Regular cleaning of the components of the hood from fat accumulation ensures efficient operation of the equipment and makes it easier to care for the furniture and the kitchen area as whole. So, let’s figure out how to clean the hood in the kitchen.

Preparing the hood for cleaning

Complete and thorough cleaning of exhaust equipment is carried out after preliminary preparation, during which the following must be done:

  • Read the hood's operating instructions. It contains recommendations for disassembling the structure, equipment diagram, and care tips.
  • Disconnect the device from the power supply.
  • Remove the bottom panel, behind which the filters and motors are hidden.
  • Remove the filter.
  • Disassemble the pipe between the ventilation duct and the hood.
  • Assess how dirty the device is from the outside.

At the preparatory stage, it is recommended to wash each part with degreasing cleaner using hard sponge.

Ways to clean kitchen hood

The dirtiest element in the hood is the filter, since it is through it that air passes, leaving traces of grease. Filters for kitchen hoods are divided into two types:

  • greasy (grid made of anodized aluminum, galvanized or stainless steel, metal alloy, and even acrylic),
  • carbon (replaceable filter in the form of cassette containing activated carbon for additional cleaning).

Carbon filters are usually installed on hoods if they operate in recirculation mode, without venting air into the ventilation shaft. They cannot be reused and are thrown away when they become dirty. We’ll talk about how to put in order the grease filter, which is installed by default in any hood operating in air exhaust mode.

In dishwasher

The easiest way to clean the grease filter is to wash it in the dishwasher. This procedure can be done quite often. It will save your hands from the harmful effects of chemicals, save time, and allow you to constantly maintain the filter in good condition.

If there is no dishwasher, or the rack does not fit in it, the good old manual method will come to the rescue, using lot of different cleaning products - from synthetic to natural.

Dishwashing liquid

If you take care of your kitchen appliances regularly, about once every month or two, the procedure will not take much time and will not get on your nerves, and regular dishwashing detergent will be enough for cleaning. Liquid or gel products contain relatively safe chemicals that dissolve fats and dirt, so they can easily cope with fresh dirt. Cleaning is carried out in three steps:

  • detergent is dissolved in warm water, filter is placed in the solution;
  • cleaned with sponge or brush until shiny;
  • rinsed with boiling water, wiped with napkin.

Cleaning the filter with regular detergent

Soda

You can try to solve the question of how to clean the hood using soda by following these steps:

  • select container according to the size of the filter, fill with water and put on fire;
  • slowly pour half glass of soda into boiling water;
  • after minute or two, immerse the grate;
  • after half an hour, remove and rinse with running water.

Laundry soap

The next safe and effective method is laundry soap. The procedure is similar to the previous method, but has its own nuances:

  • approximately 50 grams of soap (half standard bar) with high percentage of fat content is grated and placed in container, for example pan;
  • 2.5 liters of water are poured into the container, 50 grams of salt and soda are added and mixed until completely dissolved;
  • grate is placed in the solution and boiled for 2 – 3 hours;
  • After cooling, the filter is cleaned with hard sponge and rinsed.

Lemon juice

There is another way to clean grease from your hood. This is to rub the filter with lemon and let it sit for 10 - 15 minutes. During this time, the juice should eat away the fat, and it can be easily removed with napkin. You can repeat the procedure 2 – 3 times.

Coca Cola

And, of course, you can use popular and universal household remedy - Coca-Cola. The drink is used to descale kettle and iron, remove greasy stains from clothes, and also wash filters. Success is ensured by the properties of orthophosphoric acid. The procedure is very simple:

  • put the filter in container;
  • pour Coca-Cola so that it completely covers the part;
  • leave for an hour;
  • clean with sponge;
  • rinse with running water.
Cleaning with improvised home remedies

Acetic acid or vinegar

The filter is moistened with the product using napkin, and after 15 - 20 minutes the layer of dirt and grease is cleaned off with metal sponge and rag.

If not single method using improvised means gives clean grate without residual grease and dirt, you should resort to more aggressive chemicals.

Drastic cleaning methods

Among the products containing active chemical components that will cope well with the fat layer, the following should be highlighted:

  • Ammonia. If you boil the filter in 4 liters of boiling water with the addition of 100 mg of ammonia for 10 - 15 minutes, the oldest fatty deposits will come off. The main thing is not to forget to rinse the grill after the procedure.
  • Liquid drain cleaner commonly known as "Mole". You need to pour liquid into the container, lower the filter, hold for 10 minutes, clean and rinse.
  • Dry "Mole". The grate, placed in container, is sprinkled with powder and filled with boiling water. Within 10 minutes there will be reaction that eats away the fat. Then the part must be thoroughly rinsed with water.
Chemical cleaning
IMPORTANT! Aggressive cleaning agents are dangerous to health, so before cleaning the hood filter from grease, open window, put on rubber gloves and respirator. After the procedure, the solution is carefully poured into the toilet.

Store-bought chemicals, along with grease, can also corrode the thin metal elements that make up the filtration grid. Therefore, hard cleaning should be carried out only in very advanced cases and no more than twice during the entire period of using the hood.

Steam cleaning

Another effective, although somewhat extravagant, method for tech who do not like to work with their hands and are accustomed to quickly solving difficult problems is a steam generator with point nozzle. The steam has temperature of over 150 degrees Celsius and removes grease and dirt in seconds. The unit itself is not cheap, but such an investment pays off quite quickly, because it can be used to clean not only kitchen utensils, but also plumbing fixtures, since steam is also an excellent disinfectant.

Cleaning kitchen utensils with steam generator

Preventing kitchen hood contamination

As you know, it is easier to prevent any problem than to look for solutions later. Therefore, in order to save yourself from lengthy and numerous experiments on the topic of how to clean the hood from grease, it is better to listen to several recommendations from experienced housewives:

  • To make cleaning easier, it is necessary to remove any grease splashes from the surface of the grate immediately after cooking.
Regular cleaning of the grate
  • Fat particles also settle on other components of the hood - the body, the pipe. As practice shows, they are easy to clean with simple dishwashing detergents.

In each home, hoods are used with different intensity, and the models are different, so each housewife finds her own cleaning product, which allows her to maintain perfect cleanliness in the kitchen without unnecessary hassle.