Kitchen Hood Cleaning Certificate: What It Is and Who Asks for It

Landlords, mall management, insurers and inspecting authorities often ask a restaurant for proof that its kitchen exhaust system has been cleaned. This guide explains what a kitchen hood cleaning certificate is, what it should show, how it differs from a company being certified, and what you receive from HoodEx after every job.

What is a kitchen hood cleaning certificate?

It is a document issued by the cleaning company after the work, confirming that the kitchen exhaust system at your premises was cleaned on a given date. It is your record that the work was done, and it usually travels with a report that shows what was cleaned.

What should it show?

• The premises and the system that was cleaned
• The date of cleaning
• The next cleaning due date, based on how much and what you cook
• The standard the cleaning follows
• The company's stamp and signature
• A reference to the report that goes with it

The certificate confirms the cleaning. The report proves it: a company-attested report with before and after photos and recommendations shows exactly what was cleaned and what to watch before the next visit. Our guide to what a kitchen exhaust cleaning report should include goes into the report itself.

Who asks for it?

• Landlords and mall or building management, as a condition of the lease or the fit-out rules
• Insurers, when a policy requires regular exhaust cleaning
• Inspecting authorities, who may ask for cleaning records during a visit
• Buyers and new operators taking over a kitchen, who want to see the history

Each of these may want different details, so check what the person asking needs. Keep every certificate and report together in one file, with the dates in order.

A cleaning certificate is not company certification

The two are often mixed up. A cleaning certificate confirms that one cleaning was done at one premises. Company certification or approval is a status granted to a company by an outside body, with a document, an issuer and an expiry date. If a company says it is certified or approved, ask what the document is, who issued it, and whether it is still valid. Our guide to choosing a kitchen hood cleaning company lists the other questions to ask.

What HoodEx issues after every job

Every job ends with a cleaning certificate showing the cleaning date and the next due date, together with a company-attested report with before and after photos and recommendations. Our cleaning follows the NFPA 96 standard, and the certificate states it. This applies to kitchen hood cleaning, exhaust duct cleaning and the complete exhaust system cleaning alike.

How often will you need a new one?

As often as the system needs cleaning. The NFPA 96 benchmark runs from monthly for solid-fuel cooking to yearly for low-volume kitchens, and the next due date on your certificate reflects your category. Read how often to clean a commercial kitchen exhaust for the full schedule.

Need a certificate for your landlord, insurer or an inspection? Contact HoodEx and we will arrange an inspection. We work day and night shifts across all seven emirates.

Frequently asked questions