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How to Clean Rangehood Filters in 5 Easy Steps

May 19, 2022
How to Clean Rangehood Filters

Every kitchen user wants to have clean rangehood filters and body. But want people want is always far from the reality. This is true given how precious our time is with stressful jobs, family responsibilities, and what not. 

Rangehoods are the unsung heroes of kitchens. You could call them the ‘donkey workers’ of the kitchen. They do thankless work and are responsible for making your home smell good. They power through smoke and grease to bring you delicious food!

The rangehood doesn’t get as much attention, but it’s still essential. There is more than ventilation happening under hood covers. Fans circulate air throughout the system. Filters remove unwanted tastes from gas outlets like ovens or cooktops. Plus, vents allow heat out, so rooms stay cool during the day.

A rangehood is an essential appliance in any kitchen, but it’s also one of the most overlooked. This often results in a lack of cleaning and maintenance.

This article will outline a few steps that can guide you to the land of clean rangehood filters.

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Five easy steps

An inspection will reveal icky food bits on your rangehood filters. They vary from bits of chicken to cereals to oil drops. These gunk build-ups may harm performance and lead to repair or replacement.

So make sure never miss by giving this cleaning hack a try every other month:

Remove the filters from the hood

When you remove the filters from your rangehood, be careful not to damage them. They should come out quickly and pop right off!

Prepare the cleaning solution

For best results when you clean rangehood filters, use a sink filled with boiling water. If you don’t have one available, make sure of a pot or glass baking dish. It should be heatproof. Add two tablespoons of degreaser-based dishwashing liquid. Then add 1/2 cup baking soda. Mix them until everything has dissolved and formed a fluid substance.

Submerge greasy filters in water

You’ll want to get those filters nice and wet by soaking them in the hot water solution. Please make sure not to scrub, as that can damage them! Let the cleaners do all the work by soaking in the solution for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

Don’t let the filters stay in the solution for too long. Remove promptly before the water cools down completely. The grease may resettle onto the filter again.

Scrub the filters

The dishwasher is always a pain to clean, but it’s even worse when you have greasy filters. Use some elbow grease and scrub with an old toothbrush or scourer until those bad boys are gone!

Place the filter into a dishwasher and run it on a hot cycle

Run the filters on your dishwasher. Use the hot cycle to get rid of tough stains like clingy particles.

Extra tips for cleaning a rangehood filter

Because the filter suffers the most abuse, it is also the section of the rangehood that requires the most attention while cleaning it. Adhere to the following tips when cleaning your rangehood filter

  • Please remove it from the rangehood according to the manufacturer’s directions.
  • It’s good to wear gloves because it can get a little disgusting.
  • Always check first because some detergents might harm aluminium filters and cause rust.

Carbon filters are included in recirculating rangehoods and some vented rangehoods. They remove gases and odours from the air. The carbon filters have a shelf life and are no longer usable. We recommend you replace them rather than clean them. 

Contact the manufacturer and order new ones every few months. This will maintain the rangehood working at peak performance, even for commercial rangehoods. 

How often you should clean your rangehood?

gray stainless steel faucet

Clean rangehood filters don’t mean they’re not dirty.

The grease your rangehood extracts aren’t vented outside. Neither are they miraculously transported to a foreign land. It accumulates over time in the aluminum or stainless-steel grease filter body. The rangehood’s primary body, both inside and exterior, can become quite filthy.

The grease and food particulates adhere to the surfaces as the fan and suction pull them up into the ductwork. As gases cannot get through the oil, the rangehood’s performance will suffer.

Cleaning is necessary to improve the appearance and smell of the hood and avoid a house fire. Cooking is the fourth-largest cause of injury in house fires. The more common causes are negligence, smoking, and electrical difficulties. This information is according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

For industrial kitchens, the figures are even more startling. Flames can arise when a pot or skillet is left on the burner for too long, and they can leap up into a greased rangehood, causing severe structural damage.

If you cook every day, you should clean the hood’s inside and out and the filter once a month. Seasonal cleaning will suffice if you aren’t a frequent cook. Even if you don’t clean the rest of the hood, prepare to clean the filter after preparing a holiday feast.

Newer rangehoods contain an automatic alarm that notifies you when your rangehood needs a cleaning. This also includes when carbon filters need to be replaced if your rangehood employs them. Most manufacturers agree that cleaning rangehood filters once a month should keep them working smoothly. If your typical cooking involves a lot of oil, you should clean the rangehood more frequently.

Cleaning the rangehood body

green and white casseroles on white oven

Before cleaning the rangehood’s body, make sure it’s turned off. This will avoid any unpleasant shocks when water is involved. To clean this part of the rangehood effectively, start by taking out all detachable components. Place them in a sink full of soapy water.

Next, use warm water and an all-purpose cleaner to gently scrub down the body of the rangehood until it is free of dirt and grime. Finally, rinse thoroughly with clean water before drying with a soft cloth or towel. With these simple steps, anyone can keep their rangehood body looking new for years to come!

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