Your range hood has a significant job within your kitchen as it is designed in such a way that it removes odors, gas, and excess steam that come with preparing a meal. A rangehood also helps remove heat from your kitchen – and this is why it’s super important to keep your filter clean. But how to clean range hood filter?
Range Hood Filter Cleaning
Even though range hood baffle filters are dishwasher friendly, but most people personally prefer to hand wash them. But even before cleaning all the filters, it would always be a better idea to comprehensively examine them for further holes, deterioration, or any other warnings that must be replaced in order to get the best out of it.
You do not always have to call professionals in order to clean your range hood filters as it might sound tricky but is one of the easiest processes that even a 15-year-old boy can do. Yes, you can always DIY in order to clean range hood filters because everything that is required to clean a range hood is easily available in your kitchen. And all you have to do is just simply add the right amount of dishwashing liquid in your hot water bowl with some baking soda if required and that is it.
Our complete range hood filters cleaning method below is good for different types of baffle filters like stainless steel or aluminum baffle filters.
Materials Needed
For you to clean your baffle filter, you will need the following things listed down in the list.
- Bucket Or Bowl of Hot Water
- Regular Dish Soap
- Baking Soda
- Bristle Brush
As your rangehood plays an important job within your kitchen because it is designed specially to remove odors, gas and excess steam that come with preparing a meal along with it, a rangehood also helps remove excessive heat from your kitchen and this is why it is super significant to keep your filters clean.
Also Read: Best Degreasers for Range Hoods
How to clean Range Hood Filter
It is very important to keep your range hood filters clean so that they can continue to do their job in the best possible way.
Remove the filters from the hood
You have to take out the filter from the range hood very carefully. Almost all the filters are very easy to remove, and they simply pop out from under the hood.
Fill a sink with boiling water, baking soda and dish soap
For this step, you need to make sure that you have a large enough sink or maybe a bucket and you will have to fill with hot mixed with a mild soap with this water you then have to add dish soap and 1/4 cup baking soda n that mixture
Soak greasy filters in water
All you have to do is to let the filters soak for 10 minutes in the hot water solution that you made with mixing dish soap.
Scrub the filters
In case the grease is too stubborn, and you feel like there is the need of scrubbing it properly because your filters are beyond greasy, you might then have to use some elbow grease and a scourer or dish brush to scrub away at the filters.
Place into dishwasher on a hot cycle
As these filters are dishwasher friendly you can place the filters into the dishwasher and run on a hot cycle, even a pots and pans cycle is best in case your dishwasher has this function.
Allow to dry
After all this process you may have to leave your filters out to dry naturally and take joy in how shiny and shiny clean they look after the whole cleansing process.
5 Reasons to Clean Your Range Hood Filters
Although this activity may not seem like the best option to spend your free time, you should try and make sure that your range hood filters are maintained well and obviously on time. A lot of top manufacturers of range hoods recommend you clean the filters at least once a month.
In case you are like every regular homeowner that may seem like a lot of cleaning to do. But most people never even consider cleaning their filters in years and some for even a decade. But if you are a self-proclaimed expert on range hoods, you must know that regular cleaning of your filters is really very important for the following reasons:
- Improved power efficiency.
- Longer life of the blower.
- Effective grease and smoke removal.
- Easier cleaning.
- Safety.
Two major reasons for cleaning your range hood filters include
Dirty Filters Attract Pests
If you haven’t been able to fully stop a fruit fly infestation or get rid of cockroaches, a dirty stove hood filter may be to blame. Why? Because both of those household pests love to eat any grease they can find. Food-flavored grease is even better.
Dirty Filters Fill Your Home with Toxins
Dirty gas stove hood filters add nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde to your indoor air at levels that exceed acute health-based standards. Dirty electric stove hood filters are not a good option. Electric burners produce ultrafine particles that turn dust into vapors. If you are not filtering those vapors through the stove hood filter, they will just be floating around in your surrounding air.
Final Thoughts
Your whole range hood will work more effectively and perfectly if your filters are cleaned properly. We would recommend you clean your baffle filters periodically based on how often you cook but cleaning the baffle filters at least every 60 days is a good practice. In case your range hood is louder than it normally is, or if it isn’t exhausting as well, and there are visible signs of grease, these are signs that it needs to be cleaned in the best possible way.
How To Clean Range Hood Filter FAQs
How to remove range hood filter ?
Here is the step-by-step guide for how to remove kitchen exhaust fan filter
- Lift the back of the range hood filters up, inside the vent hood.
- Some of the range hoods might have handles on the baffle filters, but not all of them.
- In case your range hood filter has these handles, you will have to grip them, and lift the filter inside the vent hood.
- In case your hood does not have these handles, you can use your hands so that you can carefully lift these filters.
- Slide the range hood filter to the back of the hood.
- Once you have lifted the baffle or mesh filter, you will then have to slide it to the back of the hood try not to scratch the back of your range hood.
- Try not to hold the baffle filter from the sides. There might be a lot of space inside the vent hood be careful with your hands and wrists.
- It might get difficult for you to see what you are actually holding on the inside of the range hood.
- Angle the front edge downward and remove the filter.
With your range hood filter all the way to the back, tilt the front edge downward and lift it out of the hood. That’s it! You’re done!
What is the best way to clean range hood filters?
Instructions:
- First of all, you will have to remove your range hood filters.
- In case you own an over-stove microwave that has a built-in fan rather than a hood, the filters might be on the bottom.
- You will have to boil 4 quarts of water in a big pot then take it off the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
- Stir the 2 cups of white vinegar and some drops of the liquid dishwasher.
- You will then have to add your stove hood filter and set a timer for 30 minutes.
- Try to use tongs so that you can remove the filter after 30 minutes and scrub it with an old toothbrush on both of its sides.
- Rinse the filter with clear water and properly and air dry it then reinsert it into the range hood.
Stubborn Grease Solution
In case you have not cleaned your stove hood filter ever in its lifetime, with the passing time and all that heat that may be caused the collected grease to form an almost laminated surface that is connected to the filter material.
In order to get stubborn grease off your stove hood filters by soaking them overnight would be a resealable bag that is filled with 1 cup of plain household ammonia. On the very next day, you will have to remove the filter and with the use of an old toothbrush scrub away any grime, then wash it with warm, soapy water and rinse it properly. Put these filters back once they are fully dry.
How often to clean range hood filter?
You might have to clean your filters every two to three months, that all depends on your cooking habits. In case you use your stovetop very frequently, fry a lot of food and cook with a wok, there are high chances that your filters may need regular monthly cleanings. But in that case, if you do not cook very often, you can go for a couple of months or even more without cleaning.
How to clean range hood filters with baking soda?
You can always use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to clean range hood filters by following these steps
- Find a pot large enough for these filters and try to sufficiently fill it up with water.
- Bring this water to a boil.
- Add 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 teaspoons of baking soda to the solution.
- Try to add the baking soda slowly and not all in one go.
- Place the filter and let it stay for 30 minutes to an hour in this solution.
- At the end remove these filters with the help of tongs and place them in the sink and scrub hard on both sides.
How to clean charcoal filter range hood?
Remember that these charcoal filters that are used in your ventilation cannot be cleaned. You will just have to replace them after every 3 to 4 months and this time period depends on their usage. Carbon filters help in reducing odors that are there in the kitchens with range ventilation hoods that recirculate the air in the kitchen rather than venting the air outside the home. If you replace them every 3 to 4 months, it will help in making sure that all these odors don’t linger in your kitchen.
What are the main range hood filter types?
As we know that hoods are designed in such a way that they can remove smoke, heat, steam, and fumes, as well as dirty kitchen air. Nevertheless, the air in commercial kitchens is basically filled with bits of grease and food residues that may quickly clog up the ductwork in a hood system if not filtered out in a proper way. Just by selecting the proper hood filter for your company, you can keep your exhaust hood working at peak performance and ensure clean kitchen air.
Range Hood Filter types
Stainless steel exhaust hood filter
These kinds of hood filters are durable and very easy to wash which would make them best for high-volume establishments where saving time is much more important than any other activity. These kinds of filters can be placed in the dishwasher or soaked in water, not like filters that are made of aluminum. They can also be cleaned by hand or with a pressure washer and are available in an array of styles and sizes to fit common kitchen exhaust hoods.
Aluminum exhaust hood filter
Aluminum hood filters are a more economical choice for lower-volume kitchens. However, they are not as durable as stainless-steel filters might be. Aluminum hood filters are best cleaned by hand and should not be placed in a commercial dishwasher in any case.
How often should you change your range hood filter?
In that case, if you are frequently cooking on your stovetop you might wish to change your filters after every six months. Otherwise, changing the filter once a year should be enough as the filters will continue to perform in the best way possible.
How to clean range hood filters in dishwasher?
Yes, as it is rightly said that your range hood filters are dishwasher friendly so you certainly can place your range hood filter in the dishwasher. Also the above cleaning hack shows, rangehood filters can be washed thoroughly in a dishwasher and they also work best when put on a very hot cycle for pots and pans if your dishwasher has the following settings.
Can All Filters Be Cleaned?
There are basically three kinds of filters on most range hoods:
- Fabric grease filters
- Metallic grease filters
- Charcoal filters
Grease filters, as also their name suggests, have the unique purpose of filtering out oil fumes and grease from your kitchen. They are also present in all range hoods with the exclusion of a few models in the past as they are much more modified now.
How to Choose Commercial Kitchen Hood Filters?
How to clean stubborn Grease from range hood filters?
If you have never cleaned your stove hood filter before, there are high chances that time and heat may have caused the collected grease to form an almost laminated surface that is attracted to the filter material. You can get stubborn grease cleaned off your stove hood filters simply by soaking them overnight in a resealable bag filled with 1 cup of plain household ammonia. And on the next day, you will have to remove the filters and use an old toothbrush to scrub away any grime, then wash it with warm, soapy water and rinse it well. Once it is completely dry, put your clean range hood filter back in place.
