West Sussex · Kitchen extract cleaning
Kitchen extraction cleaning in Thakeham
Looking for kitchen extract cleaning in Thakeham? We diagnose first, fix the price and book the work around your hours, finishing with a written report and photos.
- Ductwork thick with old, hardened grease
- A new tenancy or takeover with no cleaning history
- Rancid smells from grease in the duct
Commercial kitchen extraction cleaning in Thakeham
The ducts are where most of the grease hides. We reach horizontal runs and vertical risers through access panels, removing thick grease by hand, then using degreasers, hot water or steam to suit the deposit. Any section we cannot reach is recorded on the report, and new panels can be fitted. The work covers horizontal duct runs, extract fans and vertical risers, and common reasons people get in touch are an inspection that picked up a dirty extract and a kitchen taken over without any extract records. Hood cleaning is where most enquiries from Thakeham start: a clean that goes past the canopy into the duct and fan, backed by a certificate.
Each job starts with a look at where grease has built up: wet film or deposit thickness readings show which parts of the duct need the most attention, and the same readings after the clean show the result.
Rural kitchens often have long, low duct runs through a roof space or along an outside wall, and those horizontal sections are where grease settles. Access, parking and timings are agreed before the day.
Every visit ends with a written report and pictures, so there’s a dated record of the work. Kitchen extract cleaning to TR19® Grease is certificated through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Location
- Thakeham (RH20)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Reporting
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Quote
- A fixed price before work begins
- Working hours
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Between visits
No system stays clean for ever, but care slows the build-up. Our tips:
- Clean grease off the canopy surfaces regularly
- Clean the grease filters regularly between TR19 cleans
- Book the next clean before the date on the report
- Keep grease collection points emptied
You leave with a date for the next clean, set from your daily cooking hours and the readings we took. A 3, 6 or 12-monthly maintenance plan keeps it on track, so the date isn’t missed.
Tell whoever looks after the system when something changes. Grease dripping from the canopy, a burning smell or a fan that sounds rough are all signs of build-up, and a grease thickness test can confirm it.
Why act early in Thakeham
TR19® isn’t law, but the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is. The responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, and in a kitchen that means keeping extract grease under control. TR19 is the benchmark insurers, fire officers and EHOs look to. Out of sight is the usual reason a rural system goes too long without attention.
What you pay depends on the size of the system, what state it’s in and how easy it is to reach. You get a fixed price before work begins, so there are no surprises.
Why Thakeham businesses choose us
- One contact for all your sites in London and the South East
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- A written report with photos after each visit
- Every job surveyed first
Thakeham kitchens: local notes
Thakeham is covered by West Sussex 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. About 41 miles out from central London, Thakeham is part of the South East area we work across. Visits are booked around your hours, evenings and weekends included.
Term dates shape school work: for a school like Rydon Community College, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break. Where a hall near The Parish Church of St Mary, or anywhere in Thakeham, hosts lunch clubs or events, its extract gathers grease just as a café’s does.
Thakeham is about 8 miles north of Worthing, in West Sussex. Whatever kind of site you run in Thakeham, we can take on kitchen extract cleaning. Visits can be booked for evenings, overnight or weekends so trading is not interrupted. Our West Sussex coverage runs to 371 places, and Thakeham is one of them. Brighton is in our area too, about 15 miles from Thakeham.
Work in RH20 is surveyed, quoted and booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include The Street, Bramble Lane and Cray's Lane, and we cover them all for kitchen extract cleaning. Other places close to Thakeham include Abingworth (1 mile south-west), Warminghurst (1 mile south-east), Goose Green (1 mile north-east), West Chiltington (1 mile north-west) and Heath Common (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Crawley (15 miles north-east), Horsham (9 miles north-east), Worthing (8 miles south), Haywards Heath (15 miles east), Burgess Hill (13 miles east) and Littlehampton (10 miles south-west).
Around Thakeham
For rail, the closest station is Pulborough station, roughly 4.1 miles west. Well-known places in the area include The Storrington And District Museum (2.2 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Knepp Wildland and Chanctonbury Hill.
Different parts, different methods
Ductwork and risers
Vertical risers carry the air up through the building, and grease runs down their walls and pools at the base. Access panels along the riser let us clean it in sections.
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.
Also near Thakeham
More services for Thakeham
What kitchen extract cleaning can’t fix
Kitchen extract cleaning cannot fix everything, and we’d rather say so up front. It won’t put right:
- A grease trap that needs emptying
- Extraction that cannot cope with the cooking because of its design
- A broken extract fan that won’t run
If in doubt, call us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we will say what we think before booking.
Where we work
- Extract fans
- Horizontal duct runs
- Vertical risers
- Canopies and hoods
- Plenums and filters
- Discharge points
Common problems we fix in Thakeham
Grease filters are the first line of defence, and they’re often the weak point. Filters that are bent, badly fitted, missing or left uncleaned let more fat into the plenum and duct, and from there it travels on to the fan.
Keep an eye out for any of the following:
- A new tenancy or takeover with no cleaning history
- Proof of cleaning requested by an insurer
- An inspection that picked up a dirty extract
- Grease smells coming from the extract
Older buildings often hide long, awkward duct runs, and if you run a kitchen at a historic venue in the area (Parham House is about 3.6 miles south-west), access may need planning.
What your quote should include
- Proof of accreditation you can verify
- Whether they’re fully insured
- What happens if part of the system cannot be accessed
- How VAT is shown on the quote
In-house cleaning or a specialist?
For ventilation and air handling systems, in-house care is mostly about checks: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. The inside of ducts and units needs a specialist.
Staff cleaning and specialist work aren’t the same thing. Wiping filters daily and washing them weekly keeps the visible parts in order, but grease that has passed the filters is out of reach. That part needs specialist access and equipment.
The process
At the end of the visit, someone from your team can look over the work with us. Anything we couldn’t reach or that needs attention is pointed out there and then, and it goes on the report too. The visit takes a few hours for a small kitchen, longer for a large system. Visits to a village like Thakeham are booked in advance, at a time that suits whoever runs the site.
- Diagnosis comes first, with a survey of the system and how it’s reached.
- We record grease levels at set points, then fix the price.
- After the kitchen closes, we sheet the area and set up to contain grease and water.
- The treatment: heavy grease scraped out, then every part degreased to TR19® Grease.
- The sign-off: post-clean readings, a TR19 certificate and a photo report with the next clean date.
Before we arrive
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
- Let us know how we reach the system, including roofs, risers and plant rooms
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
Get a fixed quote
Photos are enough for some jobs, while others need a look on site. Big or complicated sites, and systems that are hard to see in pictures, get a survey first. Either way, you get a fixed price before any work starts.
Advice
Thakeham questions
Who inspects food businesses in Thakeham?
In Thakeham, it’s Horsham council that carries out food hygiene inspections. An officer may look up into the canopy, so clean filters on the day and a recent certificate on file both help.
Do you work overnight in Thakeham?
Yes, evening, overnight and weekend work is normal for us. Your customers, staff or residents in Thakeham needn’t be disturbed. Just phone us on 0345 646 2711 or email us with your opening times and we will plan around them.
How do you protect the area?
With sheeting and covers, before anything else happens. The work is kept contained and clean down when we finish.
Do you clean the whole extract system or just the canopy?
Every part the air passes through, as far as access allows. Where there aren’t enough access panels to reach a section, it’s recorded, and we can fit new ones.
What accreditations do you hold?
We clean to BESA TR19® Grease as a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, and certificates go through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal. Duct Doctor has been trading since 2009.
Which kinds of sites do you work on?
Any commercial site with kitchens or ventilation, from a small pub to a hospital. Hotels, schools, care homes, offices, shops and leisure sites are all part of our work.
How much notice do you need?
That depends on the slot you want and the size of the job. Mention your preferred dates with your enquiry, and for anything urgent, ring our 24/7 emergency line.
Can one contract cover all our sites?
Yes. Our area covers London and the South East, so sites at different addresses can be planned together as one programme. Every site has its own report.