A care home kitchen never really closes. Meals go out seven days a week, and the laundry runs constantly. Many residents may need help to leave the building in an emergency, which makes fire prevention especially important. Grease in the kitchen extract and lint in the laundry extract are both fuel. This guide covers what care home managers and maintenance teams need to plan for.
The kitchen extract
Care home kitchens usually cook breakfast, lunch and tea, and sometimes snacks and suppers. That can add up to a long working day. BESA’s minimum intervals are every 3 months for heavy use (12 to 16 hours a day), every 6 months for moderate use (6 to 12 hours) and every 12 months for light use (2 to 6 hours) (BESA). Grease readings at each visit show whether the interval suits your kitchen. Soups and stews add less grease than frying and roasting, so the menu makes a difference too.
A full TR19® Grease clean covers the canopy, filters, plenum, ductwork, fan and discharge. If the duct runs through roof spaces or past residents’ rooms, make sure every section can be reached, and that anything that can’t is recorded.
The laundry extract
Care home laundries handle a lot of bedding and clothing, and tumble dryers push warm, lint-laden air into the extract duct. Lint collects in the duct and around the fan, where it can be ignited by heat. Lint filters on the dryers need emptying after every cycle, and the ducts beyond them need cleaning on a regular schedule too. See laundry extract fire risk and our laundry extract cleaning service.
Need it done? Duct Doctor cleans and tests kitchen extract and ventilation systems across London and the South East, with a certificate and photo report after every clean. Get a fixed quote.
Fire dampers and compartments
Care homes often rely on fire compartments to protect residents while they’re helped to safety. Where ducts pass through fire-resisting walls and floors, fire dampers close to stop fire and smoke spreading. BESA says fire dampers should be tested by a competent person at least annually, and grease, dust or corrosion can stop them closing (BESA). Some buildings also have motorised smoke dampers. See fire dampers vs smoke dampers.
Cleaning without disrupting residents
Because the kitchen is always in use, cleaning has to be planned around mealtimes. Common options are overnight after the evening meal, or early morning before breakfast prep. The kitchen is sheeted, cooking equipment is switched off and cooled, and waste is contained and removed so the kitchen is ready for the next meal. Noise is kept down, and work near residents’ rooms is agreed with the manager first. It helps to name one member of staff as the contact for the night, so any questions about access or alarms can be answered quickly. See overnight extract cleaning.
Ventilation and records
Care homes may also have air handling units and general supply and extract systems serving lounges, bathrooms and corridors. TR19® Air covers these with risk-based inspection (BESA).
Keep every certificate, report and damper test record together in the maintenance log, ready for your fire risk assessor, insurer and the council’s EHO. Duct Doctor provides a TR19® certificate and a photo report with every clean. See our hospitals and care homes page.
Quick answers
Can you clean while residents are in the building?
Yes. The work is confined to the kitchen, plant areas and agreed access points, and planned around mealtimes.
How often should laundry extract be cleaned?
It depends on how much the dryers are used. An inspection of the ductwork shows how quickly lint builds up.
Do care homes need TR19?
TR19 isn’t law, but it’s the accepted way to show fire risk from kitchen grease is being managed.
Related services
More advice
- Laundry and Tumble Dryer Extract Fire Risk
- Fire Damper vs Smoke Damper: The Difference
- Overnight Kitchen Extract Cleaning: What to Expect
- The Responsible Person Under the Fire Safety Order
- All advice
This guide is general information. It isn’t legal or insurance advice: check your own policy wording and lease, and speak to a qualified adviser about your fire risk assessment.