Inside and out
Cleaning the extractor hood: This is how you remove grease and dirt residues
To clean an extractor hood, the metal filter must be removed
© welcomia / Getty Images
Their job is to suck in the vapors that are created during cooking and roasting from the air. However, with regular commissioning, unsavory grease and dirt residues appear on the metal filter over time. Then you should clean your extractor hood at the latest.
Apart from the fact that a dirty extractor hood is unsightly, its performance is also reduced: If the metal filter is clogged with too much grease and dirt residues, the air can no longer be sucked in properly. You can see it and smell it when the vapors created during cooking spread out unfiltered in the kitchen. It is all the more important to clean the extractor hood (inside and outside) regularly. We’ll tell you how this works best and what you should pay attention to.
Exhaust or recirculation: this is how the extractor works
In order to understand how an extractor hood works and why it is so important to clean it regularly, we have to distinguish between three different types – there are exhaust air, circulating air and hybrid systems. These differ from one another as follows:
- Exhaust air operation
Extractor hoods with an exhaust system direct the air drawn in via a duct to the outside. They also have an additional metal grease filter that can be removed and cleaned. - Recirculation mode
Extractor hoods with a recirculation system filter the air and then release it into the environment. In addition to the metal filter, they also have an activated carbon filter that absorbs odors from the air. - Hybrid operation
Extractor hoods with a hybrid system basically combine the first two exhaust and recirculation technologies in one device. In other words, you can usually decide which system will be active at the push of a button.
Cleaning the metal filter: There are two options Grease and dirt collect on the metal filter of an extractor hood © Andrii Atanov / Getty Images
Regardless of which system was installed in your extractor hood, (almost) all new devices these days have a removable metal filter. As they filter grease and dirt residues from the air, a greasy film builds up on the surface over time. You have two options for removing this: you can clean it by hand – or in the dishwasher. The following notes should be observed.
Would you like the metal filter clean by hand, you can use either tried and tested home remedies, such as dish soap and water. Or you can use classic household cleaners, such as a degreaser. Depending on how big the filters are (there are often two separate ones), you can clean them in the sink or, alternatively, in the shower. Fill the basin with hot water and washing-up liquid or Degreaser, then soak the grille in it for at least an hour. To remove all residues, the surface should be finished with a clean Dish brush to be scrubbed off. Rinse the metal with fresh water and dry it with a kitchen towel before it goes back into the hood.
Should the metal filter cleaned in the dishwasher there are a few points to consider here as well: Check in advance whether your model is suitable for the machine, most manufacturers provide information on this. For light soiling, it is sufficient to place the grille vertically in the machine. For stubborn grease and dirt residues, it is better to put the filters in horizontally so that the entire surface is cleaned as well as possible. Then all you have to do is start the intensive program and wait. You should then rub the metal grille dry before it is placed in the extractor hood.
Clean housing: clean the outside of the extractor hood
It is not only the metal filters that magically attract dirt residues: a greasy film of grease also collects on the housing of the extractor hood over time. To remove this, you can use tried and tested cleaning agents, such as a stainless steel cleaner. For other materials such as aluminum, glass or plastic, you can also rely on tried and tested home remedies, for example citric acid, Baking soda – or even common cooking oil:
- Citric acid: Dilute this in a ratio of 1: 5 with water and apply the mixture to the material with a cloth. Then wipe the surface with a damp cloth and dry the extractor hood with a kitchen towel.
- Baking soda: This is also the case here Baking soda mixed with water until it has a creamy consistency. Then work the mixture into the housing with circular movements and a cloth, let it work for a short time and wash it off with clean water.
- Cooking oil: Stainless steel surfaces can be cleaned with just a few drops of cooking oil. Put this on a paper towel or towel and rub it over the extractor hood. Here, in the truest sense of the word, fat is fought with fat.
Another important note:
Do not use any aggressive cleaning agents if you want to clean the extractor hood. These can attack and damage the material.
How often should you clean the extractor hood?
Depending on how often you cook, the extractor hood needs to be cleaned more or less often. If you stand in the kitchen and prepare food every day, you will notice a light film of grease on the metal filters after two to four weeks at the latest. The longer you wait before cleaning, the more difficult it is to remove grease and dirt residues – as they harden over time. Of the Activated carbon filter In the case of recirculation mode, however, it should be replaced every three months. A grease filter fleece, on the other hand, like the one many old extractor hoods still have, has to be completely replaced every three to six months. Unfortunately, it cannot be cleaned.
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