How to clean a greasy range hood filter

Know your filter first

CHOICE, the Australian consumer organisation, describes two kinds of grease filter. It says the most common one in a household hood has a mesh or honeycomb structure, and it calls the baffle filter, with vertical slats or channels, a more heavy-duty type found in commercial kitchens, though Samsung makes home hoods with a baffle filter too, so check which one yours has. Recirculating hoods also carry a carbon or charcoal filter, and that one is not washable.

Samsung says its charcoal filter lasts six months to one year, while CHOICE says carbon filters are often replaced every 3 to 4 months. The sources differ, so go by your manual. If you cannot tell which filter you have, the manual or the model number will say.

How to clean a mesh or baffle filter

1. Switch the hood off, unplug it if you can, and let it cool. CHOICE advises exactly that before any cleaning.
2. Slide or unclip the filter. On Samsung hoods the baffle filter comes out by pulling a spring release handle and pulling it down, with two hands. Yours may differ, so check the manual.
3. Soak it in warm water with a mild detergent. Broan-NuTone says 15 to 20 minutes per side for best results. CHOICE suggests about 10 minutes in hot soapy water.
4. Scrub gently with a soft brush, with extra time on the thick spots.
5. Rinse well, then dry thoroughly with a soft cloth before refitting, as Samsung advises.

For stubborn grease, CHOICE says a longer soak or baking soda may help. It adds that commercial grease-dissolving sprays should only be used if the product specifically approves use on rangehood filters.

Hand wash or dishwasher

Broan-NuTone says some filters are dishwasher safe and tells you to check your owner's manual, and to use a non-phosphate detergent for metal filters. Samsung says its baffle filter can go in the dishwasher or be washed in hot water and dish detergent.

CHOICE notes that discolouration may occur in the dishwasher, and that hand washing keeps the finish better. Broan-NuTone says discolouration from phosphate detergents or local water conditions will not affect filter performance, so it is cosmetic.

How often

CHOICE says the hood and its grease filters should be cleaned around every 1 to 2 months, depending on how often you cook greasy or fatty food. If you fry or stir-fry most days, lean toward the shorter end. If you mostly boil and bake, the longer end is reasonable. A filter that looks dark and feels sticky is due, whatever the calendar says.

What to avoid

• Caustic cleaners. CHOICE says never to use them on a filter, because many filters contain aluminum and it describes the combination as an explosion risk.
• Abrasives on the hood. Samsung says not to use abrasive cleaners or materials on the hood or controls, and lists spray cleaners, alcohol-based and chlorine-based cleaners, steel wool and scouring pads, because they may scratch the surface.
• Phosphate detergents in the dishwasher, which Broan-NuTone links to discolouration.
• Washing a charcoal filter. Samsung says charcoal filters are not washable.
• Mixing cleaners. Health Canada says bleach reacts with any cleaning product containing ammonia or an acid, including vinegar, to release toxic gases. Read the label and ventilate.

Why it is worth doing

The City of Toronto says to keep the stove and oven clean because built-up grease and food particles are easily ignited, and that residential cooking is one of the leading causes of fire-related deaths. That page does not mention range hoods by name. A filter caked in grease is built-up grease, so the same reasoning applies. Health Canada adds that you should always use the range hood exhaust fan when cooking, preferably on the highest setting, and maintain it so there is adequate air movement.

When a full kitchen deep clean makes sense

The filter is the easy part. If it comes clean but the hood interior, the tile behind the stove and the cabinet fronts above it are still sticky, or if the filter has been left a long time, the grease has spread beyond what a soak reaches. That is the point where a whole-kitchen clean saves effort.

Our kitchen deep cleaning covers the range hood and filter, stove top and burners, backsplash and tiles, and cabinet fronts and handles. Steam melts grease so it lifts onto microfibre instead of spreading, with no degreaser. If you are cleaning the kitchen before a move, our move-in and move-out cleaning includes the kitchen and its appliances. Here is a range hood we cleaned in Brampton: the before photo shows a hood filter covered in brown grease and dark specks, and the after photo shows the stainless steel hood interior bright and clean.

We come to you in Brampton, Mississauga and across the rest of our area, and all we need is access and a standard power outlet nearby. To ask about your kitchen, message us.

Sources

1. Broan-NuTone. How do I clean my range hood grease filters?
2. Samsung. Clean your Samsung range hood and vents
3. CHOICE (Australia). How to clean your rangehood
4. City of Toronto. Kitchen safety
5. Health Canada. Reduce your risk from toxic gases: never mix bleach with other cleaning products
6. Health Canada. Guide to addressing moisture and mould indoors