How To Clean Your Oven Range Hood To Remove Years Of Grease And Grime

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The oven range hood is an often-neglected part of a nightly kitchen shutdown cleaning practice, but it can collect a hefty amount of dirt, grease, and debris over time. The job of a range hood and vent is to keep your kitchen air as clean as possible while you cook by removing excess moisture, like that from steam or spattering grease. It also helps regulate temperature, making for a more pleasant cooking experience. To make sure your appliance is operating at its best, it should be maintained regularly. To clean your range hood, make sure you start by either unplugging it or turning off the circuit breaker (Make sure you're aware of everything else connected to that breaker as well). Once unplugged, wipe down the exterior of the hood with a soft cloth or sponge, and cleaning solution. 

Whether you have a ductless or a duct-based oven range hood, there's a filter installed on the underside that can be removed and cleaned. Once it's no longer connected to power, you can remove the filter to clean the interior of the hood, like the fan blades. Wipe down the interior with a soft sponge or cloth and your preferred cleaning solution. To clean the filter, first soak it in warm water mixed with a small amount of dish soap. It's best to use a standalone bucket to soak the filter so that you avoid putting any damaging grease down your drain or through your dishwasher. Once you've soaked the filter, you can wipe it clean with a soft towel like HOMEXCEL Microfiber Cleaning Cloths. 

If you cook often, your oven range hood should be cleaned once per month. However, if you aren't a frequent cook, you might be able to get away with cleaning it every three months or so. The best way to know is to occasionally look at the filter to see if there's any build-up. While a mix of water and dish soap can work well for gentler degreasing, sometimes the job might require something stronger, like a specialized degreaser or other chemical-free option.

Lemon is the key ingredient to cleaning your grimy oven, but baking soda is the answer to degreasing your oven range grates and filters. Mix half baking soda and half white vinegar to make a paste that's abrasive enough to scrub away buildup, but still gentle on your appliance surfaces. Another option for removing kitchen grime might be in your laundry room. A steam cleaner can be used to remove even the most challenging debris. Once you've deep-cleaned your range hood, it's easier to maintain it with regular cleaning. The exterior of your range hood should be wiped down every day to remove grease and dirt. This will also help prevent any unwanted "additives" from falling into your food as you cook.