Many who have worked in hospitality know the pitfalls of a rank grease trap. You’re there, going about your shift, and you notice a filthy smell emanating from the kitchen. It’s not rotten food, or even a dirty bench space, no, it’s the incongruously pungent odour of a filthy grease trap, and it’s an odour that you’ll want to alleviate before it permeates the dining area!
Luckily, the grease trap cleaning cost isn’t too much, and worth the (literal) headaches that not having it cleaned can cause!
Here are five signs it’s definitely time to have this essential kitchen component cleaned:
- That smell!
Can’t you smell that smell? Of course you can! And it’s a smell that has to go now. It is usually a build up of oil, fat or other nasty sludge that looks as bad as its aroma suggests, and any hospitality veteran can tell straight away that it’s emanating from that imperative essential installed in the floor. The minute you notice that smell seeping upward from below it’s time to call the experts, as the last thing you want is for your clientele to take a whiff of that when they’re trying to tuck into your restaurant’s most aromatic creation!
- The drains just ain’t draining
This is one of the most common causes of drain blockage in the hospitality industry. If you’ve ever been washing the dishes only to notice that the drains simply aren’t draining and the water is inexplicable pooling up like you’re about to run a weird, in-cafe bath, then it’s highly likely that this essential draining system has a build up of fat, oil, grease or a combination of three (among other things!).
- The system is over 25 per cent full
You don’t want this solution to surpass a 25 per cent level, fat or oil level, as it becomes a real nightmare to clean afterwards. Of course, the experts have the skills, experience and technology to easily clean a system that surpasses 25 per cent in levels, but you should definitely call the experts if you have not already done so, as cleaning it yourself beyond this point can become a grotty nuisance that will take you some time to resolve…
- There is grease leaking
It sounds like something out of a sci-fi, but when you start to see this nasty substance leaking out of the pipes, sink and water lines, it’s time to deal with that nasty situation and deal with it ASAP. Why? Because this means your system has well surpassed the 25 per cent level – it means it’s actually full, and this is not a situation you want to be in. Call the experts immediately.
- It’s been a minute since the last clean
When we say a minute, we really mean a few months, so if you haven’t brought in the plumber or home improvement experts, or at least given it a proper cleaning yourself, then there is a good chance that it has reached new, nasty levels of filthiness. So, if you take a moment to think about the system’s last clean, and realise that it has been a good while, then you might want to consider giving your local professionals a call. This is because even if it is not at a high level it is still likely the remnants of the last few months’ services are stuck in the system and could possibly cause a funk at any moment!