Clearing the Air: Mastering Vent Hood Cleaning for a Fresher Kitchen
When you clean your kitchen, do you tell yourself you’ll tackle the vent hood another day?
“Another day” often turns into months — and meanwhile, the grime builds to the point that you wonder if any amount of scrubbing will take it off.
Tidy Up Portland! is here to encourage you to clean that vent hood. Just knowing a systematic approach to vent hood cleaning can make it seem far less intimidating.
Read on to learn how to clean the interior and exterior of your vent hood, tips about which materials to use, and how often deep cleaning should be performed.
Table of Contents
Why Is It Important To Clean Your Stove Vent Hood?
Stove vent hoods have a variety of configurations, but the goal of each is to filter polluted air, whether by venting it outside the home or recirculating filtered air into the home. Hoods may be ducted or ductless and contain charcoal filters to stop odors and grease filters to collect grease.
As the polluted air is filtered through the appliance, excess heat and moisture are also removed from the room.
If your vent hood is not cleaned periodically, your kitchen’s filtration system will be suboptimal. For efficient filtration and ventilation, clean both the exterior and interior of the vent hood thoroughly including the fan blades and filter.
If you’d rather have the cleaning done by a professional, Tidy Up Portland! is here to serve you. Contact us today to schedule a cleaning appointment.
6 Steps To Exterior Vent Hood Cleaning
The outside of your vent hood is one of the centers of visual attention when you walk into your kitchen.
A dirty vent hood is an eyesore and may contribute to a sense that the food prepared under it is of inferior quality. If you want the setting of your meals to be welcoming and the food appetizing, cleaning the vent hood regularly is important.
Step #1: Prepare the Area
You’ll want a clear working area on your stove and the surrounding countertops while you are cleaning your vent hood. This will make things less hectic and ensure that grease or debris that falls from the hood can be easily wiped away.
Step #2: Unplug and Disassemble the Unit
Unplug the unit and turn off the circuit breaker that powers it before removing the filters. Charcoal filters need to be replaced every two months or so, but stainless steel and aluminum mesh filters can be cleaned to prolong their use.
Step #3: Wipe Down the Exterior
The buildup of grease and stains is most noticeable on the exterior of the vent hood. To clean the exterior, make a mild cleaning mixture by filling a spray bottle with warm water and a few drops of dish soap.
Scrub in the direction of the grain of the stainless steel with a microfiber cloth. This will help break down the grease on the vent hood. If you need something more powerful, make a paste of baking soda and vinegar for tougher jobs.
Step #4: Soak the Filters and Grates
Cleaning vent hood filters is a chore often overlooked, but it is essential to maintain filtration efficiency. Soak the filters and grates in warm soapy water to loosen buildup. After rinsing in warm water, allow them to dry before putting them back in the vent hood.
Step #5: Scrub the Filters
While cleaning vent hood filters, you may realize a long soak doesn’t do the job. The filters may need scrubbing, but using abrasive scrubbers can cause damage. Use a soft-bristled, non-stick pan cleaning brush, a mild cleaning agent such as dish soap, and a soft cloth.
Step #6: Reassemble and Polish the Unit
After cleaning the filters and exterior, give them a final wipe-down. Then reassemble them before applying polish to make them look freshly clean.
Commonly Asked Questions About Vent Hood Cleaning
How Do You Clean the Inside of a Vent Hood?
Cleaning the inside of your vent hood is just as important as cleaning the outside. Accumulation of grease will lower the appliance’s efficiency when it comes to ventilating your kitchen’s air.
To effectively clean vent hood filters, follow these steps:
Using a damp cloth, wipe the inside of the hood, navigating around the blower motor or exhaust fan. Or you can remove the blowers and clean them separately. Be careful not to use too much water inside the unit.
If a damp cloth isn’t enough to remove grime inside your vent hood, there are a few options. You can also use glass cleaner or a cleaning solution with a degreasing agent (applied to the cloth, not directly onto the hood surface).
Use a dry towel to rewipe the vent hood. Be sure to wipe in the direction of the grain. Depending on how the steel was manufactured, the grain is usually vertical or horizontal. If you wipe against the grain, you should feel some resistance.
How Often Should Hood Vents Be Cleaned?
Monthly hood vent cleaning should be sufficient to keep it working efficiently and looking its best.
If you don’t cook much, however, once every three months may be reasonable. Refer to your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommendations for a schedule specific to your appliance.
You don’t need to clean your vent hood as often as you do your stovetop, which should be cleaned after each major cooking session.
What’s the Best Way To Remove Grease From a Vent Hood?
Sometimes soap and warm water just don’t do the trick to remove layer upon layer of greasy buildup.
If that is the case, add baking soda or vinegar to the water and wear rubber gloves when you begin washing. A degreaser such as Simple Green or Formula 409 may be necessary for extra hard deposits.
Tidy Up Portland! — Bringing the Sparkle to Portland’s Kitchens Since 2018
Avoid the hassle altogether by hiring Tidy Up Portland! to help clean your vent hood for you with our maintenance cleaning package.
For a more in-depth deep cleaning that goes above and beyond, you can add on tasks you’d rather not dirty your hands with, like cleaning the exhaust fans and filters in your vent hood.
Tidy Up Portland! offers:
Fast and easy online booking
Eco-friendly services
Flat rate fees
Customizable options to suit your unique cleaning needs
Our team is friendly, highly professional, and trustworthy. Each new member is hired only after passing a background check and a rigorous evaluation to ensure they work consistently, thoroughly, and honestly.
Tidy Up Portland! promises to perform the cleaning service you request in a timely manner with minimal disruption to your routine.
Visit our website to learn more and to see what our clients have to say about our work.
We look forward to assisting you with your cleaning goals.
