COMMERCIAL KITCHEN & TR19 EXTRACTION CLEANING

Carillion - Swansea University, Swansea, South Wales, SA2

Client's Challenge

Swansea University, supported by Carillion Plc as their facilities management provider, required an urgent commercial kitchen deep cleaning and extraction cleaning programme across multiple catering facilities.

The requirement was driven by hygiene and contamination risk controls, alongside an imminent inspection deadline that could not be delayed. The client had been let down by their previous contractor, meaning a specialist provider was required to mobilise immediately and deliver the works within a strict two-week timeframe.

The scale of the programme was significant, covering seven large commercial kitchens and five additional food serving areas, many with heavy grease and carbon contamination within cooker hoods, ovens, and extraction ductwork systems. All works needed to be delivered while maintaining day-to-day university catering operations.

Assessment & Planning

APT ICC mobilised immediately, deploying a specialist food hygiene surveyor to site the following day to assess:

• Contamination levels across kitchens and food service areas
• Grease build-up within cooker hoods, filters, and ductwork
• Carbon deposits on ovens, fryers, and cooking appliances
• Hygiene risks linked to inspection and compliance standards
• Programme sequencing required to meet the two-week deadline

Following the survey, a structured cleaning programme was agreed with Swansea University and Carillion management. During this phase, APT ICC also provided practical hygiene management guidance, including advice on deep-cleaning frequency and the provision of wall charts to support ongoing visual hygiene monitoring.

Methodology

APT ICC delivered a structured, compliance-led commercial kitchen deep cleaning programme as follows:

1. Rapid mobilisation and full hygiene survey across all identified kitchens.

2. Controlled deep cleaning of commercial kitchens and food service areas to restore hygiene standards.

3. Degreasing of cooker hoods, extraction canopies, filters, and internal/external ductwork systems.

4. Deep cleaning of commercial ovens, fryers, stainless steel surfaces, and food preparation areas.

5. Specialist cleaning of utensils, crockery, copper pans, and aluminium extraction filters.

6. Clearance of grease traps and support with drain unblocking where required.

7. Final hygiene checks to confirm inspection readiness and compliance.

This phased approach ensured hygiene standards were restored quickly while preventing cross-contamination.

Commercial Kitchen Deep Cleaning at Swansea University in South West Wales

Site Access & Logistics

Equipment
• Commercial kitchen deep cleaning equipment for appliances and hard surfaces
• High-level access equipment and specialist tools for ductwork cleaning
• Full PPE and hygiene protection systems suitable for food production environments

Chemicals
• Metasoak Safe Aluminium Cleaner – used for aluminium cooker filters, copper pans, and removal of baked-on carbon and grease
• UltraClean MB – fast-acting bactericidal cleaner and degreaser for stainless steel, ovens, and hard surfaces
• Destroy II – used for grease trap clearance and fat/grease digestion support

All products used were APT Commercial Chemicals formulations, selected for food safety, effectiveness, and compliance with commercial kitchen standards.

The Results
• Seven commercial kitchens and five food service areas restored to inspection-ready condition
• Cooker hoods, filters, and extraction ductwork fully degreased and sanitised
• Ovens, fryers, utensils, and copper pans restored to a visibly improved standard
• Grease traps and drainage issues resolved where required
• Programme completed within the two-week deadline
• Highest accreditation achieved during annual hygiene inspection
• TR19 certification achieved, confirming compliant extraction and ductwork cleaning