To clean grease off a range hood, unplug it, remove the metal filters and soak them for 20–30 minutes in hot water with dish soap or a degreaser, then wipe the housing with a soapy solution and dry it. Carbon filters are not washed; they are replaced following the manufacturer's instructions.
- Before cleaning, the hood is disconnected from power and the cooktop is covered with a towel, because a removed filter is easy to drop on the glass.
- Aluminum and steel grease filters can be washed; carbon and synthetic ones can only be replaced.
- Baking soda and a dishwasher can darken an aluminum cassette, so use dish soap or a degreaser marked "for aluminum".
- A stainless steel housing is wiped only along the grain, and the product goes on the cloth, not on the buttons.
- With daily cooking, metal filters are cleaned every 1–2 months and the housing is wiped once a week.
What to do before cleaning a range hood
Unplug the hood or switch off its breaker at the panel: wet hands and electronics are a bad combination, and the touch sensor may trigger from a damp cloth. Let the lamps cool: halogen ones get very hot.
Cover the cooktop with a thick towel. A filter cassette is heavier than it looks and easily slips from greasy fingers, and if it lands on glass-ceramic it can leave a chip. Wear gloves: degreasers dry out the skin, and filter edges can be sharp.
Which filter your hood has and whether it can be washed
The filter type determines how to clean it. Check the manual or look at the filter itself: cassettes usually have a marking.
| Filter | What it looks like | Washable | How to care for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum cassette | Several layers of fine mesh in a frame | Yes | Soak in hot water with dish soap, no baking soda |
| Stainless steel | Dense louver-style plates or steel mesh | Yes | Soak, soft brush; dishwasher only if the manual allows it |
| Carbon | Cassette or granule block behind the grease filter | No | Replace usually every 3–6 months, exact interval in the manual; some models have an indicator |
| Synthetic (nonwoven) | Soft fibrous sheet | No | Replace when the sheet has darkened and soaked up grease |
A carbon filter is found in recirculating hoods, which are not connected to a ventilation duct. After washing, an ordinary carbon filter stops absorbing odors, so it is replaced rather than washed. The exception is regenerable models: some manufacturers allow washing them and drying them in the oven, but only strictly following the instructions for that particular hood.
How to clean grease filters: soaking step by step
- Choose a container that fits the whole filter: a sink, a basin, or a bathtub lined with a towel so you don't scratch the enamel.
- Pour in hot water (50–60 °C) and dissolve dish soap in it, about 2–3 tablespoons per 5 liters, or use a kitchen degreaser following its instructions.
- Leave the filter for 20–30 minutes, up to an hour if the grease is thick, replacing the cooled water with hot.
- Go over it with a soft brush along the mesh, not across, so you don't crush the layers.
- Rinse under hot running water and hold the filter up to the light: the cells should be open.
- Dry the filter completely, ideally for several hours, and only then put it back. Do not run the hood without the filter: grease will settle right on the motor.
In Aktau, kitchen grease is rarely "clean": on windy days dust and sand settle on the sticky film, forming a dense gray crust. Such a filter cleans better in two rounds: the first soak removes the top layer and the second takes care of the rest.
Why an aluminum filter darkens and how to avoid it
Aluminum is sensitive to alkali. The popular advice to "boil the filter in baking soda" suits stainless steel, but on an aluminum cassette a hot soda solution leaves a dark gray coating. The same goes for the dishwasher: dishwasher detergents are alkaline, and after several cycles the filter darkens in patches.
Darkening doesn't affect airflow, but it spoils the look. You can lighten the filter slightly by soaking it in a citric acid solution, but the factory shine usually can't be brought back. So for aluminum, use dish soap or a degreaser marked "suitable for aluminum". A dishwasher is acceptable only if the hood manufacturer allows it: on a short, low-temperature program and separately from dishes, otherwise grease from the filter will settle on the plates.
How to clean the housing: stainless steel, enamel and glass
Stainless steel. Brushed stainless steel has a grain direction: fine lines visible in the light. Wipe only along them: strokes across or in circles leave streaks and micro-scratches. Degrease with a soapy solution, rinse with a clean damp cloth and dry it: hard water leaves white dots on steel. A stainless steel polish creates a thin film on which fingerprints are less visible.
Painted and enameled housing. Only a soft sponge and soapy solution, no powders or melamine: the paint on a hood is thinner than it seems and rubs off into matte patches.
Glass. With angled and dome hoods with glass, a common mistake is to spray glass cleaner on right away. It doesn't dissolve grease, it smears it. First remove the grease with a warm soapy solution, then go over it with glass cleaner and buff with dry microfiber. Don't forget the lower edge of the glass and the joint with the housing: grease builds up most there.
Buttons, touch controls and lighting
Never spray product directly on the control panel: liquid seeps under the buttons and into the electronics. Apply it to a cloth, wring it out slightly and wipe. Gaps around mechanical buttons and sliders are easy to clean with a cotton swab or an old toothbrush dipped in soapy solution.
Wipe the touch panel with almost dry microfiber while the hood is unplugged, otherwise it will start switching on from your touches. Alcohol and solvents can wipe off the labels and icons on plastic; soapy solution is enough for buttons. Wash the lamp covers with the same solution once the lamps have cooled, and wipe them dry.
How often to clean a range hood
- Metal filters: every 1–2 months with daily cooking; if you fry every day, every 2–3 weeks.
- Housing and buttons: once a week with a damp cloth, while the grease is fresh and hasn't hardened.
- Carbon filter: replace at the interval the manufacturer states, or by the indicator.
- Inner surface above the filters: every time you clean the filters. Wipe the accessible part with a degreaser on a cloth, and don't touch the motor and fan.
Signs it is time: the hood is louder and pulls worse, cooking odors linger in the apartment, the filter feels sticky, and greasy drops have appeared on the housing. A thick layer of grease is also flammable material right above the flame, especially over a gas stove.
When it's easier to order a cleaning
If the filters haven't been cleaned for years, the hood hangs over a gas stove with a thick crust of grease, or you simply have no time to fuss with basins, it is easier to leave the job to professionals. We degrease the housing, buttons, filters and the accessible chamber behind them using products chosen for the metal, and if you have bought a new carbon filter, we will install it during the cleaning.
Range hood cleaning at Cleaning Lab (housing and grease filters) costs from 5,000 ₸, and oven and hood together cost from 10,000 ₸. If grease has also settled on cabinet fronts, the backsplash and cabinets, it is better to order full kitchen cleaning, from 15,000 ₸ for a kitchen up to 8 m². And during deep cleaning and regular apartment cleaning we clean the hood for free. The general order for cleaning a kitchen, from the stove to the refrigerator, is in the article how to clean a kitchen.