When it comes to deep cleaning the kitchen, one appliance is constantly overlooked: the range hood. With all of the other kitchen appliances on your chores list, it's easy to overlook the range hood, but a clean range hood is essential for a clean kitchen
Range hoods extract all the smoke, exhaust, and other particles from the air, which improves your air quality as you cook. But when it's uncleaned, the dirty filters create a smoke blockage and stink up your kitchen with a greasy, unappealing smell.
To avoid that, putting your range hood on a regular cleaning schedule is a must!
Dust Be Gone
Your first step to cleaning a greasy range hood is dusting the outside. You might not think it, but since all the smoke and exhaust flow up, some of it sticks to the outside of your hood, not just your vents. So, you'll need to dust off the dry particles from the surface.
But before you dust the inner and outer roof, place a cloth down on your stovetop, so the dirt and debris don't make it dirty! Then, make sure you get all the narrow places, corners, and outer edges.
The Wipe Down
Of course, just dusting isn't enough to get the outside clean — it needs a good wipe down. For that, you'll need to:
- Make a foamy liquid using a mixture of soap and warm water.
- Use a scrubbing brush or sponge to scrub the surfaces.
- Wipe down the rest with a kitchen towel, dust cloth, etc., to get the rest of the dirt particles.
You can also use a vinegar solution or anti-grease dish soap for tough, greasy spots.
Under the Hood
Now that the outside of your vent hood is clean, it's time to tackle the inside. Since the interior has filters and wiring, you'll need to be extra careful. As a precaution, you should remove the grease filters first and wear rubber gloves! Then it's time to start cleaning:
- Mix some baking soda with water.
- Soak a scrub brush in the mixture and add your degreasing soap.
- Effortlessly scrub the interior.
Some parts of your range hood might be extra greasy, especially if you have a gas range. For those spots you'll need to create a baking soda paste and leave it on for half an hour before scrubbing it.
Don't Forget the Filters
Cleaning your range hood filters is probably the most essential since these deal with all the soot and grime from your cooking. So, you'll need to clean your filters regularly using these steps:
- Wipe away large debris with a sponge, brush, or towel.
- Fill up your sink or tub with hot water and add a teaspoon of anti-grease dish soap/degreaser and a 1/4th cup of baking soda.
- Put the filters in the water and soak them for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Use a scrub brush to gently rub the filters, then rinse them off and dry them.
- Spray a vinegar solution on the filters and clean with a soft towel or microfiber cloth.
- Once completely dry, put the filters back in your range hood.
Repeat the process as much as necessary to remove large debris and tough grease and improve your air quality.
Routine Checkups
With range hoods, you also have to make sure your vent or duct is clean, too. The vent, or duct, is the long pipe installed above your cooking station that moves the exhaust and strong smells to the outside. Since that is its main function, you need to make sure it doesn't have a buildup of grease and grime.
So, you'll need to remove the vent cap and check for debris. If you find grime buildup that looks like it's clogging up the pipe, you'll need to call a professional to clean it.
Pro Tip: To prevent grease and grime from clogging up your vent, clean your filters and range hood every three to six weeks.
Make Your Kitchen Shine
Cleaning the kitchen is no one's idea of fun, but the results are well worth it. When you have a sparkling kitchen with gleaming appliances, you can't help but be inspired to start cooking. But if you find that your range hood isn't up to snuff even after a deep clean, it's time to start thinking about an upgrade.
If you have any questions, please give us a call or stop by. At Richard Appliance, we can't wait to help you create the kitchen of your dreams!