Cooking grease is mostly fat that has been heated, carried up in vapour and baked onto the hood, filters and duct. Soap and water barely touch it once it has hardened. That is why professional hood cleaning uses degreasers made for kitchen grease. This guide explains the main types, where each one is safe to use, and how to use them without harming people or the equipment.
The main types of kitchen hood degreaser
| Type | Good for | Take care with |
|---|---|---|
| Alkaline (caustic) degreaser | Heavy, baked-on grease on stainless steel hoods and baffle filters | Aluminium filters and painted surfaces, which it can dull or corrode; skin and eyes |
| Mild alkaline or neutral degreaser | Regular cleaning of canopies, light grease, aluminium mesh filters | Thick old grease, which needs longer contact time or agitation |
| Solvent-based degreaser | Sticky residue in small areas | Ventilation and fire risk near heat; many are not food-area safe |
| Enzyme or bio-based cleaner | Routine upkeep and drains | Hardened grease, where it works too slowly |
Always follow the label and the safety data sheet of the product you use.
How professionals use a degreaser on a hood
- Switch off the cooking equipment and let surfaces cool; degreasers work badly on hot steel and can flash off fumes
- Cover the cooking line and nearby food areas with plastic sheeting
- Remove the filters and treat them separately, usually in a hot soak (see how to clean baffle and grease filters)
- Apply the degreaser to the canopy and leave it for the contact time on the label, so it softens the grease instead of smearing it
- Scrape and agitate the softened grease, working from the top down
- Rinse with hot water and wipe dry, so no chemical film is left on surfaces near food
Safety rules that matter
- Wear chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection; strong degreasers burn skin and eyes
- Never mix a degreaser with bleach or acid-based cleaners; the reaction can release harmful gas
- Keep the kitchen ventilated while you work
- Test on a small area first, especially on aluminium, painted or coated parts
- Store chemicals away from food and label any container you decant into
Why a degreaser alone does not clean the system
A degreaser can make the canopy look clean in an hour, but most of the grease in a commercial system sits where you cannot reach from the kitchen: inside the duct and in the exhaust fan on the roof. That part needs access panels and equipment such as rotary brushes. Read what a full hood cleaning service includes, or see our kitchen hood cleaning and complete exhaust system cleaning services.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best degreaser for a commercial kitchen hood?
For heavy baked-on grease on stainless steel, an alkaline kitchen degreaser used at the label's dilution and contact time works best. For aluminium filters or painted parts, use a milder product made for those surfaces, because strong caustic degreasers can corrode aluminium.
Can I use oven cleaner on a kitchen hood?
Oven cleaners are strong caustic products. They can work on stainless steel but can damage aluminium filters, coatings and paint, and they need careful rinsing near food areas. A kitchen hood degreaser is usually the safer choice.
Related reading
A simple kitchen exhaust maintenance checklist: daily, weekly and monthly checks for your team, and when a professional cleaning is due.
Step-by-step guide to cleaning kitchen baffle and mesh grease filters with a hot soak, how often to do it, and when filters need replacing.
A smelly cooker hood or range hood usually means saturated grease filters, a spent carbon filter or grease in the fan. Here is how to find and fix it.
Related services
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