Practical guide

How often to clean a commercial hood

Start with the local fire paperwork rule, then fit cleaning cadence around the cooking load, the system type, and the proof inspectors expect to see.

Use this guide fast

Get the answer, then go back to the local rule page

Open a local page now

Do not stop at the guide

Use the matching city rule page when you need a decision, a checklist, or the right next action.

Guide section

What the question really means

  • Operators usually ask about cleaning frequency when they are actually worried about failed inspections, overdue reports, or missing tags.
  • The right answer is not just a cadence. It is the cadence plus the paperwork the local fire office expects.
Guide section

What local pages should answer

  • Which office governs the hood, duct, and suppression paperwork.
  • Whether the city publishes a schedule, a retention rule, or a tag requirement.
  • What report, tag, or certificate staff must produce on inspection day.
Guide section

Avoid the common shortcut

  • Do not collapse hood cleaning, suppression service, and inspection prep into one vague reminder.
  • Keep separate dates and reports whenever the local rule treats them separately.
  • A cleaning crew visit does not replace a suppression inspection unless the city says it does.
Guide section

What to do after each visit

  • Match the new report to the hood system it covers.
  • Check that tags, stickers, or certificates are current and legible.
  • Move the paperwork into the hood binder before the next inspection window.
Local rule routes

Keep going with a local page

Use these links to move from the guide into the matching city or rule page.