Greater London · Kitchen extract cleaning
Soho kitchen extract cleaning
Professional kitchen extract cleaning in and around Soho, timed so the site keeps working and signed off in writing with photos.
- Heavy grease build-up inside the duct runs
- An inspection that picked up a dirty extract
- Proof of cleaning requested by an insurer
Kitchen extract cleaning in Soho
We treat an extract system much as a doctor treats a patient: survey first, clean second, sign-off last. The sign-off is a TR19 certificate with a photo report, issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal. If you have a TR19 certificate needed for the insurer and stale cooking odours from the system, we can help. Whether you call it kitchen extract cleaning, TR19 cleaning or kitchen duct cleaning, in Soho it means the same thing to us: the whole system, cleaned and certificated.
A kitchen running fryers and chargrills all day builds up grease much faster than one that mostly steams and boils, so we look at the menu as well as the opening hours when we suggest the next date.
In a London area like Soho, a kitchen extract often passes through shared space on its way out: a riser, a service void, the floors above. Grease in a duct like that is a fire risk to the whole building, not just the kitchen, which is why keeping it clean to TR19® matters.
The sign-off is always in writing: a written report, dated and illustrated with photos, plus a certificate through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal when the work is a TR19® Grease clean. It shows what was done and what, if anything, couldn’t be reached.
- Where
- Soho (W1F, W1T, W1D)
- Region
- Greater London
- Records
- Certificate and photo report
- Quotes
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
Between visits
After the visit, a few habits help the work last:
- Keep the TR19 certificate and photo report in the maintenance log
- Clean grease off the canopy surfaces regularly
- Run the extract fan throughout cooking
- Make sure every filter is fitted before cooking
The report gives a recommended date for the next clean, set from your daily cooking hours and the readings we took. We can put the system on a 3, 6 or 12-monthly plan, so the date isn’t missed.
Run the extract whenever the kitchen is cooking. Cooking with the extract off lets grease and heat settle in the canopy, and the next clean has more to do.
Fixed quotes for kitchen extract cleaning in Soho
The survey tells us what the work involves. We look at:
- The condition of the system
- Site rules, permits and inductions
- The times the site is available
- Parking and loading at the site
A single site or a whole portfolio, we price it on the same basis: what needs doing, how we get to it and when. You’ll have a fixed price before work begins.
Asking for a quote
Photos and a few facts are often enough to price the work. Send what you can of the following:
- Any access panels or hatches you can see
- Wide photos of the system and the area around it
- The site address and the type of premises
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
Photos are enough for some jobs, while others need a look on site. Larger sites, and anything hidden behind walls, ceilings or floors, are normally surveyed first. Either way, you get a fixed price before work begins.
When it’s something else
Some problems need a different service or another trade:
- An undersized canopy or fan
- A fan motor or bearings that have failed (that needs a fan repair or replacement)
- Fat blocking the kitchen drains
Not sure which it is? You can call 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we’ll tell you honestly.
Parts of the system we cover
- Canopies and hoods
- Discharge points
- Vertical risers
- Extract fans
- Horizontal duct runs
- Plenums and filters
Soho questions
Who carries out food hygiene inspections in Soho?
That’s Westminster council, whose environmental health officers carry out food hygiene inspections in Soho. Ratings are published by the Food Standards Agency, so a clean extract and good records are worth keeping up.
Who enforces fire safety at workplaces in Soho?
Soho is in the area of London Fire Brigade. If a fire safety officer visits a commercial kitchen, they may ask about the fire risk assessment and how the extract is kept clean.
What does TR19 mean?
A BESA specification, with two parts that matter most here: TR19® Grease for kitchen extract systems and TR19® Air for general ventilation. It isn’t law, but it’s the benchmark.
Is Soho in your area?
Yes. Soho is part of the area we cover, as part of our area across London and the South East.
Do you clean the whole extract system or just the canopy?
The whole system: the canopy, the plenum behind the filters, the filters, horizontal ducts, vertical risers, the fan and the discharge, plus attenuators where fitted. Anything we can’t reach is recorded on the report.
How often should a kitchen extract be cleaned?
Under BESA guidance, the minimum depends on how long you cook each day: every 3 months for 12 to 16 hours, 6 months for 6 to 12 hours and 12 months for 2 to 6 hours. Grease readings can show a shorter interval is needed.
Is there a survey before the work?
Yes, always. Diagnosis comes before treatment: the survey shows what needs doing and what access we need and the fixed quote is built on it.
How long does a kitchen extract clean take?
That depends on the size of the system, the amount of grease and the number of access points. Most jobs take one visit for most kitchens, while large or complex systems may need more than one.
What we do, step by step
There are three stages on the day: getting the area ready, doing the work and signing it off. Set-up means sheeting and making equipment safe, and the sign-off is a written report with pictures. The middle part takes longest, and that takes as long as the system needs, from a few hours to several planned visits. Many London buildings have a managing agent, a security desk or a permit-to-work system, so tell us who to contact in Soho.
- We survey the system, from your pictures or on site, canopy to discharge.
- We take grease readings at set points and send you a fixed quote.
- The kitchen is closed, the equipment cooled and everything nearby protected.
- We work through the system from the canopy to the fan and discharge.
- We re-test, photograph and send your certificate and photo report.
How to prepare
- Let us know about permits to work or site inductions
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
- Mention any parking or loading restrictions
Getting a quote
We don’t publish a price list, because every site is different. Instead, we look at your site first, from pictures or a survey, and then send you a fixed quote. To get going, call 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line.
Advice
More services for Soho
Different parts, different methods
Grease filters
A filter that’s missing or bent lets grease straight past. We check they fit as they should when we refit them, and flag any that do not.
Canopy and plenum
The plenum is out of sight behind the filters, so it’s easy to forget. With the filters out, the plenum is scraped and degreased.
What your team can do, and what needs us
Day-to-day cleaning is something your team can do: wiping canopies, washing grease filters and recording it in a log. What they cannot 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.
Why deal with it now?
After a fire, one of the first questions is often when the extract was last cleaned. Many insurers ask for proof of TR19 cleaning and may reduce or refuse a claim without it. A certificate in the file answers that question. Leaving it on a busy London site only adds to the work.
No two sites are the same, so each one gets its own fixed quote. Size, access, the condition of the system and when we can work all play a part.
Why book with us
- A written report with pictures after each visit
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001
- A fixed price before any work starts
Read how cleaning jobs are priced or our accreditations and certificates.
Kitchen extract cleaning around Soho
Food Standards Agency records include about 369 bars, pubs and nightclubs and about 237 hotels and B&Bs across Soho and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). Where they serve hot food, their kitchen extracts need cleaning to TR19® like any restaurant’s. Night work suits London kitchens, and roads and loading bays tend to be quieter too. It’s Westminster council that sends environmental health officers to food businesses in Soho. A greasy canopy or dripping filters are the sort of thing an inspection can pick up. Before-and-after photos from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand.
If you cook for passing trade around Tottenham Court Road station, the extract can be cleaned between your last and first customer. School kitchens, at schools like Soho Parish CofE Primary School for example, are normally cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost. Church and community hall kitchens, near St Anne's Church or anywhere around Soho, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other.
Soho is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Wherever you are in the W1F postcode area, we can take on kitchen extract cleaning. Across Greater London, we cover 764 places, and Soho is one of them.
Postcode districts we cover here for kitchen extract cleaning: W1F, W1T and W1D. Streets in the area include Duck Lane, Drury Lane and Bridle Lane, all of which we cover for kitchen extract cleaning. Soho sits on or near the A4 and A301, so getting to you is simple for kitchen extract cleaning. Nearby, we also carry out kitchen extract cleaning 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). Within a short drive, we also cover 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
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around Bar Soho, St Anne's Churchyard and Harris Westminster Sixth Form. 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. Nearby you will also find Kingly Court (less than half a mile west) and Montfichet's Tower (1.3 miles east). Green spaces nearby include St. James's Park Lake and Ludgate Hill.