Hospitality Cleaning Guide
A practical guide for restaurant owners, head chefs and venue managers in Sydney. Covering Food Act 2003 (NSW) requirements, AS 1851 exhaust hood frequencies, what an EHO actually inspects, and the realistic cleaning schedule a busy commercial kitchen needs to stay compliant — and insurable.
The short version: commercial kitchens need daily close-down cleaning, weekly to monthly deep cleans, and AS 1851-aligned exhaust hood cleans every 3–12 months depending on cuisine. Skipping any layer is what turns into EHO improvement notices, insurance refusals and fire risk. Call 1300 494 983 for a Sydney commercial kitchen cleaning quote.
Done by your own staff at end of service. Wipe down lines, sanitise benches, clean cooktop, sweep and mop floors, remove waste, sanitise dish-pit.
Done by a contractor. Pull-out clean behind line, wall and ceiling degrease, floor scrub, detail of fryer, oven, grill and exhaust filters.
Done by a specialist. AS 1851-aligned canopy, ductwork and fan clean with photographic before/after evidence and a compliance certificate.
Under the Food Act 2003 (NSW) and the Food Standards Code (Chapter 3), commercial food premises must:
Sydney metropolitan councils — City of Sydney, Inner West, Bayside, Randwick, Waverley, North Sydney, Parramatta and others — run unannounced EHO inspections. Improvement notices, prohibition orders and fines are real consequences of falling behind on cleaning.
| Cuisine / Cooking Style | Recommended Frequency |
|---|---|
| Charcoal grill, wok, smokehouse | Quarterly (every 3 months) |
| High-volume fry, pizza, burger | Every 4 months |
| Standard restaurant / pub kitchen | Every 6 months |
| Cafe / low-grease prep | Annually |
Grease accumulation in canopy filters, ductwork and roof fans is the leading cause of commercial kitchen fires in Australia. Most insurance policies for hospitality venues require AS 1851-aligned exhaust cleaning at scheduled intervals — without proof, claims can be denied. After every clean, we issue a compliance certificate showing date, scope, photographic evidence and next-due date. Keep this in your venue's compliance folder for insurance and council audits.
Day-to-day cleaning runs continuously through service and at end-of-shift close. Deep cleans of the kitchen happen weekly to monthly. Exhaust canopies and ductwork must be cleaned in line with AS 1851 — typically every 3 months for high-grease cuisines (Asian wok, charcoal grill) and every 6–12 months for low-grease kitchens.
Under the Food Act 2003 (NSW) and Food Standards Code Chapter 3, food premises must be kept in a clean condition with no accumulation of food waste, dirt, grease or visible soil. Local councils enforce this through Environmental Health Officer (EHO) inspections, who issue improvement notices and fines for non-compliance.
Yes. Insurers and councils increasingly require an AS 1851-aligned exhaust system clean certificate showing the date of clean, the contractor, the area cleaned and the next-due date. We provide a full compliance certificate for every commercial kitchen exhaust clean we perform.
Yes. Most restaurant deep cleans happen between midnight and 5am. Exhaust hood cleans are scheduled on the venue's quietest day or during longer closure (Mon/Tue mornings for many restaurants). We coordinate with your head chef and bring our own equipment, water containment and grease disposal.
Degrease cooktop, oven, salamander, fryer and chargrill. Strip exhaust canopy filters and clean. Detail-clean walls, splashbacks, floor coving and grease traps externally. Sanitise prep benches, sinks and dish-pit. Pull-out clean behind line equipment. Floor scrub with degreaser. Bin area and dock degrease.
Free site visit with your head chef, fixed quote, and AS 1851 compliance certificates after every exhaust clean.
Call 1300 494 983