Why dirty hood filters matter
The filters on your range hood trap grease out of the air before it coats your cabinets and walls. Over time that grease builds up. A clogged filter means more smoke and cooking smells hanging around the kitchen, and a grease-coated filter over a stove is a fire risk.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day of the year for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. A clean hood is one small way to stack the odds in your favor.
Look up at the underside of your hood. If the filters look dark and feel sticky, they're overdue. A lot of manufacturers suggest cleaning metal filters about once a month if you cook often.
How I clean metal hood filters
Most range hoods have mesh or baffle filters made of metal, and those can be cleaned:
- Turn the hood fan and light off, and make sure the cooktop is off and cool.
- Pop the filters out. Most have a small tab or latch. Watch your fingers on the metal edges.
- Soak them in a sink of very hot water with a good degreasing dish soap and a little baking soda for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Scrub gently with a soft brush, rinse, and let them dry completely before you put them back.
- Many metal filters can also go in the dishwasher. Check your hood's manual first.
If your hood doesn't vent outside, it probably has a charcoal filter too. Charcoal filters can't be washed. They get replaced on the schedule in your manual, usually every few months.
While the filters are out, wipe the inside of the hood with a degreaser on a rag. Don't spray anything up into the fan motor or the light.
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
Cooking safety while the house is full
A full house and a busy stove is when kitchen fires happen. The U.S. Fire Administration's main rule is simple: stand by your pan. If you see smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn the burner off. Keep a lid nearby, because sliding a lid over a pan fire and turning off the heat is how you smother it. Never throw water on a grease fire.
If the hood fan hums but doesn't move air, the light flickers, or you smell something hot coming from the hood, turn it off and leave it off. The wiring and motor inside are a job for a qualified electrician or appliance tech, not a holiday-morning project.
Got an oven or cooktop that isn't heating right before the big meal? Call me at (470) 999-7395. A $79 diagnostic is how I track down the problem so you're not cooking dinner on one burner.
