Hood filter cleaning sounds simple: pull, rinse, repeat. But if you’re depending on the dish pit or a bucket of degreaser to protect your entire kitchen from fire risk? You might be missing some serious buildup. At Elite Pressure Pros, we get asked this a lot—“Can we just clean them ourselves?” Here’s the real answer.
When DIY Cleaning Works
If you’re cleaning your grease filters weekly (or more), you’re on the right track—especially if you:
- Use a commercial-grade degreaser
- Have a soak tank or pressure washer
- Let filters dry fully before reinstalling
This routine helps, but it’s not the whole story.
What DIY Cleaning Misses
Even with the best in-house routine, we often find:
- Grease caked inside the seams
- Warping or corrosion missed by kitchen staff
- Filters reinstalled incorrectly
- Filters cleaned too infrequently
- Overreliance on visual inspection (“it looks fine”)
When to Call in the Pros
You should bring in a professional hood cleaning service when:
- Filters won’t come fully clean
- You’re seeing backflow or drips during service
- It’s been months since a deep soak
- You’re getting close to a health inspection
- You’ve never replaced the filters (and don’t know when you should)
What Elite Pressure Pros Offers
With our Filter Exchange Program, you get:
- Deep degreasing with soak + power rinse
- Filter inspections during every visit
- Replacement recommendations when filters are beyond saving
- NFPA 96-compliant documentation
- Hassle-free ordering and installation of new filters
We also offer full commercial hood cleaning as part of our all-inclusive Hood Standard Program, so your entire exhaust system stays compliant and efficient.
DIY Helps — But Pro Cleaning Saves You Time, Money, and Risk
We don’t replace good filters just to upsell you. We clean what can be saved, flag what can’t, and keep your entire kitchen ventilation system in top shape — filters included.
Want to learn more about your local Sacramento options for professional help? Visit our Sacramento service area or get started on the homepage.
Need Your Filters Checked? We’ve Got You.
Whether you clean in-house or not, Elite Pressure Pros will inspect your filters, test airflow, and give you a straight-up answer: clean, replace, or upgrade.
Let’s keep your kitchen running cool, safe, and code-compliant.
