Essex · Kitchen extract cleaning
Kitchen extract cleaning in Downham, Essex
Kitchen extract cleaning for Downham, from a team that has been trading since 2009. Out-of-hours visits and 24/7 emergency callout.
- Years of baked-on grease in the ducts
- An inspection that picked up a dirty extract
- Fat running down the canopy edge
When something else is needed
We’d rather tell you now than book work that won’t help, so these are the things it won’t cover:
- A broken extract fan that won’t run
- A duct that’s holed or coming apart
- Faulty fire dampers in the duct
If you’re not sure, just call 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking.
Parts of the system we cover
- Plenums and filters
- Canopies and hoods
- Discharge points
- Extract fans
- Horizontal duct runs
- Vertical risers
Kitchen extract cleaning in Downham, done properly
Think of it as a health check for the kitchen’s airways: survey first, clean second, sign-off last. That clean bill of health comes as a TR19 certificate and a photo report, issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal. Common call-outs are for an extract that has never been cleaned to TR19 and years of baked-on grease in the ducts, on discharge points, plenums and filters and horizontal duct runs. Hood cleaning is where most enquiries from Downham start: a clean that goes past the canopy into the duct and fan, backed by a certificate.
Kitchens that fry and grill hardest need the most frequent cleans, so the interval is set by what you cook as well as how long.
Somewhere as small as Downham, commercial kitchens are few: perhaps a pub, a school or care home kitchen, or a hall used for events. Each still has a canopy and duct that collect grease.
The paperwork matters as much as the work. Each visit is written up with pictures, covering the work done, any areas we couldn’t access and a recommended next date. File it in your maintenance log so it’s to hand when an insurer or inspector asks.
- Location
- Downham (CM11)
- Region
- Essex
- Records
- Certificate plus before-and-after pictures
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, normally within a working day
- When we work
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Managing agents and facilities teams in Downham
From a single site to a large estate, you get the same standard: a survey first, a fixed quote, the work timed around the site and a report with photos.
Facilities teams in offices, schools and healthcare sites book us too in Downham and across Essex. Work can be phased by floor, building or site to keep disruption down.
Part by part
Ductwork and risers
Horizontal runs collect grease as the air slows and cools. We open access panels along the route and clean each section, recording any that can’t be reached.
Schools, hospitals and care homes
School kitchens can look lightly used but still need a TR19 clean at least every 12 months under BESA guidance. Holidays make it simple to schedule.
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
If your staff spot something between visits, like drips, unusual noise, smells or damaged filters, it’s best reported rather than tackled in-house. We will take a look and send you a fixed quote.
A few tasks are always specialist work: opening up ductwork, cleaning fans, drop testing fire dampers and measuring grease call for the right kit, training and safe access. Leave those to us.
The process
The first job on site is protection: sheeting goes over floors and surfaces close to the work. After that, the system is made safe and the work begins. It takes anything from a few hours to a full night, depending on the size of the system, and we clear up before we go. A few pictures of the system help us make the most of a visit to a place like Downham.
- We survey the system first, from your pictures and details or on a site visit.
- Set points are tested for grease thickness and the quote is fixed before work begins.
- On the day, cooking equipment is switched off and left to cool, and everything nearby is sheeted.
- The whole route is cleaned, from the canopy through the ductwork to the fan and the discharge.
- Finally the system is re-tested and photographed, and the certificate and report follow.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Mention any locked doors, roof access or ceiling voids
- Find the previous report, if there is one
Ask for a quote
To help us quote: the address, the type of site and when it’s open, pictures of the system and any previous report or certificate. Then call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us.
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Your questions about kitchen extract cleaning in Downham
Who carries out food hygiene inspections in Downham?
The local authority for Downham is Chelmsford council, and its environmental health team does the inspecting. It helps to keep the extract cleaning records with your food safety paperwork, so they’re ready if asked for.
Do you work in villages like Downham?
Yes, we work in villages as well as towns, and Downham is covered. Photos of the system and directions to the site help us plan the visit.
What information do you need?
Some pictures and a quick description of the system, with the address and opening hours. If we need more, we’ll ask.
Is there a survey before the work?
Yes. Photos often do the job, while bigger or harder-to-see systems are surveyed on site.
Do you have a 24/7 line?
Yes. For anything urgent, such as a fan failure or damage after a fire, ring the 24/7 line, and we will advise on what to do next.
Will my insurer ask for a TR19 certificate?
Many insurers ask for proof of regular cleaning to TR19, and many policies require it. An insurer may refuse or reduce a claim if there’s no evidence, so it’s worth checking your policy wording.
What happens to the waste?
It leaves the site with us at the end of the visit. During the work, it’s contained to keep the area clean.
What does a TR19 kitchen extract clean include?
Every part the air passes through, as far as access allows. Where there are not enough access panels to reach a section, it’s recorded, and we can fit new ones.
Nearby places to Downham
Other services in Downham
What kitchen extract cleaning looks like in Downham
Look up Downham on the FSA’s food hygiene register and you will find about 5 restaurants, cafés and canteens in Downham and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out. Those that fry, grill or roast under a canopy need their extracts cleaned at intervals set by how long they cook. Downham sits within the area of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. Grease in a kitchen extract is a recognised fire risk, and the fire authority enforces the law on managing it in most commercial premises. It’s Chelmsford council that sends environmental health officers to food businesses in Downham. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. Before-and-after pictures from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand.
Church and community hall kitchens, near Church of St Margaret or anywhere around Downham, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other. Bursars and site managers at schools such as The Bromfords School and Sixth Form College tend to book extract cleaning for when the kitchen is empty. Historic houses near Downham, such as Ingatestone Hall about 4.7 miles west, are a reminder that older buildings with event kitchens can have long, awkward duct routes.
Downham is about 3 miles north-west of Wickford, in Essex. Every kind of commercial site in Downham, we can take on kitchen extract cleaning. We can work out of hours so trading isn’t interrupted. 644 places in Essex are on our list, large and small. Our Chelmsford page covers sites nearby, about 7 miles away.
Kitchen extract cleaning in CM11 follows the same survey, fixed quote and written report as everywhere else we cover. If you need kitchen extract cleaning at premises on School Road, Crowsheath Lane and Sudbury Road or anywhere close by, our technicians can take on the work. Neighbouring places we cover for kitchen extract cleaning include Ramsden Heath (1 mile west), Ramsden Bellhouse (1 mile south), Crays Hill (3 miles south), Stock (3 miles north-west) and Billericay (3 miles west). We also work in nearby towns such as Chelmsford (7 miles north), Basildon (5 miles south), Brentwood (8 miles west), Maldon (10 miles north-east), Canvey Island (9 miles south-east) and Rayleigh (6 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Downham
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around The White Horse Public House. Downham’s nearest station is Wickford station, about 1.9 miles south-east. Other landmarks nearby include Barleylands Farm Museum (3.2 miles south-west) and Mayflower Community Hospital (3.9 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Crowsheath Wood.
Keeping the system healthy
Simple habits between visits make a real difference. We recommend:
- Give the canopy a daily wipe
- Do not let the canopy gutters overflow
- Keep the extract on whenever the range is lit
- Keep the cleaning records where you can find them
When the clean is finished, grease readings are taken again at the same points, giving you before and after readings alongside the pictures. A TR19 certificate follows, issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
Run the extract whenever the kitchen is cooking. Switching it off early leaves vapour to settle on the canopy and plenum, and the next clean has more to do.
Why it’s worth doing now in Downham
TR19® is not law, but the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is. It puts a duty on the responsible person to assess and reduce fire risk, which in a kitchen includes the grease in the extract. Cleaning to TR19 is the recognised way to show you’ve done it. It’s worth booking a check, because nobody sees inside a duct day to day.
Every site is different, so we price each one individually. The size of the job, how we reach it, its condition and the working hours all play a part.
Why book with us
- We diagnose before we treat
- Trading since 2009
- Full insurance on every job
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
Take a look at our cost guide and how to check a contractor.