Cooker hoods and extractor fans can keep air smelling fresh and can prevent grease from settling on kitchen surfaces. But how can you ensure that the hood is clean itself? Here are our top tips.
How To Clean Your Cooker Hood Or Extractor Fan?
Extractor fans and cooker hoods remove cooking smells, grease and steam from the kitchen so it’s not too surprising that they can get dirty.
To keep them working properly, its essential that you regularly clean them.
This article is split into 4 sections, to ensure that you get the most out of your cooker hood or extractor fan.
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How to clean the filter on a cooker hood or extractor
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How to replace a carbon or coal odour filter on a cooker hood or extractor fan
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Tips for how to clean the exterior of a cooker hood or extractor fan
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How to clean the light encasement of a cooker hood or extractor fan
If your cooker hood needs a service or repair, then head straight to our extractor fan repair page to learn more about it.
1. How to clean the filter on a cooker hood or extractor?
There are two main types of filters, Aluminium mesh filters and Paper filters.
Paper filters
If you have a paper filter, then these are designed to be regularly replaced in order to deal with the grease build up. These can be brought from local supermarkets or online and can usually be cut to size.
You should regularly check your filter in order to ensure that your extractor fan is working properly. You will need to replace the filter when it becomes saturated with grease and the pattern on the filter has a reddish tint or is discoloured. Paper filters can last from three months up to a year, depending on your cooking patterns.
Aluminium mesh filters
Lots of cooker hoods or extractor fans have one or more aluminium plates that can act as grease filters. These should be easy to remove and are spring loaded.
If you find that there is only a light build up of grease then you can take out the filter and simply wash it in the sink with hot water and washing up liquid. However if the grease is heavy, then you can put the metal filter in the dishwasher. It always needs to be rinsed thoroughly with water immediately after though, then patted dry.
2. How to replace a carbon or coal odour filter on a cooker hood or extractor fan?
Should you have a cooker hood or extractor fan that is set up in recirculation mode, rather than venting it externally outside, then you will need a carbon or coal odour filter.
Unfortunately, you cannot clean these, but you can replace them when you think it’s no longer effective in removing odours. To do this, you can contact us for a replacement.
It is usually recommended that you change your carbon or coal odour filter every three months, however some find that they might be able to do this annually.
3. Tips for how to clean the exterior of a cooker hood or extractor fan:
The external of the cooker hood or extractor fan can get sticky with a build up of grease. When this happens, most stainless steel exteriors can show fingerprints and marks around the controls.
We recommend regularly cleaning your cooker hood or extractor fan by wiping it down to avoid this from happening. it takes less than two minutes when added to your usual cleaning routine.
If you neglect this, then you may need a bit of elbow grease to shift the grime, but avoid being too aggressive when cleaning it as scuffs and scrapes from the sponge or cloth can damage and mark the surface.
By using a mild bicarbonate of soda paste, and working it in the direction of the grain, you can work in small areas, one at a time, to tackle the problem. Always ensure that you are delicate when doing so as you may mark the exterior. Using jade cloths can help. Scrub with a linear motion instead of a circular one to get best results. Always move in the direction of the grain of the metal exterior.
Tip: Applying a little baby oil (sparingly) with a lint free cloth can give a really smooth finish and can help to prevent fingerprint marks in the future.
4. How to clean the light encasement of a cooker hood or extractor fan
If your cooker hood has a light on it, to illuminate the cooking area, then you will need to clean it. This area is particularly prone to getting dirty because of its location above the cooker.
To clean the encasement, remove the cover (this is usually plastic or glass) and let it soak in warm, soapy water before cleaning it. Always ensure that you rinse and dry it before putting it back in place.
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