Author Topic: My range hood filters are disgusting  (Read 5226 times)

Cressida

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My range hood filters are disgusting
« on: March 08, 2018, 11:01:40 PM »
Somehow I've never lived in one place quite long enough that it became a matter of urgency to clean the range hood filters. That no longer applies at my current residence.

Most of my cleaning skills I learned from my mom,* but range hood filters never came up,** so I'm quite honestly at a loss. Google is suggesting all kinds of things, ranging from baking soda and vinegar (I have a very hard time believing this would suffice), through an ammonia bath (yikes), up to just tossing them once a year (yeah I don't think so).

I know we are all inveterate DIYers here,*** so does anyone have a method they can recommend? I much appreciate any help.


*It wasn't a learning opportunity, trust me; more like a chore-delegation opportunity.

**Were they less common in the '80s? I have no idea.

***aspirationally, anyway.

Morning Glory

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2018, 03:52:39 AM »
Is your filter made of metal mesh? If so just put it in the dishwasher.

Sibley

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2018, 07:38:29 AM »
Oven cleaner and hot water. 1. Spray with hot water. 2. Spray with oven cleaner. 3. Run away for a bit from the fumes. 4. Rinse with hot water. 5. Flip. 6. Repeat as many times as needed. I assume that oven cleaner is a heavy duty degreaser. Also, make sure you clean your sink and address the grease that went down the drain when you're done.

Be careful with the dishwasher - depending on variables, you can end up needing to clean the dishwasher too.

Cressida

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2018, 06:42:47 PM »
Be careful with the dishwasher - depending on variables, you can end up needing to clean the dishwasher too.

Oh wow, I would not have thought of that. Yuck.

lizzzi

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2018, 07:21:39 PM »
I can remember using ammonia when I was a military wife  and had to clean the stove to a white glove level. I would do it in warm weather, and make sure kids or pets were nowhere around. I remember filling the broiler pan with ammonia, and soaking the filter in it, then scrubbing it with steel wool (if I remember right), and turning the garden hose on it. After that, it was clean enough to bring in the house and clean more conventionally--dishwashing liquid, etc. I finally figured out ( after a lot of elbow grease) that pure ammonia was the only thing that cleaned the grease off the stove, so I bought some heavy rubber gloves, ventilated well when kids/pets were not around, and just kept that thing scrubbed down at all times. P.S. I have been told in subsequent years that inspectors had never seen a stove as clean as mine.

There is a product in a purple bottle used for automotive de-greasing that I've heard recommended, but I have no personal knowledge of it.

big_owl

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2018, 07:30:54 PM »
Yeah, just put it in the dishwasher....problem solved.  Or you could use braker cleaner and spray it down outside....dishwasher is easier though.

kaizen soze

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2018, 09:48:16 PM »
You've already put more thought into this than I ever have. But I get mine reasonably clean just soaking in a sink full of hot water and dish soap followed by some scrubbing. They don't get totally clean but that's ok by me. They get mostly clean and they'll be dirty again soon enough.

Dicey

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2018, 11:55:43 PM »
Uh, put it in a baking pan and pour boiling water on it. Gets it to kaisen soze level clean pretty quickly.

YttriumNitrate

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2018, 08:32:38 AM »
I bought a former rental in 2009 and around 2014 I realized there was a filter above the range hood. It probably hadn't been cleaned since the first Bush administration. I tried washing it with water and soap to no avail. I tried soaking it in soapy water overnight...no luck. It was a baking soda and boiling water combo that finally got that thing spotless.

cchrissyy

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2018, 09:58:52 AM »
I've never cleaned or replaced a hood filter. I've cleaned the hood itself but this post is the first time it occurs to em that a filter exists in there and I could/should clean it. 
That said, I recommend replacement! 
It has been some large number of years, right? and some people online say replace it yearly. well then, not knowing anything else about the matter, I think replacing not yearly but some larger number of years sounds like a reasonable and mustacian thing to do.  how much do these things cost anyway?

Cressida

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2018, 11:25:48 PM »
I much appreciate everyone's advice. The filters look so gross to me that (1) I assumed cleaning them must be hard and (2) I wanted to do the best possible job so that I could put off cleaning them again as long as possible, which is why I started a thread. I'm encouraged by the responses though - seems like this is just run-of-the-mill greasy mess and won't require a full-on chemical assault. I think I'll try out some combination of approaches tomorrow. I'll make sure to report back, since this is such a fascinating topic.  :)

HipGnosis

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2018, 05:29:34 PM »
Get some 'cold' oven cleaner and a heavy duty trash bag.
Put a filter in the bag.
Spray it with the oven cleaner.
Repeat as necessary...
Close and seal the bag.   
Carefully open the bag the next day and rinse the filters with a hose.

big_owl

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2018, 05:58:18 PM »
I decided to look on Amazon....brand new range filters "range" from 10-15 dollars.   I've decided we are.putting way too much though into this...

chasesfish

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2018, 08:15:18 PM »
There's a specific personal finance blogger and former big time member of this forum that has half a million YouTube views on this topic:

https://youtu.be/H6RxGiwG8cg


Anon in Alaska

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #14 on: March 11, 2018, 09:19:02 PM »
They're reversible (on every stove I've ever seen). Just unscrew them, flip them upside down and put them back. This hides all the grease and you only have to wash them half as often. (Just don't let so much grease build up that it's a fire hazard.)

Cressida

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #15 on: March 11, 2018, 09:39:32 PM »
There's a specific personal finance blogger and former big time member of this forum that has half a million YouTube views on this topic:

https://youtu.be/H6RxGiwG8cg

OH WOW I thought mine were bad.

I had in my head that there was something fancy about these filters that required extra care, but it looks like they truly are just a mechanical block that lets steam through and traps grease. My thanks to former forumer Mr. Cracker - I think I get it now!

(One of the YouTube commenters recommends putting them in the dishwasher monthly, once the deep clean has been done. Seems like a best practice.)


They're reversible (on every stove I've ever seen). Just unscrew them, flip them upside down and put them back. This hides all the grease and you only have to wash them half as often. (Just don't let so much grease build up that it's a fire hazard.)

But if I'm too lazy for best practices, I will definitely remember this tip.

Dicey

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2018, 07:11:05 AM »
There's a specific personal finance blogger and former big time member of this forum that has half a million YouTube views on this topic:

https://youtu.be/H6RxGiwG8cg
Had he used boiling water and a deeper pan, it might not be such a root canal of a video.

Funny, he uses an old cookie sheet, but has thoughtfully included Amazon links to brand-new supplies.


Mikila

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #17 on: March 13, 2018, 07:47:03 PM »
I bought a new one at Lowe's or H.D. for $8.  Our old one was well aged and it was time.

jengod

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #18 on: March 14, 2018, 01:19:14 AM »
Soak in white vinegar. Cuts the grease.

Missy B

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #19 on: March 15, 2018, 11:16:49 PM »
Oven cleaner and hot water. 1. Spray with hot water. 2. Spray with oven cleaner. 3. Run away for a bit from the fumes. 4. Rinse with hot water. 5. Flip. 6. Repeat as many times as needed. I assume that oven cleaner is a heavy duty degreaser. Also, make sure you clean your sink and address the grease that went down the drain when you're done.

Be careful with the dishwasher - depending on variables, you can end up needing to clean the dishwasher too.
I reckon this is the best advice. I use Pink Solution for this myself - spread it on the screen and immerse in hot water, leave it for a few hours. Gets it off completely, no harsh chemicals.
https://www.londondrugs.com/pink-solutions-all-purpose-cleaner---clean---500ml/L8999583.html

marty998

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #20 on: March 16, 2018, 03:00:48 AM »
Excuse me while I go check my filter.

*whistles*

I will not be telling you what colour or what state it is in

*covers eyes pretending not to be seen*


mustachepungoeshere

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #21 on: March 16, 2018, 03:17:14 AM »
Excuse me while I go check my filter.

*whistles*

I will not be telling you what colour or what state it is in

*covers eyes pretending not to be seen*

You have to actually cook in order for rangehood filters to get dirty. ;)

sparkytheop

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #22 on: March 16, 2018, 05:39:23 AM »
409 works really well.  I soaked mine in that last year, since vinegar, dawn, etc wouldn't cut the grease. 

Dicey

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Re: My range hood filters are disgusting
« Reply #23 on: March 16, 2018, 05:57:02 AM »
Excuse me while I go check my filter.

*whistles*

I will not be telling you what colour or what state it is in

*covers eyes pretending not to be seen*
I feel your pain. I glanced up at mine last night and winced. I did not remove them 《shudder》. One more thing on the To-Do List, sigh.