Canopy, filters & fan
Cleaning the grease filters is the kitchen's own job, done between the specialist visits, and doing it properly is what keeps the whole system protected. There is a right way to soak, degrease and drain a baffle - and a few common mistakes that either leave the grease baked on or damage the filter itself.
The short answer
Cleaning the grease filters is the kitchen's own job, done between the specialist visits, and doing it properly is what keeps the whole system protected. There is a right way to soak, degrease and drain a baffle - and a few common mistakes that either leave the grease baked on or damage the filter itself.
The detail
Start by taking the filters down at the end of service, while the canopy is still warm and the grease is soft. Warm grease lifts far more easily than grease left overnight to set, so a filter cleaned at close-down needs a fraction of the effort of one tackled cold the next morning. This alone is the single biggest thing most kitchens get wrong.
Soak, do not scrub. Immerse the filters in hot water with a proper commercial degreaser, or run them through a utensil or dishwasher on a hot cycle, and let the chemistry do the work of releasing the baked film. Stainless baffles take repeated hot soaking without harm, and a soak reaches into the tight channels that a cloth or brush simply cannot. Only stubborn spots should need a soft brush afterwards.
Clear the drainage while the filters are out. The collection channel, tray or gutter beneath the filters holds the grease they shed, and if it is left full the freshly cleaned filters just drain into a blockage that overflows back into the canopy. Empty and wipe the channel and its outlet every time, so the drained grease has somewhere to go.
Let them drain and dry before refitting, and check their condition as you do. Look for warped vanes, split seams or corrosion, especially on older or mesh filters, and set aside any that no longer seat properly. A filter that has lost its shape no longer filters, so spotting it at cleaning is how you catch a problem before it passes grease downstream.
What it means for you
Done this way, daily cleaning keeps grease at the filter where it is cheap and easy to remove. Every gram stopped and drained at the baffle is a gram that never reaches the plenum, duct or fan, so a kitchen that cleans its filters well genuinely lengthens the interval its whole system can safely run between professional cleans.
The common mistakes all cost more than they save. A quick wipe that leaves the baked film, a scrub that skips the soak, a drainage channel left full, or a warped filter put back in service - each lets grease past into the system, where removing it is slow, disruptive and far more expensive than a proper soak would have been.
None of this replaces the specialist clean, and it is not meant to. The plenum, ductwork and fan still need periodic professional cleaning and TR19 Grease verification that a kitchen cannot do at the sink. But good daily filter care is what makes that periodic clean smaller, cheaper and further apart - the kitchen's contribution to keeping its own system safe.
The service behind the guide
Sibling guides
How a greasy filter spreads grease · Extractor fan cleaning · Cleaning without closing
Questions
At the end of service, while the canopy and grease are still warm. Warm grease lifts far more easily than grease left overnight to set, so filters cleaned at close-down take a fraction of the effort.
Soak. Immerse baffles in hot water with a commercial degreaser or run them through a hot utensil-washer cycle and let the chemistry release the baked film. Only stubborn spots need a soft brush afterwards.
The drainage. The channel, tray or gutter beneath the filters holds shed grease; if left full, clean filters just drain into a blockage that overflows back into the canopy. Clear it every time.
No. The plenum, ductwork and fan still need periodic professional cleaning and TR19 Grease verification. Good daily filter care makes that clean smaller, cheaper and less frequent, but does not replace it.
Check for warped vanes, split seams or corrosion while the filters are out. A filter that has lost its shape no longer seats or filters properly and should be replaced before it passes grease downstream.
Phoenix Duct Clean · by the numbers
We clean the whole path - canopy, filters, plenum, ductwork and fan - and verify the result to TR19 Grease. Call or email for a clear quote and a certificate you can show your insurer.