Why Clean Range Hood Filters?
Range hoods are located right above the stove, and often absorb the grease, grime, and smoke that travel upwards during cooking. The range hood filter is what catches the grime, and prevents it from making its way back onto your stove, and into your food. Thus, range hood filter can get particularly grimey, especially when it has not been cleaned in a while.
Range hood filter cleaning is an important part of kitchen maintenance. It is essential in maintaining fire safety in your home as a greasy range hood filter is prone to catching fire from the stove. Maintain a cleaning schedule for your range hood to wash the filter before grease starts to drip from the range hood.
How to Clean Range Hood Filter: A Step-by-step Guide
Cleaning a Range Hood Filter by Hand
Step 1: Remove the Range Hood Filter
The first step is to remove the range hood filter. Every range hood model will have a different method of removing the filter, but the standard way is to pop the range hood filter out of the hood. Place newspaper or rags under the range hood to catch any dripping grease.
Step 2: Fill a Basin
Fill a large basin with hot water, half a cup of dish soap, and a fourth of a cup of baking soda. This will be your cleaning solution to remove oily grime and grease buildup from the range hood filter. Hot water melts oils, dish soap breaks down oils, and baking soda lifts stains away from the mesh. This mixture can be used on range hood mesh filters, a stainless steel baffle filter, and even on range hoods directly.
Step 3: Soak the Range Hood Filter
Soak the range hood filter in the cleaning solution. You may notice the water take on a rust color, which happens as the grease spreads into the water. Let range hood filters soak for at least 15 minutes to completely remove the grease. Top up the hot water if the cleaning solution starts to cool down as it will help soften the grease.
At the same time, clean the range hood by placing the clean solution in a spray bottle, and using a sponge or cloth to wipe away the greasy range hood. Rinse with a sponge dipped in hot water, and dry with a microfiber cloth.
Step 4: Brush Away the Grime
Use a scrub brush to clean the stuck-on grime from range hood filters. Add more dish soap as needed, and scrub in gentle but firm circular motions to get through the mesh. Rinse the filter and scrub brush as you clean to see your progress, and stop scrubbing once the filter looks clean.
Step 5: Let the Filter Air Dry
Place the filter in a well-ventilated location, and let the filter completely dry before placing it back into the range hood. Clean your filter once or twice a month for the best clean, and to maintain a healthy kitchen.
Cleaning a Range Hood Filter in the Dishwasher
The easiest way to clean range hood filters is to let the dishwasher handle the cleaning. After soaking and scrubbing the range hood filter, place the range hood filter in the dishwasher on the bottom rack. Do one wash cycle on the hottest setting, then dry the range hood filter completely before placing it back into the range hood.
To get rid of tough grease, add some baking soda to the dishwasher load when washing the range hood filter for an extra clean boost. The heat from the dishwasher should give a deep cleaning action that melts away grease, while the detergent dissolved oils. If you have a dishwasher, using the appliance is the easiest way to clean a range hood filter.
Keeping Your Kitchen Clean
Keeping your kitchen clean is important for your well-being, especially as the kitchen is where you go to cook and prepare food. Maintain cleanliness in your kitchen with Luce Home cleaning services - our professional and experienced cleaners will get the grease out of your home for good!
Give us a call, send us a message, or check out our full list of services to know more!
