– December 14, 2022 –

Compared to New Year’s Resolutions, there’s a certain practicality that comes with “past-year reviews.” They can be more informal, valuable and actionable – which is why we’re looking into the rearview.

Over the past year, we’ve checked different industries’ pulses and dug into hot topics such as ESG and economic turndowns. Use the below collection of waste and recycling information to inform your company’s 2023 planning and sustainability strategies.

How to Operate Successfully During Holiday Seasons/Business Upticks

3 ways your business’ waste streams can adapt, survive and thrive during holiday seasons.

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How Your Business Can Basket Waste Knowledge from EV Batteries

Electrical vehicles (and the lithium-ion batteries that power them) are creating sustainability concerns. See where your market fits into the conversation.

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How Sustainable Strategies/Data Could Prepare Your Business for Economic Downturns and Accelerate Out

The importance of prioritizing sustainability ahead of a recession.

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How to Avoid Greenwashing Worries with a Waste-Minded Sustainability Plan

Unpacking how businesses are inaccurately tracking/reporting their sustainability efforts and how a comprehensive assessment is key.

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How ESG Should Become a Top Priority

A 5-step formula to make sustainable, future-proof decisions, and your business might benefit from profitable opportunities.

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How the Organic Waste-to-Compost Journey Provides Valuable Insights Across Multiple Markets

Whether you work in the food industry or not, discover the wonders and benefits that a waste process like this can have on your business.

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How to Make Sense of the Most Common Waste & Recycling Terms

Ready for some sustainable alphabet soup? Sip from this industry dictionary (categorized by waste types and systems).

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How to Stay Off the Easy Button and Challenge the Status Quo

3 key perspectives you can have as a leader if you make challenging the status quo a staple of your business.

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How to Answer Customers’ Needs for Circular/Sustainable Solutions

With the right resources and commitment toward knowledge and data, your waste streams can take your business toward a sustainable (and profitable) future, keeping your customers’ needs in mind.

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How to Sort Truth from Trash: Waste Myths Debunked

Waste myths (like “a sustainable operation costs more”) will continue circulating. Break the cycle and establish a proper system that helps to process waste efficiently.

Read more>>

How Small Sustainable New Year’s Resolutions Can Have a Big Impact

Rather than fall victim to the New Year’s resolution slump, these 3 simple steps can help your business reset and embark on a sustainable journey in 2023.

Read more>>

The process for a PROPER vent hood cleaning is as follows:

1. Prep

After all pilot lights and gas valves for the cooking equipment are turned off, plastic sheeting is used to cover all equipment to protect it from run-off and the degreasing chemicals.

2. Cleaning the Baffle Filters

The baffle filters of the vent hood are removed and either set aside for power washing or placed in a soaking solution to break up any grease buildup. This allows full access to the vent hood system.

3. Wrap the Hoods

The hoods are wrapped with plastic sheeting and formed into a funnel so that the runoff from the cleaning process can be collected in a container.

4. Cleaning the Fans

The Hood fans are power washed with a degreasing chemical and then rinsed with hot water. This process is repeated until the fans are completely cleaned down to the bare metal. If required, the fan’s belt is also replaced.

5. Scraping the Ducts

Before the ducts are washed and rinsed in the same fashion the fans are, they are first scraped to remove any hardened grease deposits. This process is done just like the fans: down to the bare metal.

6. Washing the Roof

After the ducts and fans are completely cleaned and have been inspected, the roof is lightly power washed to remove any debris or grease from the process of cleaning the fans.

7. Cleaning the Hood

The vent hood is manually scraped to loosen any hardened grease buildup and is then sprayed with a degreasing chemical and rinsed with hot water. This process is repeated until the vent hoods are completely clean.

8. Re-Installing the Baffle Filters

Once the baffle filters have been soaked and/or power washed, they are rinsed with hot water and reinstalled into the vent hood. They vent hood is then wiped down and polished.

9. Inspection

The crew manager should inspect the entire system from rooftop to vent hood to ensure that every aspect of your ventilation system is clean and re-assembled properly.

10. Cleanup

After the system is confirmed as clean by the crew manager, all of the plastic sheeting is removed, and the floors of the kitchen are mopped. All equipment is wiped down and the kitchen is left as clean if not cleaner that when the crew started.

11. Certification

The final step in the cleaning process is the application of the certification sticker. This sticker is required by law to show fire inspectors, the health department, and insurance agents that the system was cleaned by a certified professional, and within the timeframe that is set by NFPA 96.
The process of cleaning the vent hood system in your restaurant is critical to keeping your locations safe. It is important to find a vendor that is certified by the NFPA and that will do the job thoroughly and correctly. This is why Quest takes to time to find only the best contractors so that you can rest assured that the cleaning is top-notch and on time. Also, keep in mind that we manage the entire process, including:

• Scheduling your kitchen vent hood cleaning.
• Reminding your staff of upcoming cleaning appointments
• Making sure the cleaning is done to NFPA 96 standards
• Providing detailed reports of the cleaning, along with a list of any parts that were replaced.
• Scheduling your next cleaning based on the NFPA 96 requirements.
• One simple invoice for all of your locations.

When the safety and performance of your restaurant matters, contact Quest to manage your vent hood cleaning program.

Regular Vent Hood Cleaning Extends the Life of Your Equipment

Sticking with the metaphor of a vent hood system being like the engine in a car, you wouldn’t only change your oil when your engine seizes up, right? No. You change your oil regularly to keep your engine running as it should. Maintaining a vent hood system is no different. Regularly cleaning, inspecting, and replacing worn out parts extends the life of the parts that are critical to your vent hood.

Commercial Vent Hood Cleaning Maintenance Prevents Costly Disasters

Waiting until something breaks to maintain your vent hood is not only going to cost you more money – it’s going to cost you time. Because a vent hood is a system of different pieces, all with their own series of important parts when one thing breaks – other pieces attached to it are likely to break as well. For instance, if a fan belt breaks, there is a good chance that damage can be done to the fan itself. Now you’re at the mercy of parts availability and the time it is going to take to fix the issue. That’s just if there is a problem with the equipment – not to mention the disaster that a fire would be for your restaurant location. An improperly maintained system is a ticking time bomb, the result of which can be damage to your building, lost time for renovations, and personal injury or death to employees or customers, insurance claims, lawsuits, and a myriad of other issues. The cost of regular maintenance pales in comparison to the cost of even a small fire.

Regular Commercial Vent Hood Cleaning Saves you Thousands 

During the process of a thorough, professional vent hood cleaning all critical parts are inspected for wear and tear. Because of this, you’ll get the parts that are most critical to your operation replaced BEFORE they fail. It’s a simple concept that can save you thousands in lost time and expensive parts. Regular maintenance also extends the life of your equipment by preventing damage to other aspects of your vent hood system from the failure of connected components.
Quest’s comprehensive vent hood cleaning program is designed to not only keep you compliant with current regulations like NFPA 96 but are also designed to keep your restaurant running as efficiently as possible. Safety and equipment performance go hand-in-hand when it comes to a vent hood system, so contact us today to ensure that your vent hood system is cleaned and maintained properly.

Just like food distributors, not all service vendors are created equally.

Here are 5 essential requirements to look for in when selecting a vent hood cleaning company:

1: NFPA Certified Technicians

To achieve an NFPA certification on your vent hood system it has to be overseen by an NFPA certified technician. There are no exceptions. It’s that simple. It doesn’t matter how good they are, if they aren’t certified, neither is your restaurant – and it can be shut down. Being certified is the absolute most basic requirement of a vent hood cleaning service company.

2: Bonded and Insured

Just like any contractor, you allow doing work in your building, being bonded and insured is a must. You don’t want to be stuck with a bill from a vendor who messes something up and doesn’t carry the insurance to cover it. It’s also important to look at the levels of insurance these contractors carry. They can claim to be “insured” but the amounts of coverage they carry might be insufficient to cover the equipment they are working on.

3: Established and Experienced

Finally, you want to make sure that a company has a good track record of service. You wouldn’t want to be someone’s first customer when it comes to something as important as your vent hood system. Ask your vendor for references and check out their website for testimonials. Good service companies will have no problem providing you with other customers of theirs that will brag about the service they provide.

4: Provides Up-front Pricing, Before and After Pictures

Two pieces of information should stand out to you in your vent hood cleaning program: how much is it going to cost, and was it done right. Any vendor you use should always provide you with up-front pricing for their cleaning service, and documentation of what was done including before and after pictures. These are important details that shouldn’t be overlooked.

5: Establish a Custom Service Schedule

The NFPA is very concise about how often your vent hood needs to be cleaned based on the type of cooking and hour of operation of your business. It’s important to be able to establish a custom schedule based on when YOU need your system cleaned, not when a vendor is available.
At Quest, we know how hard it can be to find the perfect service provider for your business. There are so many options out there, and everyone one of them will tell you that they are better than the other guys. That’s why we take the hassle of finding a vendor off of your plate. We take the time to vet and qualify each of our sub-contractors to ensure that you get only the best service providers at the best cost. At Quest, we have managed hood cleaning programs for thousands of restaurant locations across North America. Our service includes:

• Scheduling your vent hood cleaning.
• Reminding your staff of upcoming cleaning appointments
• Making sure the cleaning is done to NFPA 96 standards
• Providing detailed reports of the cleaning, along with a list of any parts that were replaced.
• Scheduling your next cleaning based on the NFPA 96 requirements.
• One simple invoice for all of your locations.

Contact us today and see how easy it can be to get set up with a professional, certified, bonded, insured, and experienced vent hood cleaning company.

At Quest, handling critical aspects of different businesses is what we specialize in, and vent hood cleaning and maintenance is no different. We know how important cleaning and maintain a vent hood system is, how much scrutiny is involved in their inspections, and the importance of using the right vendor to do the job completely and correctly.

Why Vent Hood Cleaning Matters

First and foremost, let’s talk about the why cleaning your vent hood system is so critical. There are several different agencies that require a properly maintained kitchen exhaust system just to keep your restaurant open for business.

• Fire Marshals and Fire Inspectors regularly inspect the system to ensure that the kitchen exhaust system is properly maintained because dirty vent hood systems are an incredible fire hazard.
• Health Department requirements include a properly maintained kitchen exhaust system to prevent food and health hazards to the public.
• Building owners require tenants to perform regularly scheduled cleaning to protect their property, especially their roof area which can often be shared by multiple tenants.
• The insurance company who ensures the building will require professional vent hood/kitchen exhaust cleaning on the property to continue their insurance coverage on the building.

Added Benefits of a Vent Hood Cleaning Program

Now, just because these different agencies demand that your vent hood system is cleaned and maintained regularly doesn’t mean that there isn’t a benefit to regular service. In fact, regular cleaning and maintenance actually lengthens the life of your equipment and saves you money in the long run. One of the main benefits of a properly maintained ventilation system is customer experience. When grease builds up in your ventilation system the air isn’t as clean throughout the entire building, sometimes resulting in a smoky, unpleasant odor. Have you ever walked into a restaurant and it smells like you just walked directly into the kitchen? The culprit is more often than not a dirty ventilation system, and not only do you have odors to worry about – with bad ventilation comes bad air circulation. Without good air circulation, your air conditioning units have to work harder to keep a building comfortable, resulting in higher energy costs.

Why Use Quest

So, with all of the vendors available out there, why should you choose Quest to manage the cleaning and maintenance of your vent hood system? Quite simply: we will save you money and provide a level of customer service you are not going to find with another vendor. We have a collection of vetted and certified vendors from coast-to-coast, which allows us to leverage our buying power and get you pricing you won’t find anywhere else. On top of that, we will completely manage your vent hood cleaning program based on NFPA 96 requirements for your restaurant type across all of your locations. Our customer service team and client managers will handle every aspect of your vent hood cleaning program and you’ll receive one simple invoice. That includes:

• Scheduling your vent hood cleaning.
• Reminding your staff of upcoming cleaning appointments
• Making sure the cleaning is done to NFPA 96 standards
• Providing detailed reports of the cleaning, along with a list of any parts that were replaced.
• Scheduling your next cleaning based on the NFPA 96 requirements.
• One simple invoice for all of your locations.

In short, Quest can offer a higher level of support at a lower price than you’ll find from another vendor. Managing these types of services across multiple industries across thousands of locations is what we do.
Contact us today, and let’s get started building a vent hood cleaning program for your business

What is NFPA 96?

NFPA 96 is the industry standard for the cleanliness and maintenance of commercial kitchen exhaust systems. As you use cooking equipment, vaporized grease solidifies inside the ventilation ducts over time, creating an inevitable fire hazard. NFPA 96 serves to outline how often your vent hood system should be cleaned by a certified professional, as well as the guidelines of what areas need to be cleaned.
NFPA 11.6.1: “Upon inspection, if the exhaust system is found to be contaminated with deposits from grease-laden vapors, the contaminated portions of the exhaust system shall be cleaned by a properly trained, qualified, and certified company or person(s) acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.”
NFPA 11.6.2: “Hoods, grease removal devices, fans, ducts, and other appurtenances shall be cleaned to remove combustible contaminants prior to surfaces becoming heavily contaminated with grease or oily sludge.”

Why NFPA 96 is Important:

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, from 2011 to 2013 cooking was the leading cause of fires, accounting for 63.5% of all reported restaurant fires. Grease occur most often due to improperly maintained kitchen exhaust systems because they are covered in grease inside the ductwork. When your cooking equipment isn’t properly cleaned, it allows grease residue to build up, which creates a fire hazard inside of the hood, ductwork, and exhaust fan. This means that if a fire was to occur, all of these grease deposits allow the fire to spread to all these portions of the building – doing way more damage.

Scheduling
How often you should clean your system depends on the type of cooking operation your business or organizations does and how often you use those appliances.
Table 11.4 below from NFPA Code 96 details the minimum standards on how often your kitchen exhaust system should be professionally cleaned based on cooking volume:

Staying Compliant

By keeping and maintaining a proper cleaning schedule, you’re ensuring the safety of your facility, your equipment, and your staff. By maintaining the standards set in the NFPA code 96, you’ll never fail an inspection or risk getting shut down due to an unsafe kitchen exhaust system because at Quest we manage the entire process. Including:

• Scheduling your vent hood cleaning.
• Reminding your staff of upcoming cleaning appointments
• Making sure the cleaning is done to NFPA 96 standards
• Providing detailed reports of the cleaning, along with a list of any parts that were replaced.
• Scheduling your next cleaning based on the NFPA 96 requirements.
• One simple invoice for all of your locations.

You get all of these benefits with a single point of contact, and a customer service team that is available 24/7/365. The only question that remains is: what are you waiting for?  Contact Quest today!