Range hoods are an essential piece of kitchen equipment because they keep the air in our homes clean and prevent grease from building up inside our kitchens. Because of this, it is easy to forget that all of that grime has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is inside the hood vent.
Regular cleaning of the insides of hood vents, especially the filters, is important to make sure that they keep working at their very best. Just think how much harder it would be for you to breathe if you had to inhale through a filter that was gummed up with months or even years of greasy residue! It’s the same for your hood vent.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when cleaning:
– Know what kind of filter you have. If there are external vents, they’ll probably have a metal grease filter. If it is a hood vent that recirculates air into the room, it will use charcoal filters. The metal ones need to be cleaned, but the charcoal ones should just be replaced when they no longer work
– To clean the grease filter, first soak it in a degreaser and then rinse it out thoroughly. After this, washing it in the dishwasher should clear out the remaining buildup.
– If your filter is made of aluminum, be careful about dishwashers. Sometimes the detergent can break down aluminum.
– While the filter is removed, use a non-abrasive degreaser to remove any grease buildup from inside the vent. Be sure to shut the power off first!
– Sometimes the fan wheel inside the hood can build up grease over time as well, and can make it both slow and noisy. When this happens, removing it and cleaning it with degreaser can often make it good as new.
– Lastly, if you have exterior vents, you should check them out from time to time. Grime will build up here too; but you will need to have them professionally cleaned. They are often the same people who clean chimneys and HVAC ducts.
