How to Clean the Cooker Hood

Every day, cooker hoods absorb large amounts of fat and dirt. Over time, their filters become clogged, which impairs performance. Also, a nasty, sticky coating appears on the hood’s surface.

To avoid problems, it’s better to clean the appliance regularly. We at 5-Minute Crafts have prepared a useful guide on how to do it quickly and efficiently.

Making preparations

1. Remove the filters from the hood. Usually, to do this, you need to press the button on the filter, open the latch, or unscrew some screws. If you have doubts about the procedure, take a look at the manual for your appliance first.

Important: Before disassembling the hood, make sure that it’s switched off!

2. If there are fabric or carbon filters inside your cooker hood, they’ll need to be replaced. Metal filters should be cleaned regularly to extend their service life.

3. Inspect the cooker hood’s outer surface. If there’s a little dirt, wipe the appliance with a soft cloth soaked in dish detergent. However, if both the hood and the filter have resistant patches of fatty residue, stronger cleaning products should be used.

Important: Before starting to clean the filter mesh, don’t forget to put on protective rubber gloves!

Cleaning with a mixture of soda and vinegar

You will need:

• A large saucepan or, if all your saucepans are too small for the filters, a baking tray

• Water

• Baking soda

• Vinegar

• A dish-washing sponge

How to clean it:

1. Fill your saucepan or baking tray with water. Bring the liquid to a boil.

2. Put the filter in boiling water and add 3 tbsp of vinegar and 2 tsp of baking soda. Stir the solution.

3. Turn off the stove and let the filter sit in the solution for about 30 minutes. If the mesh filter doesn’t fit fully into the saucepan, submerge it alternately with one end, then the other.

4. Carefully remove the filter from the saucepan and place it in the sink. Wipe the surface of the mesh with a sponge and rinse with water.

Cleaning with baking soda

You will need:

• A large saucepan

• Hot water

• Baking soda

• A dish-washing sponge

How to clean it:

1. Fill the saucepan with hot water.

2. Mix baking soda with water at a ratio of about 1/2 cup per 1.3 gallons (5 liters).

3. Immerse the filter in the resulting solution for about 10-15 minutes. If the filter does not fit completely into the pan, let one end sit in the liquid, then, after the allotted time, turn the filter over and submerge the other end.

4. Remove the filter from the saucepan with the baking soda solution, then wipe it with a dish sponge and rinse with water.

Cleaning with household soap

You will need:

• A bar of household soap

• A grater

• A deep saucepan or basin

• An old toothbrush

How to clean it:

1. Grate about half a bar of household soap. You can also use liquid soap or soap powder.

2. Pour hot water into a basin or a large saucepan.

3. Mix the soap with water and immerse the filter mesh into the resulting solution. Leave the filter to soak for 15-20 minutes.

4. Use a toothbrush to remove softened dirt, then rinse the filter with cold water.

Cleaning with cola

You will need:

• A large baking tray

• Coca-Cola or Pepsi

• A dish-washing sponge or toothbrush

How to clean it:

1. Place the filter mesh in the baking tray and add cola.

2. Leave the filter to soak in the cola for about 24 hours.

3. After some time, remove the filter from the cola-filled tray, rinse with water, and wipe with a sponge or brush.

What to do after washing the filter

After having washed the mesh, wipe all the main accessible parts of the cooker hood with a soft, damp cloth. Wipe the filter with paper napkins or a soft cloth and dry thoroughly. Put the filter back in place and turn on the appliance.