When Is Duct Cleaning Necessary?
It’s very difficult to give a straightforward answer to the question “When is duct cleaning necessary?”. It simply differs too much depending on the circumstances, such as how often and in what manner a commercial kitchen is used. Don’t trust any source that gives you a definite answer without considering the context.
The best way to try to answer this question is by asking what you’re trying to achieve by cleaning. What you really want in your business is an air conditioning duct that’s clean of contaminants such as grime, dirt, dust, and more. You also want to be able to breathe inside easily.
What Is Duct Cleaning?
Simply put, duct cleaning is a process of eliminating any contaminants and pollutants from ducts. The purpose of this procedure is to make sure your commercial kitchen is clean and well-ventilated. No one likes to be close to a kitchen, where there’s a bad smell. Unfortunately, with inadequate cleaning, it’s unavoidable.
The procedure is done according to standardised methods. This is why you shouldn’t clean ducts on your own or ask your staff to complete this task. In order to clean ducts in a safe and productive manner in a commercial environment, there’s no other choice but to hire professionals.
How Does It Work?
Duct cleaning is a deep cleaning procedure that requires trained staff and specialised equipment. There’s a variety of strategies that are used during the process. It starts with an inspection of ducts to be cleaned to evaluate contamination. The inspection includes checking for any possible damage.
One of the most popular cleaning methods today is the so-called manual method. It uses a combination of air stream and negative pressure to upset the contaminants and allow for their elimination. Occasionally, a duct rat is used to enhance this method. However, it’s not an option for all kinds of ducts. There are also new technologies, such as super collectors, that service providers may choose to use, depending on the project.
Why Is It Important?
One of the biggest fears of every kitchen manager or owner is a fire in the kitchen. The vast majority of fires have to do with inadequate ventilation and ducting. That’s because grease and oil accumulating in them mixed with flames, often present in the kitchen, are a recipe for disaster. Air duct maintenance and cleaning is a crucial preventive method that can help to mitigate the risk.
Another benefit of regular air duct cleaning is ensuring the health of both your staff and customers. This is because a properly working ventilation system with clean ducts can take care of the freshness of the air they breathe in. An inspection during the cleaning procedure also helps to ensure that all is in order and that there are no leaks.
Are Professional Cleaning Services Worth It?
Yes, it’s definitely worth it to hire specialists for this job. As you’ve discovered, regular cleaning services are crucial to ensure health and safety of your premises. At the same time, there are many risks related to you or your staff providing this service. Apart from the danger of you damaging the ducts inadvertently, there are legal implications.
Commercial kitchen cleanliness, including duct maintenance, is relevant to the Australian standards. Your compliance with the regulatory framework matters not only for your insurance, but general legal liabilities related to lack thereof. By hiring professionals you’ve got your back covered.
The best services are often not cheap, but it’s important to pay for value. In other words, don’t just assume that a service is good because it’s expensive. Always check whether your service provider has experience and accreditation. If in doubt, spend some time making sure that the service is the right one for you. In case of regulatory compliance, rather be safe than sorry.
Establishing a Cleaning Schedule
If you’re ordering an air duct maintenance and/or cleaning service once-off, it’s much easier to forget it. That’s the reason why it’s much better to establish a schedule. You can agree with your service provider, for instance Lotus Commercial, to visit you at agreed intervals. In this manner you will be reminded about the cleaning when it’s needed.
When to do air duct cleaning? When your schedule says so. That a duct looks good outside doesn’t mean anything about its state inside. When choosing the right schedule for you, specialists will take into account not only regulatory requirements, but also the size of your kitchen, its general cleanliness, and the intensity of its use.
Duct Cleaning with Lotus Commercial
Lotus Commercial is a go-to commercial kitchen cleaning company, for businesses based in Brisbane, Cairns, Sydney, Melbourne and Townsville. We boast thirty years of experience in servicing the hospitality industry as well as corporate businesses.
We provide a wide range of services and air duct cleaning is only one of them. You can count on us for filter maintenance, cleaning and exchange. We can take care of your canopy range hood too! On top of it, we perform all kinds of commercial cleaning services. You can also rest assured that we’ll provide you with confirmation of any work done.
We carefully select our staff, working only with professionals who’ve undergone appropriate background checks. Our team is committed to the brand and to making you happy. We help to keep your commercial kitchen clean, safe and compliant. You can book our services by filling in our online form or contacting one of our local offices across the country.