Hertfordshire · Canopy and hood cleaning

Canopy and hood cleaning in Charlton, Hertfordshire

Our technicians work in Charlton on deep cleaning of kitchen canopies, hoods, plenums and grease filters, inside and out. Out-of-hours visits, a fixed quote and a written report with pictures as standard.

  • Grease channels that no longer drain
  • A greasy hood noticed by an inspector
  • Heavy deposits behind the grease filters

Canopy cleaning for sites in Charlton

In-house cleaning or a specialist?

Day-to-day cleaning is something your team can do: wiping down canopy surfaces, cleaning filters and keeping a simple log. What they can’t safely do is clean inside the ductwork, the fan or the risers, which is where we come in.

Staff cleaning doesn’t replace a specialist visit; it supports it. Regular in-house cleaning slows the build-up, but hidden parts of the system still need specialist attention.

How we handle canopy cleaning in Charlton

Of the whole extract system, the canopy is the bit on show. Being first in line, it collects grease on the inside surfaces, along the seams and in the troughs. Our canopy clean covers the shell inside and out, plus the plenum and the filter housing. Common call-outs are for poor capture at the hood and overflowing grease troughs and gutters, on canopy light fittings, baffle filters and island canopies.

In a small place like Charlton, kitchens are often in older or extended buildings, with long single-storey duct runs, and those horizontal sections are where grease settles. Access, parking and timings are agreed before the day.

We have been trading since 2009, as a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we are fully insured.

The Duct Doctor team standing beside their branded white and blue vans
Place
Charlton (SG5)
Wider area
Hertfordshire
Records
Certificate and photo report
Quotes
Fixed quote, usually within a working day
Hours
Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
Phone
0345 646 2711
Page updated
30 October 2026

What happens if it’s left?

A blocked plenum and clogged filters cut the airflow at the canopy. Smoke and heat hang around the cooking line while the fan strains. Cleaning restores the path the air should take. In a small place like Charlton, a system that fails can take a site out of use.

What you pay reflects the actual work. That is why we survey first, from photos or on site, and why the quote is fixed before any work starts.

Why us?

  • Evenings, overnight and weekends, plus 24/7 emergency callout
  • CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, with ISO 9001
  • Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
  • Trading since 2009

See our cost guide and our accreditations and certificates.

Charlton questions

Who carries out food hygiene inspections in Charlton?

Kitchens in Charlton are inspected by North Hertfordshire council’s environmental health officers. How often a business is inspected depends on the risk rating the council gives it, so it’s worth staying ready all year.

Can you work in Charlton outside opening hours?

Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. The site is handed back ready to open. When you ring 0345 646 2711 or email us, mention when the site is quiet.

Can I just have the canopy cleaned instead of the whole system?

Canopy cleaning is part of TR19, not the whole of it. We’ll make clear on the report which parts were cleaned, so your records stay accurate.

Is Charlton in your area?

Yes. We cover Charlton and across Hertfordshire, within our South East and London area. To book, call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us.

What do you need from me for a quote?

Just the basics: where it is, what kind of site, when it’s open and the access. Photos and the last report help too. Then ring 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line.

Do you offer maintenance contracts?

Yes. We run scheduled maintenance contracts, set at the interval the system needs. The report from each visit recommends the next date.

Do you offer emergency callouts?

Yes. If something urgent happens, like a fan failing or damage after a fire, call our 24/7 line and we’ll talk you through the next steps.

What is TR19?

TR19® is BESA’s specification for ventilation hygiene. TR19® Grease, a standalone specification since 2019, covers grease in kitchen extract systems, and TR19® Air covers general supply and extract systems.

What canopy cleaning looks like in Charlton

There are about 87 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 32 takeaways in Charlton and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out, according to the Food Standards Agency’s register. Every kitchen among them that cooks under a canopy has a hood, plenum and filters collecting grease. Charlton sits within the area of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Fire and rescue authorities enforce the Fire Safety Order in most non-domestic premises, and in a kitchen that fire risk includes the grease in the extract. Food hygiene inspections in Charlton are the job of North Hertfordshire council’s environmental health team. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. A dated certificate in the maintenance file answers the question before it’s asked.

If you look after a school kitchen, at a school such as Highbury Infant School and Nursery or anywhere near Charlton, the holidays are the usual time for a TR19® clean. Kitchens that cook twelve hours or more a day, as some healthcare kitchens do, fall into BESA’s three-monthly minimum; Lister Hospital is the nearest hospital to Charlton, about 3.3 miles east. If you run a church or community hall kitchen, near St Mary's Church or elsewhere in Charlton, its extract still collects grease from every lunch and event.

Charlton is about 1 mile south-west of Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. If you need canopy cleaning in Charlton, it’s easy to get a fixed quote: please ring 0345 646 2711, or send details by email. Our area covers London and the South East, including Charlton. Across Hertfordshire, we cover 381 places, and Charlton is one of them. We also work in Milton Keynes, about 22 miles from Charlton.

Canopy cleaning in SG5 follows the same survey, fixed quote and written report as everywhere else we cover. We also cover the places around Charlton: Gosmore (1 mile south-east), Hitchin (1 mile north-east), Benslow (1 mile north-east), Bearton (1 mile north) and Westmill (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Hemel Hempstead (15 miles south-west), Stevenage (5 miles south-east), St Albans (13 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles south), Harpenden (9 miles south) and Hatfield (12 miles south).

Landmarks near Charlton

Typical jobs here are in premises near Hitchin Boys' School, The Three Moorhens Public House and Kingshott School, among other places. The closest station to Charlton is Hitchin station, roughly 1.4 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include North Hertfordshire Museum (0.8 miles north-east) and Lister Hospital (3.3 miles east). Not far away are Markham's Hill and Oughtonhead Nature Reserve.

Map of Charlton © OpenStreetMap contributors

When something else is needed

It’s worth knowing the limits before booking:

  • Grease in the duct runs and risers behind the canopy
  • A hood that does not cover the cooking line
  • A fan that cannot pull enough air because it’s worn out

If you are not sure, just phone us on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer.

What the work covers

  • Wall canopies
  • Island canopies
  • Baffle filters
  • Canopy light fittings
  • Plenum chambers
  • Grease gutters

Multi-site and managed buildings

We regularly work with managing agents. Send the address, what’s needed and how access works, and we’ll send a fixed quote.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, which may be the employer, owner, landlord, FM or managing agent. With shared responsibility, good records help everyone.

Looking after it afterwards

Looking after the system between visits is straightforward, and it helps at the next visit:

  • Make sure filters sit tight in the housing
  • Empty the grease troughs before they fill
  • Wash or exchange the filters on a regular cycle
  • Clean the hood’s outer surfaces daily

The kitchen is handed back clean, with the sheeting gone and the waste removed. Filters are back in place and seated properly ready for the next service.

Keep the fan running throughout service and for a short while after. Air that keeps moving carries less grease onto the canopy.

How it works

The first job on site is protection: sheeting goes over floors and surfaces close to the work. Then we make the system safe and start. The work on site takes a few hours for most canopies, and the area is cleaned down before we leave. Photos of the system and how to reach it help us plan a visit to Charlton.

  1. We look at the canopy, filters and troughs first.
  2. Out of hours, the range is switched off, cooled and covered.
  3. With the filters removed, the plenum and filter channels are cleaned.
  4. The canopy shell, seams, troughs and gutters are degreased inside and out.
  5. Filters are refitted, the area cleaned down and the photo report put together.

How to prepare

  • Tell us where we can park and unload
  • Arrange a key holder or contact on site
  • Let us know when the site is closed or quiet

Ask for a quote

The quickest way to a quote is to send pictures: the system from a couple of angles, plus any access panels or hatches. Tell us what kind of site it is and when it’s open, and many jobs can be priced from that alone.

Get a quick quote

Related advice

How the job changes from site to site

Wall canopies

Long wall canopies often have several filter banks. We work along the canopy section by section, with photos for each.

Grease troughs and gutters

Grease channels around the canopy collect what runs down the inside. They’re emptied and cleaned during the job, so they can do their job again.

BESCA Vent Hygiene EliteMember, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
CHAS · SafeContractorISO 9001 and fully insured
Certificate and photo reportWith every clean
24/7 emergency calloutEvenings, nights and weekends
Since 2009South East England and London