Did you know that you’re supposed to clean the filters for the fan over your stove regularly? Did you know it’s actually super fun? 🙂 Here’s how to clean range hood filters.
OK, so maybe you don’t believe me when I tell you that this dirty little cleaning task is actually pretty fun, but you’ll get it as soon as you try it. It’s just so easy and so satisfying to see all the gunk that comes out of your vent hood filters. It’s truly something that I look forward to and I’m always happy to see this one come up on the to-do list. I’ve shared the process for doing this over in my Instagram stories a few times and I’ve always been surprised by the number of people who either didn’t know how to do this, or didn’t even realize that this is something that you’re supposed to clean. I have to admit that I didn’t know either until seven or eight years ago when we installed our new range hood, but I thought it was just me who was clueless about that. Whether you’ve been meaning to do this task, or whether you didn’t even know that it should be on your list, here’s how to clean range hood filters.
Materials and Tools Needed to Clean Your Range Hood Filter
- Boiling water
- A sink
- Baking soda
- A few drops of essential oil, if you’re feeling fancy
This cleaning project is all about the process, no fancy tools or cleaning supplies required! Baking soda is once again the star of the show and of course, no one’s surprised. 🙂
By the way, you can buy new range hood filters pretty easily on amazon if you feel like yours are just terrible and you need a fresh start. Just check the dimensions of your existing filters and order some in the same size.
How to Clean Range Hood Filters – Step-by-step
It’s best to do this project when you know you won’t be needing to turn your vent hood on again for 12-24 hours, so after dinner is a great time to do this. You’ll need to allow a good amount of drying time and overnight works well.
The first thing you’ll need to do is boil a big pot of water on the stove. I just use my biggest dutch oven.
Then you’ll need to remove the filters from your range hood. They should just lift right out.
Place the filters in a sink with the drain plugged and sprinkle and 1/2 cup of baking soda over top.
Sprinkle a few drops of lemon or lavender essential oil as well if your filters have a bad stale grease smell to them to freshen things up even more.
Pour the boiling water directly over the filters and watch as your sink fills up with all the disgusting muck that immediately starts coming out of your filters. So gross, yet so amazing to watch. 🙂
I should also note that if you find that part of your kitchen has had a stale grease smell and the reason for you deciding to clean your range hood filters is because of it, it’s also super important to wipe down all the smooth, non-porous surfaces on the underside of your range hood, in and around where the filters sit. The filters themselves suck up a lot of grease, dust, and odors, but you’d be amazed at how much grease and dust can come to rest on those smooth surfaces and actually hold onto doors, even if those surfaces don’t look particularly dirty. A good wipe-down will help the freshness factor considerably as well.
And that’s really all there is to it! Replace your filters when they’re dry and continue on with your cooking!
Do you remember to clean your range hood filters on a regular basis? Do you love doing this task as much as I do?
MORE IDEAS LIKE THIS
- What to Clean in April
- What to Use Instead When You Run Out of Dishwasher Tabs
- How to Clean White Canvas Sneakers
- How to Clean Wicker Baskets
- The Creek Line House Cleaning Archives
This post contains affiliate links.
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.