Are you a whiz in the kitchen? If you’re a foodie and love nothing more than whipping up a gourmet feast, you will know the importance of proper appliance maintenance. Your oven is your best friend. So — if you don’t keep its hood grease-free — you could run into some problems. Luckily, we have the answer for you. This short and sweet guide will look at how to clean cooker hood filters and some handy tips on keeping them clean.
Why you should clean your cooker hood filters
Before we go any further, let’s take a moment to delve into why you should clean your cooker hood filters. Since the hood sits directly above the stove, all the grease and grime rise up towards it. The main purpose of this filter is to catch all of that. However, there’s one problem, over time, it can build up and become clogged. When that happens, you will find that it doesn’t work as well as it once did and could be a risk.
It can be a real hazard if your cooker hood filter is full of grease. According to a report from the Express newspaper, there are four problems you can expect to see here:
● Fire risk
If you haven’t cleaned your cooker hood filter in a while, there may be an increased risk of fire in your kitchen. Since the grease is highly flammable, it could set alight if it gets too hot when you are cooking. However, the report notes that you don’t need to use an open flame for this type of problem. Any kind of heat can cause a fire to start.
● Smoke hazards
It’s not just fires that you need to worry about! You could find that a greasy cooker hood filter can lead to steam and smoking hanging around your kitchen. As you may already know, the whole point of the extractor fan is to prevent this from happening. However, when it is clogged up with grease, it stops being able to do that. To avoid this problem, it is best to learn how to clean cooker hood filters and do it regularly.
● Mould problems
You cook in your kitchen, so you need it to be as clean as possible. It might be a shock to learn that a grease build-up in your cooker hood filters can lead to bacteria and mould. The moisture in the hood makes for an excellent breeding ground for any type of bacteria. You should clean them often to avoid this issue.
● Financial issues
Are you trying to watch your pennies? If the answer is yes, it pays to clean your cooker hood filters regularly. When your home gets smoky — as a result of not cleaning your extractor fan — it can damage your ceilings and walls. That means you will have to redecorate your home more often than you might imagine. Fixing those annoying issues will cost you both time and money. So save yourself all that trouble!
To save money on redecorating costs, learn how to clean walls.
How to clean the stove hood extractor fan
Now that you know why you should clean the stove hood extractor fan, let’s delve into how you can get the job done. The good news is that this is much easier than you might imagine. You don’t need to have any technical know-how to get it right. Just gather some things — that you likely already have at home – and follow our simple steps here.
You will need the following:
- Bucket
- Soft, dry cloth
- Hot water
- Baking soda
- Soft bristle brush
- Washing-up liquid
- Old newspaper
Step 1: Remove the filters
Want to know how to clean an extractor fan? The first thing you need to do — before you get to work — is remove the filters from the extractor fan cooking hood. In most cases, this will be relatively simple. You can slot them out of the cooker hood and bring them down onto the surface. If you have any trouble with this step, you might want to refer back to your oven manual to get a full breakdown of what you need to do to get it right.
Step 2: Fill the bucket up
Next up, you need to fill the bucket with some hot water. Finally, add some washing-up liquid and a teaspoon of baking soda. That makes the perfect cleaning combination for your extra fan filters.
Step 3: Put the filters in the water
When you’ve done all of the above, the next step is to thoroughly submerge the extractor fan filters in the bucket. Make sure every part of the filter is covered. If the pieces don’t quite fit, you might have to do one or two at a time. Alternatively, you could use two buckets.
Step 4: Allow them to soak
Leave the extractor fan filters to soak for around 10 minutes. Then, if you have more time to spare, you can leave them there for 20 minutes. However, you shouldn’t leave them for longer, or you may find that the water starts to damage the metal on the filters.
Step 5: Scrub the filters
The next step means taking the kitchen extractor filters out of the water and scrubbing them. You can use both the soft brush and the cloth for this job. You may want to use the brush to target any of the stains or marks you find on your filters. On the other hand, the cloth is better for more general marks and can be used all over them.
Step 6: Leave the filters to dry
Lay out some old newspaper on the side and put down each filter. You want to ensure that each kitchen extractor panel is completely dry before you put everything back together. Ideally, you will need to leave the filters for around an hour.
Step 7: Put the extractor fan back together
The final thing you need to do here is put the extractor fan back together. Again, you should follow the instructions that you can find in your oven manual to get this right. The whole job should take you around five minutes to complete!
Tips for keeping your oven hood grease-free
Okay, we have covered how to clean cooker hood filters, but what can you do to keep them looking their best? When you are cooking in your kitchen, there are a few things that you can try that will make all of the difference. Here are some top tips to keep in mind:
- Allow the filters to cool when you have cooked, and then wipe them down
- Always turn the extractor fans on when you are cooking on the hob
- Deal with marks — such as stains and grease — immediately
These rules will help you get the best out of your extractor fan. It may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but you must be aware of this vital maintenance.
Now that you’ve read our simple guide, you should be a pro when it comes to how to clean extractor fan filters. Don’t put this task off. The sooner you clean your kitchen filters, the better. If you leave this issue for too long, you can end up causing yourself more problems.
Q&A
Did we miss something? If you’ve got a question you need answering, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of the frequently asked questions for you:
What is the best way to clean a hood filter?
The simplest option is the best, as we have described here. You should use baking soda, washing-up liquid (or gentle soap!), and hot water. You can submerge the filters and scrub off any greasy stains or marks. Simple.
How do you degrease an extractor fan?
Keeping your extractor fan clean is essential. To degrease it, you should remove the filters and then clean them individually. You can use a warm water and soap combination to get this right. Be sure to clean your fan filters regularly.
Does vinegar dissolve grease?
If you are dealing with a significant greasy build-up, you may be looking for something to cut through. One of the best solutions is to use vinegar spray and a cloth. However, you should check that vinegar doesn’t react badly with the type of metal your panels are made of first.
When was the last time you cleaned your cooker hood filters? Let us know in the comments below!
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