Greater London · Extract fan cleaning
Extract Fan Cleaning in Soho
Extract fan cleaning across Soho and nearby, timed so the site keeps working and signed off in writing with photos.
- A fan shaking on its mounts
- A smell of hot grease from the extract
- Thick grease on the impeller and casing
Extract fan cleaning in Soho
A clean fan is not a repaired fan. If we find worn bearings, a struggling motor or damage to the impeller, we will tell you and fan repair or replacement is something we also do. You get an honest view of the fan’s condition. The work covers axial fans, in-line fans and centrifugal fans, and people most often call us about a fan left out of previous cleans and an extract fan that vibrates or rattles.
London kitchens are often tucked into basements or the back of a building, and the duct may run up through several floors before it discharges at the roof. In Soho, as elsewhere in the capital, a long duct run means more access points to open and more grease to remove.
The sign-off is always in writing: a written report, dated and illustrated with pictures, and for TR19® Grease cleans, a certificate issued through the BESCA VHE portal. Any parts we couldn’t reach are recorded on it too.
- Place
- Soho (W1F, W1T, W1D)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Records
- Certificate and photo report
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Why act early in Soho
Cleaning the fan in Soho now is a short job: it takes a couple of hours per fan, depending on its size and the build-up. Waiting adds vibration, wear and a harder clean. Planning ahead in Soho lets you pick a quiet night rather than lose a busy one.
One small site or a whole estate, the quote is built the same way: the work involved, the access and the timing. The price is fixed before any work starts.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Soho
- Each visit written up, with pictures
- Fixed quotes, usually within one working day
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
See our cost guide and how to check a contractor.
More services for Soho
Questions from Soho
Can you clean school kitchen extracts in Soho during the holidays?
Yes, holiday work suits schools best. Food Standards Agency records list about 78 schools, colleges and universities with registered kitchens within about a mile and a half of Soho. You can ring 0345 646 2711, or send details by email with the dates the site is empty.
Who would carry out a food hygiene inspection at a kitchen in Soho?
Kitchens in Soho are inspected by Westminster 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.
What happens if you cannot reach some of it?
They’re listed in the report, never skipped quietly. You will know exactly which parts weren’t reached and why, along with a quote to put access in.
How long does extract fan cleaning take?
Allow a few hours where there are several fans or heavy deposits. We will confirm the time when we quote.
What should I send you?
Where the site is, what it is and when it’s open, along with a few photos and any previous report.
Why is my extract fan noisy?
Often it’s grease on the impeller. Uneven build-up on the blades throws the fan off balance, causing vibration and noise. If cleaning does not, the bearings or motor may need attention.
What happens to the waste?
We contain it and take it with us. Grease, debris and waste water are collected as the work goes on, so it does not spread.
Do you have a 24/7 line?
Yes, 24/7. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and the emergency line covers the rest.
Multi-site and managed buildings
We also work for facilities teams across offices, schools and healthcare across Greater London. Larger estates can be phased building by building around the people who use them.
When the building owner and the occupier are different, the lease normally sets out who maintains what. We are happy to deal with either side and send the paperwork to whoever needs it.
Signs you need extract fan cleaning in Soho
Grease on a fan is a fire risk, in Soho as anywhere. If grease in the duct catches, the fan and its housing can feed the fire, and a hot, struggling motor doesn’t help.
Any of these means the system needs a check-up:
- Grease stains around the discharge
- A heavily greased fan housing
- A fan that no longer moves enough air
- A noisy fan that has got louder over time
Volunteers running a hall kitchen near St Anne's Church, or anywhere in Soho, may not know when the extract was last cleaned, and a grease test settles it.
Before you book anyone
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- Whether the work can be done while the site is closed
- How they set the interval to the next visit
- What paperwork you get at the end
Fixed quotes for extract fan cleaning in Soho
Before we fix a price, we need to know a few things. We look at:
- Whether it’s a one-off visit or part of a schedule
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
- The condition of the system
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
We do not list prices on the website, because each job is priced on what it involves. For a fixed quote, ring 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form, and we’ll talk you through it.
Asking for a quote
To speed up the quote, send us:
- When the site is open and when it’s quiet
- Photos showing the whole system and its surroundings
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
- The postcode and the type of business
If you need extract fan cleaning in Soho, phone us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos. Tell us what kind of premises it is and when it’s open, plus photos or the previous report if they’re to hand. We usually send a fixed quote within one working day.
Extract fan cleaning around Soho
The FSA’s food hygiene register shows about 3,959 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 595 takeaways within about 1.5 miles of central Soho. Any of those kitchens with a canopy relies on a fan that gathers grease as it runs. Food hygiene inspections in Soho are the job of Westminster council’s environmental health team. An officer looking round a kitchen will see the canopy, and grease there is hard to miss. Before-and-after photos from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand. London jobs normally start after the last service, with loading and roof access agreed with the building first.
Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as St James Workhouse (about under half a mile west), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands. Term dates shape school work: for a school like Soho Parish CofE Primary School, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break.
Soho is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Whether your site is in the middle of Soho or further out, we cover extract fan cleaning for every kind of premises, from small sites to large estates. Our area takes in 764 places across Greater London, from busy centres to quieter spots.
We cover every part of W1F, W1T and W1D for extract fan cleaning and the roads nearby. Extract fan cleaning is available to premises on Duck Lane, Drury Lane and Bridle Lane and nearby roads. You will find Soho on the A4 and A301, which makes it straightforward for our technicians to reach for extract fan cleaning. Close by, we work in West End (1 mile east), Chinatown (1 mile south), Seven Dials (1 mile east), St Giles (1 mile north-east) and St James's (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Kensington (3 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Whitechapel (3 miles east), Hampstead (3 miles north-west), Ruislip (13 miles west) and Stockwell (3 miles south).
What’s near Soho
Typical jobs here are in premises near Bar Soho, St Anne's Churchyard and Harris Westminster Sixth Form and the streets around them. Nearby too are LITE Regal International School (0.6 miles west) and London Library (0.5 miles south-west). There’s a railway station in Soho itself: Tottenham Court Road station. Well-known places in the area include Kingly Court (within half a mile west) and Montfichet's Tower (1.3 miles east). For a walk, there’s St. James's Park Lake and Ludgate Hill.
Keeping the system healthy
How long the results last depends on use and care. We suggest:
- Look for grease stains near the discharge
- Book the fan into every full TR19 clean
- Keep each photo report with the maintenance log
- Keep the fan on whenever the range is lit
Keep the report with the maintenance log and fire risk assessment. It gives a dated record of the fan’s condition, which helps if anything changes later.
Run the fan throughout cooking. Grease settles faster when the air stops moving, so keeping it running helps keep it clean.
What happens on the day
Everything the job needs comes with us, including protection sheets, the right tools and access kit. All we need from you is clear access and the right equipment switched off. On site, the work takes an hour or two for one fan, longer when it’s hard to reach. For a job in Soho, tell us about loading bays, permits, lifts and roof access when you book.
- First we locate the fan and agree how it’s safely isolated.
- With the fan isolated, the housing is opened.
- The impeller and the housing around it are scraped clean.
- The fan and its surrounds are degreased, keeping clear of the motor’s electrics.
- We reassemble, run the fan and photograph the result.
How to prepare
- Let us know when the site is closed or quiet
- Clear loose items from the work area
- Dig out any earlier paperwork for the system
Get a fixed quote
Every quote begins with a look at the system, either from photos and details you send or from a site visit. Then we send a fixed price so you know the cost before work begins.
Related advice
Different parts, different methods
Inline duct fans
Inline fans can be in tight spaces, so the method is planned in advance. Anything out of reach is recorded.
Wall fans
A wall fan pushes the air straight outside. We isolate it, then clean the blades and housing.