Commercial kitchen cleaning is one of those line items that gets pushed off until WorkSafeBC or the health inspector flags something. By then it’s an emergency — and emergency rates are double what scheduled cleaning costs.
What a proper commercial kitchen clean covers
Not “we mopped the floors.” Real commercial kitchen cleaning means:
- Hood and duct degrease. Built-up grease in exhaust hoods is a documented fire hazard. NFPA 96 standards require regular cleaning — frequency depends on volume.
- Surface degrease. Stove backs, fryer surrounds, prep stations, walls behind cookline. Where grease aerosolizes and lands.
- Floor scrubbing. Not mopping — actual scrubbing with degreasers and rinsing. Grease films build up under standard mop cleaning.
- Walk-in cooler and freezer interiors. Shelving, floors, door gaskets.
- Equipment-specific deep cleans. Combi ovens, deep fryers, salamanders, char-broilers — each has its own protocol.
Why DIY commercial kitchen cleaning fails
Three reasons most restaurants stop trying to handle it in-house:
1. Time. Your kitchen team is paid to cook, not scrub hoods at 11pm. The hours add up fast.
2. Equipment. Proper degreaser + the gear to apply it safely (PPE, ventilation, hot-water rinse) costs more than a year of pro service.
3. Standards. Health inspectors and insurance auditors expect a documentation trail showing scheduled professional service. DIY doesn’t produce that paper trail.
Scheduling that matches your restaurant’s volume
High-volume kitchens (lunch rush + dinner service, full week) typically need monthly hood and floor deep-cleans plus weekly degrease passes. Lower-volume operations (one daypart, weekends-only, café service) can stretch to quarterly hood cleans with monthly floors.
We assess each kitchen on a walkthrough and quote a schedule that matches actual need, not a one-size-fits-all monthly contract.
Insurance + documentation
If you have a kitchen fire and your insurance carrier asks for proof of regular hood cleaning — do you have it? Our service includes timestamped photo documentation and a service log you can hand directly to your insurer or inspector.
Free walkthroughs for Vancouver Island restaurants
We work with restaurants, cafés, food trucks, institutional kitchens (schools, care homes), and commercial bakeries across Vancouver Island. If your current cleaning is reactive instead of scheduled, request a free walkthrough — we’ll quote against your current spend and you’ll have a comparison point.
Call (250) 268-7111 or email [email protected].
Looking for service across Vancouver Island? See our Commercial Cleaning Services page or call (250) 268-7111 for a free estimate.
