THEY WERE ACTUALLY PRESSURE WASHING OUR GREASY FILTERS WITH A FOAM CLEANER!

May 16, 2024

Manager: We had hood cleaning scheduled for a Tuesday night and I did not have to work Wednesday. I was behind on paperwork, so I stayed over to finish paperwork without any team member distractions. When I finished, I went to one guy in the kitchen hanging plastic and told him I was leaving for the night and to please shut the back door and set the alarm when they were done. He told me to watch my step when leaving through the back door. I did not ask why, but quickly realized the hazard in so many ways!

I could not believe what they were doing!! They were actually pressure washing our greasy filters with a foam cleaner. The foam, and all the grease from the filters, was going straight on to our parking lot and going straight into the storm drain that leads into a creek on the side of the parking lot and from there, goes to a pond. I could not believe it!! That foam had heavy duty degreaser, not to mention all the grease from the filters, and was contaminating the pond. I asked them to please stop immediately and they did, but they indicated they would have to put the remainder of the filters by the dishwasher so we could wash them in the morning. I continued the conversation by asking them how many of our locations they clean for our company and they mentioned that they clean the entire region, “8 locations”.

I was so relieved when our Regional Manager took action and informed me that we were going to be using the FilterShine grease filter program so the hood cleaners would not be cleaning the filters outside and continue to cause the creek and pond contamination.

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Flames burning brightly against a black background with floating embers.

Stopping Flames at the Source: Part 1

By Eric Dyer • December 17, 2025

Summary: Hood Filters: Nine Service Report Tips for Hood Cleaning Technicians Hood filters are a required frontline fire-safety component under NFPA 96 and must be in place whenever cooking equipment is lit. When properly installed and maintained, UL-listed baffle filters serve two critical purposes: they act as a flame barrier that disrupts and cools flames, and they capture grease-laden vapors before they enter the plenum, ductwork, and exhaust fan. The article explains that filters only work as designed when their metal surfaces are clean, allowing grease vapors to condense, drain through weep holes, and flow into the hood’s grease management system. When filters are grease-coated, misaligned, damaged, or missing, they stop functioning, allow heavier grease to pass downstream, and can even become fuel themselves, significantly increasing the risk of a ventilation fire. The article also highlights “hidden impacts” neglected filters create beyond the hood, including grease accumulation in ducts and rooftop grease mist often mistaken for hood cleaning overspray, plus serious reliability threats to fire suppression systems (fusible links, detection line conduits, pulleys, and nozzles) that can delay or prevent system activation. It provides nine service-report inspection tips for hood cleaning technicians, emphasizing photo documentation to protect the hood cleaning company and to educate restaurant operators on code-compliant practices such as proper filter fit, UL listing, weep-hole orientation, avoiding mesh filters, using matched filter types, addressing solid-fuel spark arrestor requirements, replacing damaged filters, and preventing cooking without filters. Finally, it explains how sink-washing filters with emulsifying degreasers can contribute to grease-trap and sewer problems, and it promotes partnering with reputable filter exchange or soak-tank service companies to keep filters functional between cleanings and strengthen overall kitchen fire prevention. Read Full Article Here: https://flip.matrixgroupinc.net/ikeb/2025/fall/#page=8