Reading · Grease trap cleaning
Play Hatch grease trap cleaning
Emptying and cleaning of under-sink and inline grease traps in commercial kitchens for commercial sites in Play Hatch and across Reading. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and fully insured.
- Gurgling drains in the kitchen
- Scheduled grease trap emptying
- A blocked kitchen drain caused by grease
What we’re called out for in Play Hatch
Hot water and detergent carry grease further than you’d expect. When it cools, the grease hardens, often in the trap or the pipe beyond.
The symptoms we are asked about most include:
- A regular cleaning plan for the grease trap
- An interceptor full of grease and solids
- An under-sink trap that keeps filling up
- A bad smell from the sinks or drains
Half-term is a good time for school kitchens, at schools like St Martin's Catholic Primary School for instance, to have the grease trap emptied and the kitchen deep cleaned.
Before booking anyone
- Whether they’re fully insured
- Whether the price is fixed
- If they look at the system before pricing
- What paperwork you get at the end
How we handle grease trap cleaning in Play Hatch
Kitchens in Play Hatch use us for grease trap cleaning, whether it’s an under-sink unit or a larger inline trap. We come when the sinks aren’t needed, so the kitchen keeps running. We’re often asked to deal with a slow-draining kitchen sink and a regular cleaning plan for the grease trap, on under-sink grease traps, school and care home kitchens and kitchen waste pipes.
For a kitchen in or near Play Hatch, the visit is planned ahead, around opening times and the journey.
Think of the report as the system’s health record: a dated account with pictures of everything we did. For TR19® Grease cleans, the certificate comes through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal and sits alongside the report.
- Location
- Play Hatch (RG4)
- Region
- Reading
- Reporting
- Written report with pictures
- Quotes
- A fixed price before any work starts
- When we work
- After hours by arrangement; emergencies any time
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Towns and villages near Play Hatch
Other services in Play Hatch
What grease trap cleaning cannot fix
To be straight with you, some problems need a different fix:
- Blockages in the public sewer beyond the property
- A unit that cannot cope with the kitchen’s output
- A leaking sink waste or trap connection
If you’re not sure, just call 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we will give you a straight answer before booking.
Parts of the system we cover
- Under-sink grease traps
- School and care home kitchens
- Kitchen waste pipes
- Inline grease traps
- Restaurants and takeaways
- Pot wash sinks
Looking after it afterwards
Good habits slow the build-up between visits. A few tips:
- Avoid pouring boiling water down to shift grease
- Don’t store things on top of the trap
- Mention any increase in cooking
- Collect waste cooking oil separately
We’ll suggest when the trap should be cleaned again. It’s based on how full it was and how busy the kitchen is.
Slow sinks and a bad smell are early warnings. Acting at this stage typically prevents a blockage later.
What affects the cost of grease trap cleaning
Some jobs are bigger than they look, and some smaller. The main factors:
- Whether it’s a one-off visit or part of a schedule
- The condition of the system
- Where the site is and how we reach it
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
Several systems or sites on one quote often makes better use of the time. Tell us about everything you’d like looked at, and you’ll get one fixed quote.
What to send for a quote
We can often survey from photos. Try to include:
- The postcode and the type of business
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- A few general shots of the system
- How we’d reach plant on a roof or in a plant room
Some systems can be priced from photos; others need a survey. Larger sites, and anything hidden behind walls, ceilings or floors, are normally surveyed first. Either way, you get a fixed price before any work starts.
Play Hatch kitchens: local notes
Look up Play Hatch on the FSA’s food hygiene register and you’ll find about 24 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 10 sandwich bars and takeaways across Play Hatch and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). Each of them sends fat, oil and grease towards the drain, which is why grease traps need regular emptying. It’s Reading council that sends environmental health officers to food businesses in Play Hatch. The state of floors, drains and hard-to-reach corners all feeds into the inspection. A cleaning log that includes deep cleans and grease trap visits shows the work is planned.
Mapledurham House, about 4.4 miles west, is one of the historic houses around Play Hatch; event kitchens at places like that work in bursts, so a deep clean after a busy season helps. Royal Berkshire Hospital, about 2.3 miles south-west, is the nearest hospital to Play Hatch; healthcare kitchens can’t stop cooking, so deep cleans are worked around meal times.
Play Hatch is about 1 mile east of Caversham, in Reading. From the centre of Play Hatch to the outskirts, grease trap cleaning is available to all kinds of commercial premises, from a single unit to a large public building. Our area takes in 34 places across Reading, from busy centres to quieter spots.
All of RG4 is covered for grease trap cleaning, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need grease trap cleaning at premises on Dene Close, Henley Road and Foxhill Lane or anywhere close by, our technicians can take on the work. Other places close to Play Hatch include Dunsden Green (1 mile north), Caversham Park Village (1 mile west), Littlestead Green (1 mile north-west), Emmer Green (1 mile west) and Sonning (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Norcot (4 miles west), West Reading (3 miles south-west), Tilehurst Within (5 miles west), Shinfield (5 miles south), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south) and Horncastle (5 miles south-west).
What’s near Play Hatch
Around Play Hatch, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre, Reading Blue Coat School and The Shoulder of Mutton pub. The nearest railway station is Reading station, about 2.2 miles south-west. Other landmarks nearby include The Oracle (2.4 miles south-west) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (2.3 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Alder Moors and South Lake.
How the job changes from site to site
Restaurant and takeaway kitchens
We time visits to avoid service so the kitchen is not disrupted.
Grease interceptors
Interceptors take longer to clean and we allow for that.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
Away from the kitchen, the in-house job is mainly checking: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. Cleaning inside ducts and units is specialist work.
If your staff spot something between visits, such as dripping grease, a noisy fan, a smell or a filter that will not come clean, it’s best reported rather than tackled in-house. We can diagnose it and quote.
Play Hatch: your questions answered
Who would carry out a food hygiene inspection at a kitchen in Play Hatch?
Food hygiene inspections in Play Hatch are carried out by Reading council. Inspection results feed into the food hygiene rating published by the Food Standards Agency.
Will you come out to Play Hatch?
Yes, Play Hatch is part of our area, however small the site. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
How do you keep the site clean during the work?
By covering it before any work starts. We keep the work contained and clean down when we finish.
What happens to the waste?
It leaves the site with us when we go. While we work, it’s kept contained so the area stays clean.
Can you set up regular visits?
Yes. Regular plans can run on 3, 6 or 12-monthly cycles, depending on what the system needs.
How far ahead should we book?
Book as early as you can for planned work, particularly if your next visit is nearly due. For emergencies, we take calls 24/7.
What about areas you cannot get to?
Anything we cannot reach goes on the report, with a note of where it is, and we tell you what would make it reachable, such as extra access panels in ductwork.
What do you do with the waste?
We take the grease and solids away with us. Nothing greasy is left on site after the visit.
How the visit works
Our technicians bring everything the work needs, including protection sheets, the right tools and access kit. All we need from you is clear access and the right equipment switched off. The visit takes an hour or so for an under-sink trap, longer for a larger unit. For a village or hamlet like Play Hatch, tell us about narrow lanes, gates and parking when you book.
- First, we find the trap and look at its connections.
- We make sure nothing drains into the trap.
- Grease and solids are removed from the trap.
- We clean every part of the inside.
- We refit it, run water through and remove the waste.
Getting ready for the visit
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
- Make sure equipment near the work can be switched off and left to cool
- Name a contact who can let us in at the agreed time
Getting a quote
Quoting starts with a diagnosis, from your pictures and details or, where that isn’t enough, a survey on site. Then we send a fixed price, before any work starts.