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Kitchen extraction cleaning - choosing a cleaner
Not all extraction cleaning companies are equal - and the difference matters, because a poor one leaves the fire risk in your ductwork while charging you for a clean. Choosing well means looking past the price to what they actually do and prove. Here is how to choose a kitchen extract cleaning company that cleans the whole system, to standard, and proves it. This is general commentary on choosing a cleaner.
The short answer
The extract cleaning company you choose determines whether your fire risk is actually controlled or just apparently dealt with - so it's a choice worth making carefully. Here is what to look for. This is general commentary. Why the choice matters. A good extract cleaner removes the grease from the whole system, controlling the fire risk, and proves it. A poor one may clean only the visible parts (leaving the hidden ductwork and fan grease-laden - the real fire risk untouched) while charging you for a 'clean' and giving you a false sense of safety. So the choice isn't a formality - it's the difference between a controlled fire risk and a hidden one. Choosing well means looking past the headline price to what the company genuinely does. What to look for. (1) They clean the whole system. The company should clean the whole extraction - canopy, filters, ductwork throughout, and the extract fan - not just the easy, visible parts. Ask explicitly whether the quote covers the whole system (the hidden ductwork and fan are where the fire risk is). (2) They clean to the TR19 Grease standard. TR19 Grease is the recognised standard for cleaning kitchen extraction - so the company should clean to it (not a vague 'wipe over'). (3) They prove the work. A good company evidences the clean: before-and-after photographs (especially of the hidden ductwork and fan), a report, and a certificate to TR19 Grease - so you can verify the whole system was done. No proof is a red flag. (4) They're insured and accredited. Check they carry proper insurance (public liability) and hold recognised accreditation - a mark of competence and standards (as covered in checking a contractor's insurance and accreditation). (5) They survey before quoting. A good company wants to see your system before quoting (so the quote is accurate for the real job) rather than quoting blind. (6) They're transparent and reputable. Clear scope, no hidden extras, and a good reputation (references, reviews, track record). Don't choose on price alone. The most important warning: don't pick the cheapest quote without checking what it covers. A cheap quote often achieves its price by doing less - cleaning only the visible parts, excluding the ductwork and fan, or leaving out the access and certificate. So the cheapest headline can be the worst value (a partial clean that leaves the fire risk). Choose on whether the company does the whole job properly and proves it - a proper clean fairly priced is the real value. So choose an extract cleaning company that cleans the whole system to TR19 Grease and proves it, is properly insured and accredited, surveys before quoting, and is transparent - not the cheapest quote alone. So choose on what they do and prove, not price alone. This is general commentary on choosing a cleaner.
Key points
Why the choice matters
Choosing an extract cleaning company carefully matters because the choice determines whether your fire risk is actually controlled - and a poor cleaner can leave it uncontrolled while charging you for a clean. A good extract cleaner removes the grease from the whole system (the fire fuel), genuinely controlling the fire risk, and proves it. A poor one may clean only the visible parts (the canopy and filters) while skimping or skipping the hidden ductwork and fan - leaving the real fire risk (in those hidden parts) untouched, while charging you for a 'clean' and, worse, giving you a false sense of safety (the visible canopy looks clean).
So the difference between a good and a poor cleaner isn't cosmetic - it's the difference between a controlled fire risk and a hidden one that you wrongly believe is dealt with. This is why the choice deserves care: you're not just buying a service, you're relying on the fire risk being genuinely removed. And because much of the work is hidden, you can't easily tell a good clean from a bad one after the fact (unless you check) - so choosing a company that reliably does the whole job properly, up front, is how you protect yourself. So why the choice matters: a poor cleaner leaves the fire risk. The following sections cover what to look for in a good one. So the choice determines whether the fire risk is controlled. This is general commentary.
The whole system, to standard
The first things to look for are the substance of the clean: a good company cleans the whole system, to the recognised standard. The whole system: the company should clean the entire extraction - the canopy, the filters, the ductwork throughout (reached via access panels), and the extract fan - not just the easy, visible parts. This is fundamental, because the hidden ductwork and fan are where the real fire risk lies. So ask explicitly whether they clean the whole system (and be wary of a quote that seems to cover only the visible parts).
To the standard: the company should clean to the TR19 Grease standard - the recognised standard for kitchen extraction cleaning, defining the cleanliness required, the whole-system approach, and the verification. Cleaning 'to TR19 Grease' means a proper, recognised-standard clean, not a vague wipe-over. So look for a company that cleans to TR19 Grease (and can explain what that means). Together, these - the whole system, cleaned to the TR19 Grease standard - are the substance of a proper clean, and what distinguishes a good cleaner's work from a partial, sub-standard one. A company that does both is doing the real job of controlling the fire risk. So the whole system, to standard - what a good cleaner actually does. So they clean the whole system to TR19 Grease. This is general commentary.
Proof, insurance and accreditation
Beyond doing the work, a good company proves it and holds the proper credentials - so look for evidence and accreditation. Proof of the work: a good cleaner evidences the clean with before-and-after photographs (especially of the hidden ductwork and fan - proving those were done), a report of what was cleaned, and a certificate to the TR19 Grease standard. This lets you verify the whole system was cleaned (and gives you the records for your fire risk assessment and insurers). A company that can't or won't provide this proof is a red flag - so require it.
Insurance and accreditation: check the company carries proper insurance (public liability insurance, to cover any damage or incident) and holds recognised accreditation. Accreditation (from recognised industry bodies) is a mark that the company works to proper standards and is competent - a useful signal of a reputable, capable cleaner (as covered in checking a contractor's insurance and accreditation). So verify the insurance and accreditation as part of choosing. Together, the proof of work (photographs, report, certificate) and the credentials (insurance, accreditation) tell you the company both does the job properly and is a legitimate, competent operator to trust with it. So proof, insurance and accreditation - the evidence and credentials to look for. So require proof, insurance and accreditation. This is general commentary.
Survey, transparency and reputation
A few further signs distinguish a good extract cleaning company: how they quote, how transparent they are, and their reputation. Surveys before quoting: a good company wants to see or survey your system before quoting - so the quote is accurate for the real job (your system, cooking, access), not a blind guess. A willingness to survey is a sign of a proper, honest approach (as covered in why cleaners need to see your duct); a company quoting blind, or reluctant to look, is less reliable.
Transparency: look for clear, honest dealing - a clear scope (what's included), no hidden extras (the price covers the whole job, not a headline that grows), and straightforward answers to your questions. Reputation: consider the company's track record and standing - references from other kitchens, reviews, how long they've operated, whether they're recommended. A good reputation (and the ability to point to satisfied clients) is reassuring; a poor or absent one is a caution. So how they work (surveying, transparent) and how they're regarded (reputation) round out the picture of a company you can trust. Together with doing the whole job to standard and proving it, these make a good choice. So survey, transparency and reputation - how they work and how they're regarded. So look at how they work and their reputation. This is general commentary.
Not the cheapest, the best value
The most important warning in choosing an extract cleaning company is not to choose on the cheapest quote alone - because a cheap quote often means a partial clean that leaves the fire risk, making it the worst value, not the best. A suspiciously cheap quote usually achieves its low price by doing less: cleaning only the visible parts, excluding the hidden ductwork and fan, or leaving out the access and the certificate (as covered in the cheap-quote pages). So the cheapest headline can buy a partial clean that leaves the real fire risk untouched - no bargain at all, and a false sense of safety.
So choose on value, not price: the company that cleans the whole system to TR19 Grease, proves it, and is insured and accredited - even at a higher headline than a cheap partial clean - is the real value, because it actually controls the fire risk and gives you the evidence. A proper clean fairly priced beats a cheap headline that skimps. This doesn't mean paying over the odds - compare quotes on a like-for-like basis (the whole system, to standard, with records) and choose the best value among proper offers. But don't let a low price alone decide, or you risk the poor cleaner who leaves the fire risk. So choose not the cheapest, but the best value - a proper whole-system clean, properly proven, is what you're really buying. So a proper clean beats a cheap headline. So choose the best value, not the cheapest. This is general commentary on choosing a cleaner.
Questions
Choose one that cleans the whole system to TR19 Grease and proves it (photos, report, certificate), is properly insured and accredited, surveys before quoting, and is transparent - not just the cheapest quote. The choice matters because a poor cleaner can leave the real fire risk in your hidden ductwork and fan while charging for a 'clean'. So look past the price to what the company does: it should clean the whole system (canopy, filters, ductwork, fan - not just the visible parts), to the recognised TR19 Grease standard, and prove it with before-and-after photographs of the hidden parts, a report and a certificate. Check it's properly insured and accredited, that it surveys your system before quoting, and that it's transparent and reputable. And don't choose on the cheapest quote alone (a cheap price often means a partial clean). So choose on whole-system cleaning to standard, proven, with proper credentials. So choose on what they do and prove. This is general commentary.
The whole system - the canopy, the filters, the ductwork throughout, and the extract fan - not just the easy, visible parts, because the hidden ductwork and fan are where the fire risk is. A proper extract clean covers the entire extraction system: the canopy, the grease filters, the ductwork along its whole length (reached via access panels), and the extract fan. This whole-system clean is what controls the fire risk, because the greatest fire risk is in the hidden ductwork and on the fan (a grease-laden duct is what a fire spreads through). A company that cleans only the visible canopy and filters, skimping the hidden parts, leaves the real fire risk. So a good company cleans the whole system - ask explicitly whether the quote covers the ductwork and fan, not just the visible parts. So it should clean the whole system, hidden parts included. So the whole system, not just the visible parts. This is general commentary.
Before-and-after photographs (especially of the hidden ductwork and fan), a report of what was cleaned, and a certificate to the TR19 Grease standard - so you can verify the whole system was done. A good extract cleaning company evidences its work so you can verify (and demonstrate) it: before-and-after photographs showing the system - crucially the hidden ductwork and fan - before and after cleaning (proving those parts were actually done); a report describing what was cleaned; and a certificate stating the clean was to the recognised TR19 Grease standard. This proof lets you confirm the whole system was cleaned, and gives you the records for your fire risk assessment and insurers. A company that can't or won't provide this proof is a red flag - so require it when choosing. So they should provide photographs, a report and a TR19 Grease certificate. So proof of the whole clean. This is general commentary.
Yes - check they carry proper insurance (public liability) and hold recognised accreditation, as marks of a legitimate, competent company working to proper standards. Insurance and accreditation are important credentials. Proper insurance (public liability) protects you if anything goes wrong (damage or an incident during the work). Recognised accreditation (from industry bodies) is a mark that the company works to proper standards and is competent - a useful signal of a reputable, capable cleaner. So checking these (as covered in the how-to-check-a-contractor's-insurance-and-accreditation page) is part of choosing well - it helps you avoid an uninsured or sub-standard operator. A reputable company will readily show its insurance and accreditation. So yes - verify the insurance and accreditation when choosing an extract cleaner. So yes - check both. This is general commentary.
No - a cheap quote often means a partial clean that leaves the fire risk (the worst value); choose on whether the company does the whole job to standard and proves it, comparing like-for-like among proper offers. The cheapest headline is not the best value in extract cleaning. A suspiciously cheap quote usually achieves its price by doing less: cleaning only the visible parts, excluding the hidden ductwork and fan, or leaving out the access and certificate. So the cheapest can buy a partial clean that leaves the real fire risk untouched (and a false sense of safety) - no bargain. Choose instead on value: a company that cleans the whole system to TR19 Grease, proves it, and is insured and accredited - the real value, even at a higher headline. Compare quotes like-for-like (the whole system, to standard, with records) and pick the best value among proper offers, not the lowest price. So no - don't pick on price alone; choose the best value. So no - choose value, not the cheapest. This is general commentary.
A cleaning company cleans your extraction; a survey provider inspects and assesses it (its condition, grease loading, cleaning need) - related but distinct, so choose each on the relevant criteria. An extract cleaning company does the cleaning - removing the grease from the whole system to TR19 Grease. A ventilation survey provider (covered in choosing a ventilation survey provider) inspects and assesses the system - its condition, grease loading, access, and cleaning needs - often to inform what cleaning is needed or to verify it. So they're related (a survey may inform or verify a clean, and some companies do both) but distinct services. Choose a cleaning company on whether it cleans the whole system to standard and proves it; choose a survey provider on the quality and independence of its assessment. When choosing, be clear which you need - the clean, the survey, or both. So a cleaner cleans, a survey provider assesses - choose each on its own criteria. So they're distinct services. This is general commentary.
We clean the whole system to TR19 Grease, prove it with before-and-after photographs, a report and a certificate, and are properly insured and accredited - the substance to look for in an extract cleaning company, not just a cheap price. Ask us about our whole-system clean and credentials. This is general commentary on choosing a cleaner.
