I finally got a commercial kitchen exhaust hood cleaned without a chemical stripper

Heard everyone swear by caustic degreasers for hood filters, but after dealing with runoff issues at a diner in Hamtramck last spring, I tried pressure washing them with hot water and a simple dish soap soak instead. It took about 45 minutes extra per filter, but there was no chemical smell left behind and the health inspector actually complimented the result. Has anyone else found a milder method that works for grease buildup on a 20 year old hood?

2 comments

2 Comments

victorbutler17h ago

Wait hold on, are we really out here acting like a little bit of chemical smell is worse than spending 45 extra minutes per filter? That adds up quick if you got a 20 year old hood caked with years of grease, and most places don't have that kind of time. Hot water and dish soap might work for light cleaning but on heavy buildup I'm not convinced it's getting into all the nooks and crannies like a caustic degreaser would. Honestly feels like overthinking it unless you're dealing with some super strict health code issues.

hollyramirez7h ago

45 extra minutes per filter" is brutal. Hard pass, @victorbutler.