole system to the TR19 Grease standard, which takes as long as it takes to do properly. For a small, well-maintained system, a clean may genuinely be fairly quick. But for a large or heavily grease-laden system, a suspiciously fast clean is a warning sign - it may mean the hard-to-reach ductwork and fan aren't being properly cleaned, or grease is being left, to finish quickly. So a quick clean of a system that should take substantial work suggests corners cut (leaving grease and fire risk). The right priority is a thorough clean, not a fast one - so be wary of anyone selling speed over thoroughness. So a quick clean can be a bad sign for a large or neglected system. So it can be, if the system should take longer. This is general commentary.
Usually yes - a competent cleaner can plan the clean around your operation (for instance out of service hours), so it disrupts the kitchen as little as possible; the timing is part of planning the job. Extraction cleaning is often scheduled to minimise disruption - working around the kitchen's service and opening, such as outside busy periods or when the kitchen is closed, so cooking is affected as little as possible. A competent cleaner will discuss and plan the timing with you as part of arranging the job, fitting it around your operation. This is separate from how long the clean itself takes (which depends on your system) - it is about when it is done. So yes - the clean can usually be planned around your opening hours to minimise disruption, as part of scheduling the job. Discuss the timing with your cleaner when arranging it. So yes - it can usually be planned around your hours. This is general commentary.
Have a competent cleaner see your system - they can gauge the size, ductwork, access and grease loading and give a realistic estimate for your job, and plan it around your operation. Because the time depends on your specific system, the reliable way to find out is to have a cleaner assess it (as they do to quote): surveying or seeing the system lets them gauge the scale, the ductwork length and complexity, the access (including the fan), and the grease loading - and from that give you a realistic idea of how long your particular clean will take. This is far more useful than any generic figure, since it reflects your actual system. It also lets them plan the clean around your operation. So to find out, ask a competent cleaner who has seen your system for an estimate for your job - and prioritise a thorough clean over a fast one. So find out by having a cleaner assess your system. This is general commentary; the duration varies by system.
How long a full duct clean takes depends on your system's size, ductwork, access and grease level. We survey your system, give you a realistic idea of the time, and clean the whole system thoroughly to TR19 Grease - planned around your operation. Ask us to assess your system. This is general commentary; the duration varies by system.
