Hood Cleaning vs. Power Washing: What's the Difference?
May 14, 2025
Introduction
We get this question all the time: “Can’t I just power wash the hood myself?” The short answer? No. While power washing has its place, professional hood cleaning is a totally different beast. It’s deeper, safer, and required for full system compliance. Let’s break it down.
What Power Washing Actually Is:
Power washing uses high-pressure water-sometimes with heat or soap-to clean surfaces. It’s great for:
- Sidewalks
- Dumpsters
- Patio areas
- Building exteriors
- Grease buildup on concrete
But it’s not designed for deep, internal hood system cleaning.
What Hood Cleaning Actually Is:
True hood cleaning involves:
- Degreasing inside the hood canopy
- Scrubbing and cleaning filters
- Accessing and cleaning inside the ductwork
- Servicing the rooftop exhaust fan
- Disposing of grease waste
- Meeting NFPA 96 and local code standards
This is a specialty service-not just a rinse-and-go job.
Why Power Washing Alone Isn’t Enough:
Using only a power washer can actually make things worse:
- It might push grease deeper into the system
- It doesn’t clean duct interiors or fans
- It can damage delicate components if misused
- It leaves you non-compliant with NFPA 96 standards
- It may void insurance coverage if not done professionally
We’ve seen restaurants think it’s clean… until the inspector (or grease smell) says otherwise.
When Power Washing Does Have a Place
Don’t get us wrong-we use pressure washing in our process, too. Once we degrease and scrub by hand, we strategically use pressure washers to rinse and blast buildup out of certain areas. But it’s always part of a much larger, regulated process.
Why Elite Pressure Pros Uses Both-The Right Way
Our hood cleaning team is trained to know where pressure washing helps… and where it hurts. We combine:
- Manual scrubbing
- Industrial degreasers
- Surface-level pressure washing
- Duct access + fan service
- Environmental grease containment
It’s not one tool-it’s the system that gets results.
Need the Real Deal? Let’s Talk
If you’ve been rinsing your hood or hiring someone who does the bare minimum, let us show you the difference. We’ll inspect your system and show you exactly what’s clean-and what’s not.
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