Cleaning a Restaurant Kitchen Hood Exhaust & Conveyor Oven

Conveyor ovens are an ideal choice for commercial kitchens as they make cooking quicker, maintain a consistent temperature, retain moisture in the food and are easy to use and can be integrated into the kitchen exhaust hood cleaning cycle. They are low maintenance; however, they require certified cleaning to maximize efficiency and meet fire codes.  

As part of your kitchen hood cleaning, fire protection, and exhaust fan maintenance, you will want to have your conveyor oven professionally cleaned as well.  Quarterly exhaust hood system cleaning will improve the service life of the kitchen hood and conveyor oven and save you money in the long run. 

Things to consider during your kitchen hood cleaning and conveyor oven cleaning

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan for your kitchen exhaust cleaning.

Frequency of the kitchen exhaust hood cleaning

You may need to assess the everyday situation to ensure your conveyor oven is clean inside out. As per the Foodservice Equipment Reports Magazine, you will want to clean some parts of the oven every day, some parts weekly to maximize your professional hood cleaning and conveyor oven cleaning.  A great place to start is with the cooling fans and filters.  If you see grease and carbon build up it’s time to schedule a professional cleaning.  Ideally the kitchen staff should be degreasing and washing any removable parts like filters, and screens each week.  

Cleaning the air intake on the conveyor oven and the make up air on the kitchen exhaust system will help maintain consistent temperature.  When these components are left dirty it may lead to overheating and even oven shut down in some cases. Daily brushing or vacuuming of the conveyor belt and weekly soaking of the hood filters will go a long way in keeping the kitchen running smoothly between kitchen hood cleanings. It is advisable to follow the food hygiene tips for commercial kitchens to ensure the quality of food remains good.

Train your employees to perform daily and weekly cleaning of the conveyor oven and kitchen hood should be part of your onboarding process.   Make sure they know all about fire protection system, how to change grease filters, and empty grease cups.  

Cleaning Supplies

You may consider picking up a heavy-duty degreaser and steel wool.  However, the most effective chemicals are very powerful and not available to the commercial kitchen owner.  Leave the dangerous cleaning to the professional hood cleaning company.

Your hood cleaner will soak the filters, conveyor and other removable parts in a cleaning solution then use very hot high pressure water to scour off the remaining debris.  After a thorough cleaning the parts will be dried and reassembled before polishing.  The final step is to turn on the exhaust fans and conveyor oven and check or correct operation.   

Some Tips for Efficient Kitchen Conveyor Oven Cleaning

Refer to the cleaning instructions for the conveyor oven. Here are some tips to ensure for your cleaning service.

• Always use a certified, insured professional hood cleaning service company  
• Daily and weekly cleaning of the commercial kitchen and kitchen exhaust hood and conveyor oven should be done.   
• Remove the crumb tray, baffles, and removable parts with warm water and non-caustic cleaner. 
• Clean the crumbs from the inside of the oven hood system daily.
• Clean the grease filters regularly. 
• Make sure there is proper air circulation around the exhaust hood system.
• Clear all the air intake vents from any debris before a deeper hood cleaning.
• Keep a check on all signal lights, knobs, cords, and switches for a smooth-running kitchen exhaust system. 
• Make sure the gas hose is connected firmly after the kitchen hood cleaning. 
• See that the conveyor belt sprockets are in position between the belt links. You may reposition them and tighten the screw regularly. 
• Finally, contact your hood cleaning company if you observe any issue with the conveyor or the kitchen exhaust hood system.

Final Words

Now you know what to expect when get your commercial kitchen hood cleaned as part of an ongoing the restaurant kitchen exhaust fan and conveyor oven maintenance. Make a schedule to keep up with cleaning and maintenance. It will save you money while giving you peace of mind.