#How to Clean a Cooker Hood - Filter

Top Tip

It’s a good idea to clean a cooker hood made from stainless steel with a specially formulated product. Stainless steel cleaners like those by Cif are equipped to degrease and remove dirt, and also can help ensure that your cooker hood gleams as though it’s brand new!

The cooker hood and extractor fan can seem like one of the trickiest spots to clean, with a build-up of fat and grease making a very sticky mess. But when your cooker hood is screaming for a cleaning, there's no need to procrastinate – this step-by-step guide will equip you with everything you need to know about how to clean an oven extractor hood efficiently, including how to clean a cooker hood filter and other removable components.

How to Deep Clean the Cooker Hood

If you haven’t cleaned your cooker hood for a while, the build-up of grease and fat from cooking can be very sticky and tricky to completely remove. But if you have the right tools and know how to deep clean an extractor hood effectively, your cooker could be gleaming again in no time.

Ensure that the appliance is switched off and is not hot. First, remove the filter and all other removable parts from your cooker hood. You should check the instruction manual for your specific appliance to find out the correct way of taking these bits off, or look it up online if you don’t still have the original care instructions to hand.

How to Clean Cooker Hood Filters

If you are cleaning a flat extractor, it will have a paper filter that can be removed and replaced, with new paper bought from a supermarket and cut to size. Carbon filters also need replacing rather than cleaning. However, chimney-style oven extractor fans have a metal mesh filter which is non-disposable and sometimes needs a good clean.

How to Clean a Cooker Hood Metal Filter

Once you have removed the metal filter from your cooker extractor hood, soak it in very hot, soapy water with a cup of vinegar added to help cut through the grease, and leave for as long as possible, preferably overnight.

After a long soak, give the filter and other bits a careful rub down to remove greasy residue. You can also use a washing powder soaking solution or a bicarbonate of soda paste to work away at the greasy residue on your oven extractor filter and other components, but remember to take recommended safety precautions and to test any unfamiliar techniques on an inconspicuous spot first. When cleaning a cooker hood metal filter, it may discolour slightly, especially if using a dishwasher or detergent solution, but it will still work and won’t be obvious once the hood is reassembled.

How to Clean Cooker Hood Surfaces

Kitchen cleaning products specifically designed to deal with particular surfaces, like stainless steel, are your best bet for cleaning the cooker hood. Cif has a wide range of products for the kitchen and for different surfaces – just follow the instructions on the label, and test it in a small area first. Take care to avoid contact with skin and wear relevant hand protection.

Most modern cooker hoods are made from stainless steel and sometimes glass. Remember to use products designed for those surfaces for the best results. Also, use a clean, soft sponge or cloth to clean these surfaces – a wire sponge or brush may leave scratches or other marks! Be cautious when using anything more abrasive and always test in a discrete area first

A old, clean, soft-bristled toothbrush can also be very handy when cleaning a sticky cooker hood – that way, you can reach all the crevices where grime has accumulated.

How to Keep a Cooker Hood Clean and Grease-free

The main key to keeping your cooker extractor clean is to clean it regularly! Wipe over the entire exterior with soapy water or a cleaning product every time you use the hob (ensure oven is off and wait until all surfaces are cool before beginning to clean), and then dry with a clean cloth to avoid water marks. Take out the filter once a month if you can and give it a quick wash in the sink; once you’ve deep cleaned the components once they should only need a brief clean if you do it regularly enough, meaning that the deep clean is rarely necessary.

It’s also worth knowing that the main cause of a sticky cooker hood is frying. Not only will cutting down on the amount of fried food that you cook reduce the cleaning requirements of your kitchen, but it will also lead to a healthier diet. This can be a very handy tip if you’re always wondering how to clean cooker hood grime and want to banish the stickiness for good.