Southampton · Grease trap cleaning
Grease Trap Cleaning in Bitterne
Our technicians work in Bitterne on grease trap cleaning. Fixed quotes, work around your opening hours and photo reports on every job.
- A larger grease trap that needs emptying
- Gurgling drains in the kitchen
- Washing-up water that will not drain away
About our grease trap cleaning in Bitterne
Smells from the sink, gurgling drains or slow drainage all point to the grease trap. In Bitterne, as everywhere we work, our team empties and cleans the trap, then check the water flows properly. The work covers inline grease traps, under-sink grease traps and school and care home kitchens, and common reasons people get in touch are a regular cleaning plan for the grease trap and an overdue grease trap.
In a smaller place like Bitterne, commercial kitchens are more likely to be a pub, a café, a takeaway or a school or care home kitchen. A smaller kitchen still builds up grease where everyday cleaning does not reach.
Insurers, fire officers and environmental health officers all look at records. That’s why every job is written up in a report with pictures, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Place
- Bitterne (SO18, SO19)
- Wider area
- Southampton
- Records
- Written report with photos
- Price
- Fixed quote, normally within a working day
- When we work
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
Between visits
A little care between visits keeps the system in better shape. We recommend:
- Keep access to the trap clear
- Keep waste oil out of the drains
- Get food waste into the bin, not the sink
- Avoid pouring boiling water down to shift grease
The sinks are ready to use as soon as we have finished. Water is run through to check everything flows before we go.
Fat that escapes the trap hardens in the pipework. Once it’s there, it needs a drainage contractor to clear so prevention is the easier route.
What happens on the day
Before we leave, we walk the area with whoever is on site. Anything we couldn’t reach or that needs attention is pointed out there and then, and the same goes into the written report. All told, the work takes an hour or two in most kitchens, depending on the size and condition of the trap. A site near Bitterne typically has room to park, so the questions are about access to the system and your hours.
- First, we locate the grease trap and look at the pipework around it.
- The sinks feeding the trap are kept out of use while we work.
- Built-up fat, oil and grease is removed from the trap.
- The inside, baffles and pipe connections are cleaned.
- We put it back together, run water through and remove the waste.
Preparing for the visit
- Mention any parking or loading restrictions
- Mention any locked doors, roof access or ceiling voids
- Make sure equipment near the work can be switched off and left to cool
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, before we start.
Related advice
Multi-site and managed buildings
Keeping records across a portfolio is half the battle. Each visit produces a dated report with photos, ready to show insurers, fire officers or EHOs.
Whether it’s one building or many, you get the same standard: a survey first, a fixed quote, the work timed around the site and a report with photos.
What the work involves, part by part
Inline grease traps
Inline traps often take waste from several sinks or appliances. That means more grease, so regular cleaning matters.
School, care home and staff kitchens
School kitchens can be cleaned in the holidays or between meal services.
FAQs for Bitterne
Can you get to a site in Bitterne?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. The journey is planned ahead, so a few details about the route help.
Do you clean school kitchens in Bitterne in the summer holidays?
Yes. Half-terms and the summer break are the natural time for school work. With about 41 schools and colleges on the FSA’s register within roughly a mile and a half of Bitterne, it pays to plan holiday dates ahead. Send us your term dates when you phone us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email, and we will fit the work in.
Do the sinks have to be out of use during the clean?
The sinks that drain into the trap cannot be used while it’s open. We book the visit around your service to keep disruption down.
Do you take the waste away?
We take it away. Your staff don’t have to handle it once the clean is done.
What is TR19?
BESA’s ventilation hygiene specification in two main parts: TR19® Grease for kitchen extracts and TR19® Air for supply and extract systems. It is not legislation, but it’s the standard people check against.
Which kinds of sites do you work on?
Commercial premises of every kind: kitchens, offices, schools, healthcare, retail, leisure and food production. Work is timed around how each site runs.
What if parts of the system can’t be reached?
We record them on the report, with pictures where possible, and we tell you what would make it reachable, for example new access panels.
What’s the right interval for grease trap cleaning?
The right interval depends on your trap and your cooking. If the sinks start to drain slowly between cleans, it’s too long, and we can shorten it.
Towns and villages near Bitterne
Other services in Bitterne
Honest limits
To be straight with you, there are a few things this work won’t fix:
- Grease deep in the drains, which needs jetting by a drainage contractor
- A trap undersized for the amount of cooking
- Sewer problems outside the premises
Not sure which it is? You can phone us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we’ll tell you honestly before you book.
What the work covers
- Under-sink grease traps
- School and care home kitchens
- Pot wash sinks
- Restaurants and takeaways
- Inline grease traps
- Kitchen waste pipes
What grease trap cleaning looks like in Bitterne
Look up Bitterne on the FSA’s food hygiene register and you will find about 3 food manufacturers and packers within 1.5 miles or so of the middle of Bitterne. Food production can send a lot of fat, oil and grease towards the drains, so traps and interceptors need emptying on a schedule. Kitchens in Bitterne get their food hygiene inspections from Southampton council. They look at the cleanliness of the whole kitchen: walls, floors, ceilings and equipment. A cleaning log that includes deep cleans and grease trap visits shows the work is planned.
If you run catering at a healthcare site, such as a hospital like Royal South Hants Hospital about 1.5 miles west, deep cleans and grease trap visits are planned so meals still go out. For schools such as Bitterne CE Primary School, deep cleans and grease trap work are usually booked for the holidays. For a café close to Bitterne station, a deep clean can be done between closing and the morning rush.
Bitterne is about 1 mile east of Southampton, in Southampton. Across the SO18 area, we cover grease trap cleaning for commercial sites. Our Southampton coverage runs to 40 places, and Bitterne is one of them.
All of SO18 and SO19 is within our area for grease trap cleaning, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover sites on Bath Road, Ruby Road and Dean Road and the roads around them. You will find Bitterne on the A3024, so it’s easy for us to get to for grease trap cleaning. Neighbouring places we cover for grease trap cleaning include Northam (1 mile west), Bitterne Park (1 mile north-west), Itchen (1 mile south-west), Midanbury (1 mile north) and Harefield (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Shirley (3 miles west), Regents Park (3 miles west), Maybush (4 miles west), Coxford (4 miles west), Freemantle (3 miles west) and Lordswood (4 miles north-west).
Around Bitterne
Typical jobs here are in premises near Itchen College, Riverside Park and St Mary's Independent School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Bitterne station, roughly 0.7 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Bitterne Local History Society Heritage And Research Centre (under half a mile north-west) and Marlands Shopping Centre (2 miles west). Open spaces near Bitterne include Netley Common.
What affects the cost of grease trap cleaning
The price is fixed before any work begins. It takes into account:
- Where the site is and how we reach it
- The size of the system
- The condition we find in the survey
- How many systems or sites are involved
The cost depends on how big the system is, the condition it’s in and how easy it is to reach. We give you a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises.
Helping us quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote. When you get in touch, it helps to send:
- Photos showing the whole system and its surroundings
- The paperwork from the last visit, if you have it
- When the site is open and when it’s quiet
- How we’d reach plant on a roof or in a plant room
Need a price for grease trap cleaning? Please call us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line with a few details about the site. We’ll talk you through the work and give you a fixed quote before you commit to anything.
Why it’s worth doing now in Bitterne
Pouring hot water or chemicals down a slow drain is a common quick fix. It just shifts the grease further along, where it sets again. Emptying and cleaning the trap deals with the source. A visit arranged in advance is far less disruptive than a callout on a busy day.
When the work has to happen, how we reach it and how big the site is all affect the cost. Each of those is built into the quote and give you a fixed price before work begins.
Why book with us
- Accredited under CHAS and SafeContractor, with ISO 9001
- Fully insured
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
- Every visit written up, with photos
See how cleaning jobs are priced and how to check a contractor.