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If you own or manage a restaurant in London Ontario, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, or anywhere across southwestern Ontario, one of the most important questions you need to answer is: how often does my kitchen hood need cleaning?

The short answer — it depends on how busy your kitchen is. But there are official guidelines that every restaurant in Ontario must follow.

What NFPA-96 Says About Hood Cleaning Frequency

NFPA-96 is the National Fire Protection Association standard that governs commercial kitchen ventilation systems across North America — including every restaurant in Ontario.

According to NFPA-96, hood cleaning frequency is based on cooking volume:

Monthly — High-volume cooking operations such as 24-hour restaurants, fast food chains, and heavily used commercial kitchens

Quarterly (Every 3 Months) — Moderate-volume cooking operations such as casual dining restaurants, pubs, and cafeterias

Semi-Annually (Every 6 Months) — Low-volume cooking operations such as seasonal restaurants, churches, and small cafes

Annually (Once Per Year) — Very low-volume operations such as day camps and seasonal businesses

Why Does Hood Cleaning Matter?

Grease buildup in your kitchen exhaust system is the number one cause of commercial kitchen fires in Canada. A dirty hood and duct system creates a serious fire hazard that puts your staff, customers, and business at risk.

Beyond fire safety, a dirty hood system also:

• Reduces air quality in your kitchen
• Causes your exhaust fan to work harder and wear out faster
• Can lead to failed health and fire inspections
• Can void your insurance coverage in case of a fire

What Happens If You Don’t Clean Your Hood?

Across Ontario, fire inspectors can issue violations and even shut down your restaurant if your hood system is not maintained according to NFPA-96 standards. Your insurance provider can also deny claims if a fire occurs and your hood was not properly maintained.

The cost of a fire — or a failed inspection — far outweighs the cost of regular hood cleaning.

Who Needs Hood Cleaning in Ontario?

Any commercial kitchen that uses cooking equipment producing grease-laden vapors needs regular hood cleaning. This includes:

• Restaurants and fast food chains
• Hotels and banquet halls
• School and hospital cafeterias
• Food trucks and catering companies
• Pubs and sports bars
• Retirement homes and care facilities

Whether you are in London Ontario, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Milton, Markham, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Stratford, Sarnia, Brantford, St. Thomas, Woodstock, or any surrounding area — NFPA-96 applies to you.

How RHM Hood Exhaust Can Help

At RHM Hood Exhaust, we serve restaurants and commercial kitchens across London Ontario, Toronto, and all of southwestern Ontario. Our certified technicians follow strict NFPA-96 standards and provide detailed inspection reports after every cleaning so you always have documentation for your insurance and fire inspector.

We offer flexible scheduling — including nights and weekends — so your cleaning never disrupts your service.

Ready to book your hood cleaning? Call us today at 647-616-3989 or email hoodrhm@gmail.com

We proudly serve London ON, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Milton, Markham, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Stratford, Sarnia, Brantford, St. Thomas, Woodstock, Tillsonburg, Aylmer, Ingersoll, Strathroy, Glencoe, St. Marys, Grand Bend, West Lorne, Dutton, Rodney, Watford, Alvinston, Port Stanley, Bothwell and more.