How Do You Remove Grease From Kitchen Hood Filter

Each fall, homeowners compile a list of chores to get done before the winter months arrive. It might include winterizing pipes, raking leaves or doing a deep clean inside the home. One item you should consider adding to your autumn to-do list is cleaning your kitchen hood filter. Over time, the filter under your kitchen hood builds up debris leftover from cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. You should remove the grease and pollutants from it on a regular basis to keep your kitchen hood working properly and your home clean. Here’s how to remove grease from your kitchen hood filter.

Why does a kitchen hood filter need to be cleaned?

From regulating the air quality and temperature to removing odors and grease, a kitchen hood is important to keep your kitchen healthy and comfortable. While this appliance may be among the less obvious and least appreciated appliances in the building, it provides valuable support to your health, your comfort, and the longevity of many other appliances in your kitchen. So the filter inside the kitchen hood is pretty important as well! It helps remove dust, debris, and grease from the air, and filter out pollutants before the air is re-circulated into your kitchen.

How to clean your hood filter

If you are ready to clean your kitchen hood filter, you will need a couple of supplies and a few minutes of time. However, this is a pretty simple home maintenance task that almost anyone can do.

Supplies to clean your hood filter

To get started, you will need a few supplies:
– Multipurpose cleaner
– Scrub brush
– Liquid dish soap
– Towel

Step 1: Locate and remove the filter

The first step is to find and remove the filter on your kitchen hood. If you have never cleaned your kitchen filter before, this might be a dirty process, so you may want to wear rubber gloves or be prepared for a mess! On most range hoods, the filter is located on the underside of the hood, visible when you look up from above your stove. There may be handles to grab to slide the filter out, or you may need to squeeze tabs to release the hood. Consult your owner’s manual for more information.

Step 2: Assess the situation

Is the filter worse for wear, broken or completely clogged, it may be easier to replace the filter with a new one. If the filter is intact and just needs a good cleaning, proceed to step three.

Step 3: Time to clean

There are a few ways to clean your kitchen hood filter. The first is to spray it with your multipurpose cleaner, let sit, and then use the scrub brush to remove additional grit and grease. The second option is to use hot water and plenty of dish soap to scrub the filter. You could soak the filter in hot water before either cleaning option to remove some of the debris and loosen the grease, making it easier to clean. However, ensure your filter is not made of a material that will tarnish if left in water.

Step 4: Dry and replace

Once the filter is clean, wipe it dry with the towel and return it to the underside of your kitchen hood. Remember to clean your filter regularly – about once a month or several times a year, depending on use – to make it easier to clean and more effective.

Completing regular Kitchen Exhaust System maintenance

If you realize it is time for your regular kitchen exhaust maintenance, contact the team at Airpro Indoor Air Solutions to schedule your regular HVAC system cleaning today.