Your grease trap plays an integral role in managing waste in a commercial kitchen. It removes fat, oil, and grease from wastewater, helping to keep the kitchen area clean and safe. Grease trap cleaning is essential if you want to avoid any bad smells or potentially dangerous bacteria, but your grease trap can become clogged over time, causing some big issues.
Knowing what kind of things are likely to clog your grease traps can help you avoid blockages in the future and make grease trap cleaning much easier.
Cooking oils and fats
Grease traps are designed to collect and separate fats, oils, and grease (FOGs), but too much of these FOGs can cause issues. When cooking grease and large amounts of oil get caught in your trap, it will solidify over time. It won't clog right away but eventually, you'll need a professional company to come and clear the grease trap. It’s important to avoid pouring FOGs directly into the drain if you want to keep your grease trap clear of blockages.
Fats and oils from other sources
While cooking grease is a major concern for many commercial kitchens, restaurant owners also have to consider fats and oils that are present outside of their kitchens as well. Oils used for industrial purposes poured down sinks or drains can create big blockages, potentially leading to serious issues like backup and overflows.
Paper Products
Paper towels, grease-proof paper, and other oil absorbent products are another common cause of problems with grease traps. Over time, grease can solidify on these materials and begin to block wastewater that is supposed to go down the pipe. Removing all of these products from cooking equipment before washing will prevent small pieces from getting stuck in the drain and make grease trap cleaning a lot easier.
Food scraps
When food scraps or small bones enter your grease trap, they cause problems with grease consistency inside of the pipes and can also create clogs if grease sticks to these items over time. You can dismantle the grease trap and take the items out but it is important to ensure they don't sink into the grease too much before you take action. Food scraps can create serious issues with grease consistency and grease trap cleaning effectiveness, so it’s vital that they are put in the bin and not down the sink.
Grease Trap Cleaning Tips
There are some simple steps you can follow to clean your grease trap and avoid blockages. Firstly, familiarize yourself with the parts of your grease trap so you can easily dismantle it and remove any large pieces of food or built up FOGs that are blocking it. Then, scrape down the sides of the trap and rinse it through to remove any remaining residue. You can also use specialist cleaning solutions to help break down tough grease.
This will help with general cleaning, but if you have a serious blockage, it’s best to call out a grease trap cleaning service before the blockage gets worse.