How to Clean Range Hood(Filters, Exterior & Interior)

Range hoods are a new necessity for modern kitchens. Not only do they enhance the beauty of your kitchen but they also keep the cooking area fresh. And who doesn’t love to cook in a fresh, good-smelling atmosphere? So now that you have installed the best range hood in your kitchen, it’s time to check whether the appliance itself is clean or not? If not, then by the end of this article you will know the easiest way to clean the range hood.

But before let us understand why it is important to clean a range hood? And how often you should clean a range hood?

No matter whether you have an under cabinet range hood or kitchen island range hood, it is important to keep them clean. A clean range hood will deliver the best performance as well as make less noise while it is on. Plus, it ensures better hygiene and easy passage of steam and grease through filters.

A healthy practice is to clean the under cabinet range hood once a month. Cleaning will take some time to clean the unit but you’ll experience the difference once it gets clean.

The filter of a range hood is an important part to be cleaned thoroughly as all dirt, grease, and smoke from food goes through the filter. While many high-end models let you wash range hood filters inside a dishwasher, others support manual wash only. Personally, I would suggest washing filters manually as the dishwasher might not be able to remove layers of grease and dirt accumulated over time. Plus, it will not take long to wash under cabinet range hood filters if you follow the right cleaning procedure.

Complete Cleaning Of Range Hood (Under the cabinet and Kitchen Island)

Things you’ll need to clean range hood exterior

• An all-purpose cleaner(for plastic or vinyl exterior)
• Lukewarm soapy water( Stainless steel body)
• Copper cleaning agent(Copper exterior)
• Kitchen tissues or a clean microfiber cloth

Method:

1. Get a cleaning agent that matches your range hood exterior. And spray the solution all over the hood body. Le the solution sit for 1-2 minutes.
2. For stainless steel exterior, mix few drops of dishwashing liquid in little water and spray it all over the body.
3. Do not scrub the surface with a harsh bristle brush as it will leave ugly scrubbing marks. You can use a soft nylon sponge to wash the exterior.
4. Then wipe the solution with a clean cloth or kitchen tissues at your convenience.

Materials to clean inside of a range hood

• Tough degreasing detergent
• Soft bristle brush
• Paper towels/cloth
• Hand gloves

Method:

1. First of all, remove the filters safely and put them aside.
2. Spray a good amount of degreasing liquid on all inside walls.
3. Let the solution sit for at least 20 minutes.
4. Now its time to put on your gloves and start scrubbing the interior of the range hood with a soft bristle brush.
5. You can spray the degreasing liquid in-between cleaning process as a wet surface is easier to clean than dry.
6. Cleaning your kitchen island range hood will take some time as grease does not come off easily.
7. Once you feel the inside walls are clean, wipe them dry with a kitchen cloth or paper towels.

Things you’ll need to clean range hood filter(Mesh/Baffle filters)

• Baking soda
• Boiling water
• Degreasing dish soap
• Soft bristle brush
• Paper towel

Note: Fabric or charcoal range hood filters cannot be cleaned. It is better to replace them than to clean them.

Method:

1. First of all, fill your sink or tub with hot, boiling water.
2. Then remove the filter of your range hood and carefully submerge it inside the hot water.
3. Now its time to pour a few drops of degreasing dish soap and 1/4 cup of baking soda into hot water.
4.  Let the filters soak in for a while, around, 10-15 minutes. During this time hot water will also come down to room temperature.
5. Once you feel the temperature of the water is okay to touch, take out the mesh filter and scrub it with a non-abrasive brush.
6. You can add more dishwashing liquid if necessary.
7. Once all the grease, stickiness, and oil is washed away, rinse the filters thoroughly in lukewarm water.
8. Make sure no soapy water is present on the baffle filter surface.
9. Now you can either air dry the filters or dry them with paper towels for immediate installation.
10. The final step is to carefully install the filters back into the range hood for effective smoke removal.

What about cleaning greasy filters?

Here is a simple video tutorial to let you know different ways of cleaning a greasy filter.

Also Read:

• Best Cosmo Under Cabinet Range Hood
• Best Hauslane (Chef Series) Under Cabinet Range Hood
• Best Broan Under Cabinet Range Hood Reviews

Conclusion

A dirty hood can be dangerous and one must have a habit of cleaning range hood after a certain period. Not only bacteria growth is common inside dirty walls of the hood but thick layers of grease also affect the efficiency of the range hood. And you would not like to stand below and cook below an unhygienic place. Besides, it will not take much time to clean a range hood if you do it once a month or if the filter gets messy. We will not deny the fact that the cleaning range hood is pretty difficult but necessary. A clean, hygienic range hood will make less noise, efficiently remove smoke, prevent bacterial growth, and elongate the life of the blower.