Having a dirty oven hood can cause your home to look and smell bad--plus be a serious fire hazard. Kitchen stove hoods remove grease and steam, as well as odors and carbon monoxide from your home or business. Keeping the filters and hood clean will make your kitchen look cleaner, smell better and reduce the risk of fire. There are easy ways to eliminate the buildup with little effort.
Cleaning the Hood
The interior and exterior of the hood are much less important to keep clean than the filter and fan; however, keeping the hood clean will drastically improve the look of your kitchen. If the interior and exterior of the hood are wiped down regularly, it is easy to keep clean. The interior tends to be more difficult, as it is harder to access. Wipe the interior and exterior of the hood down with a mixture of water, dish-washing soap, and ammonia to help cut the built-up grease. Do not use soap that includes any type of bleach as it can create hazardous fumes when mixed with ammonia.
Cleaning the Filter
The filter will be the area with the most buildup. See your owner's manual for instructions on removing the filter. Once the filter has been removed, you have a few options for cleaning it. The easiest option is to put it in your dishwasher on high heat by itself. If that doesn't work, you can either soak the filter overnight in a water and ammonia solution, or melt the grease buildup off.
To melt the grease off, put a layer of newspaper about 1/2-inch thick on a pan. Place the filter on the newspaper and cook it in the oven at 250 degrees for an hour or two. Once it is done cooking, much of the grease should be gone. Immediately run it through the dishwasher to thoroughly clean and rinse it.
If you have a charcoal filter in your hood, don't attempt to clean it. Once a charcoal filter becomes dirty, it must be replaced.
Cleaning the Fan
If the fan in your stove's hood is removable, take it out prior to cleaning it. Wipe the blades down with the same mixture of water, dish-washing soap, and ammonia to eliminate buildup. Also, oil the fan's bearings, but be sure to wipe any excess oil away. Keeping the fan blades clean will also increase the air suction caused by the fan. Oiling the bearings will help keep the fan in good running order as well as eliminate unnecessary noise from the fan.
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