Your grease trap: cleaning and maintenance

If you’ve ever watched an episode of Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, you’ve seen a disgusting grease trap. Cleaning up the debris from your grills seems completely alien to the themes of the reality TV show Rescue restaurants. If you have ever owned a restaurant, you must be aware of the importance of cleaning the grease trap. Even ignoring the obvious health hazards, there are several safety concerns. Trapped fats and oils can clog a drainage system, causing sewage to collect in your sewers and even your own kitchen. This could lead to a huge monetary loss from fines, property damage, and potential lawsuits. To avoid these risks, here are some tips to keep your grease traps clean and safe.

First, keep an eye on the level of fat in your trap. Use a small wooden dowel or a measuring stick to see how high the level has gone. By keeping a record of this data, you will be able to know when you are potentially dealing with a serious obstruction. If there is a major obstruction, ignore the following steps and call for professional service.

After measuring and recording, remove standing water from the tank. Put the water in a bucket or trash can and pour it back into the drain after you’ve finished cleaning. Then use a small bucket or cup to remove as much of the debris as possible. Put all solid waste in a waterproof trash bag.

Once you’ve removed as much of the loose grease and oil as you can, use a sturdy utensil to scrape down the sides and lid. Cleaning in this way will ensure that you have effectively removed all debris. Then you can pick up the scraped debris in the garbage bag or use a wet or liquid vacuum.

After removing all possible residue, scrub the entire grease trap and sanitize everything. Use a steel pot scrubber and warm water to make sure all debris has been removed. Add soap to the water to remove bad odors as well. It is recommended that you wash the trap several times, cleaning your scrubbing instrument between washes. If possible, disassemble your grease trap during this step to clean all surfaces thoroughly. After a long scrubbing session, rinse everything with room temperature water. Make sure to completely remove all oil, grease, dirt, and soap. If you’ve taken the trap apart, let each piece dry completely before putting everything back together.

Following these steps regularly will not only keep your drain system clear of dangerous clogs, but it will also extend the life of your trap and keep your kitchen employees happy and healthy. While this process should be enough on its own to solve any major problems, you should still have your kitchen checked by a professional grease trap cleaning service at least once a year.