Okay let's talk grease cleaning services. Seriously, my kitchen exhaust fan was basically dripping with nastiness. Doubt struck me hard – were these 'professional grease cleaners near me' any actual good? Or just another way to burn cash?

The Greasy Horror Show

First step? Looked inside my oven hood. Bad idea. It looked like something died up there in a vat of old fries. Shiny? More like sticky brown sludge all over the fan blades and under the filters. Smelled funky too. Wiping it down myself felt useless, like polishing a turd. Knew I needed serious help.

Finding "Grease Fighters Near Me"

Opened Google, obviously. Typed it right in: grease cleaning company near me. Got a bunch of hits. Looked at websites. Some looked fancy, some looked basic. Prices? All over the place. Called the first one with decent reviews.

Guy showed up next day wearing clean coveralls, seemed okay. Quoted me a price based on pictures I sent. Okay, let's roll. Set an appointment.

Cleaning Day - Seeing Is Believing

Two guys arrived with big machines and buckets of cleaner that smelled... chemical-y. Strong stuff. They took the filters out – covered in black gunk that looked like solidified bacon fat. Nasty.

Here's what they actually did:

• Sprayed this purple goo all over the inside of the hood, the fan, everything. It fizzed, turning the grease kinda white. Weird.
• Left it for like, 15 minutes while they soaked the filters in this crazy hot water tank thing with more cleaner.
• Then pressure washed the heck out of the hood interior. Brown sludge just poured off onto the drop cloths.
• The filters? They scrubbed them hard with brushes after soaking. Water turned muddy brown.
• Finished with some wipe-downs. Used some kind of degreaser.

Whole thing took maybe two hours?

The "After" Magic (And Cost Stuff)

When they left? Holy crap. The inside of my hood looked brand freakin' new. Like, actual metal again, not brown goo. The fan blades? Silver. You could see light through the filter baffles instead of grime. No sticky residue, no smell. Just... clean. Fired the fan up – it sounded quieter, like it wasn't struggling through mud anymore.

Now, the cost. Yeah. Was it cheap? Nope. Paid just under $300. Ouch. BUT... think about it. Buying gallons of degreaser myself + renting a pressure washer + the hours of brutal scrubbing (and breathing those fumes?)... plus the risk of not getting it clean enough? Or damaging something? Suddenly, $300 felt kinda... worth it. Saved me a weekend of hell.

So... Are They Actually Effective?

Based on what I just lived through? Hell yes. Was it some magic? No, just strong chemicals and serious pressure washing. But did it work? Absolutely. The grease is 100% gone. It looks clean, runs better, and doesn't smell like a dirty deep fryer anymore. Peace of mind knowing it's not a fire hazard waiting to happen is big too.

Savings? Not on the bill itself, that sucked. But saved on my sanity, my time, and maybe my kitchen from burning down? Yup. Found a decent local crew that actually does what they say. Worth checking out if yours looks like mine did!