Professional kitchen canopy cleaning to AS/NZS 1851 compliance standards — reducing fire risk and keeping your business protected.
Commercial kitchen canopy cleaning (also called exhaust hood cleaning or range hood cleaning) is the deep removal of grease, carbon deposits and contaminants from your kitchen's exhaust system — including the canopy hood, grease baffles, plenum chambers, exhaust ducting and exhaust fans.
Grease accumulation in commercial kitchens is one of the leading causes of restaurant fires in Australia. Regular professional cleaning is not just best practice — it is a legal requirement under Australian building and fire safety standards.
Removal, degreasing and reinstallation of all grease baffle filters to manufacturer specifications.
Full degreasing of the internal canopy hood surfaces and plenum chamber where grease accumulates most.
Internal cleaning of all accessible duct sections using high-pressure steam and chemical degreasers.
Cleaning of exhaust fan blades, housing and motor housing to prevent grease build-up and motor failure.
Photographic documentation of the condition before and after each clean for your compliance records.
AS/NZS 1851 compliance certificate issued on the same day — essential for your insurance and council inspections.
Failure to maintain your kitchen exhaust system can void your insurance and expose you to significant legal liability.
The primary Australian standard governing kitchen exhaust cleaning is AS/NZS 1851-2012 — "Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment." This standard mandates:
Section E of the NCC requires commercial kitchens to maintain exhaust systems in a clean and safe condition. Failure to comply can result in:
Under the Victorian Food Act 1984, food premises must be maintained in a clean, safe condition at all times. This extends to your exhaust and ventilation systems. Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) can and do inspect kitchen exhaust systems during routine inspections.
High-volume operations: burger bars, fish & chip shops, wok kitchens, 24/7 venues
Moderate-use kitchens: cafés, bistros, pub kitchens, school canteens
Low-use kitchens: small restaurants, function centres with infrequent use
Minimal use: office kitchenettes, small kiosks, seasonal venues
Frequency should always be determined by a qualified technician based on grease accumulation levels, not solely by a calendar schedule. Blue Sky Filtration technicians assess and recommend the correct frequency for your specific operation.
We quote per site rather than using a fixed price list, because commercial kitchens vary enormously. The main factors are:
Send photos with your quote request and we can usually quote accurately without a site visit.
We clean commercial kitchen canopies across all of metropolitan Melbourne — from the CBD and inner suburbs to Craigieburn, Epping, Dandenong, Werribee and Frankston — and throughout regional Victoria, including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and Warrnambool, plus the NSW and SA border cities.
See every suburb and town on our service areas page.
Grease that builds up in canopies, filters and ductwork is fuel for a fire, and once a fire gets into the ductwork it is much harder to stop. Regular cleaning of the whole system — not just the canopy — is your first line of defence.
Most commercial property insurance policies include clauses requiring the insured to maintain exhaust systems in compliance with AS1851. Without a valid compliance certificate, your claim can be denied — even if the fire wasn't directly caused by poor maintenance.
Environmental Health Officers in Victoria inspect kitchen exhaust systems as part of routine food premises audits. They look for service records, current compliance certificates, and visible evidence of regular maintenance. Be prepared with documented cleaning history.
People often use the terms interchangeably, but the canopy is only the visible part of the system. A compliant kitchen exhaust clean also covers the plenum behind the filters, the ductwork and the exhaust fan — and a compliance certificate can't be issued until all of it has been done.
Grease doesn't stop at the filters. It travels up the ductwork and collects in the roof-mounted fan, which is usually the dirtiest part of the whole system — and the part most often left out of a cheap clean because it needs roof access.
We protect surfaces with drop sheets, but we're removing months or years of built-up grease, so some grease fallout can occur. Clear cooktops and benches beforehand and cover anything that can't be moved.
We aim for a bare metal finish wherever possible. On older systems or where blackening is severe, that isn't always achievable.
We're cleaning specialists, not electricians or mechanical contractors, so we don't carry out repairs. Any mechanical or electrical issues we notice are reported to you so you can have them fixed.
Yes. An AS/NZS 1851 compliance certificate is issued on the same day once the full system — canopy, filters, ductwork and exhaust fan — has been cleaned, together with before-and-after photos. Keep it on site for your insurer and Environmental Health Officer.
Kitchen exhaust cleaning is covered by AS/NZS 1851, which sets cleaning frequency by how hard the kitchen works and requires the work to be documented. Under the Victorian Food Act 1984, food premises must be kept clean and safe, and council Environmental Health Officers can inspect your exhaust system and ask for your records. Most commercial insurers also require the system to be maintained to the standard. Our compliance guide explains each in plain English.
Every kitchen is quoted individually because commercial systems vary so much. The main factors are the size and layout of the system, how long since the last clean, access (roof access, working at height, confined spaces) and timing.
Send photos of your canopy with your quote request and we can usually quote without a site visit. Quotes are free and valid for one year.
