How to Clean a Range Hood to Make It Look Brand New

Using paper towels and degreasing detergent mixed in hot water, start cleaning at the left front of your range hood. Put some extra elbow grease into removing big splatters and sticky areas. Work your way around the hood’s exterior until you’ve scrubbed every inch of it, changing out your paper towels as they get coated with grime.

Move your attention to the underside of your range hood, which will probably be even more challenging than the outside. Your paper towels probably won’t stand up to the grease and dirt that’s accumulated here, so switch to your scrubbing brush. 

Start at one corner of the inside and use your brush dipped in the detergent/hot water mixture to loosen and remove the caked-on grease and grime. After scrubbing an area, wipe it off with paper towels to remove bits of dirt the brush left behind.

You may run across extra-stubborn patches of thick grease and dirt that you can’t budge. Bring in your secret weapon: baking soda. 

Mix baking soda and hot water to make a thick paste. Apply it to any stains still lingering inside and outside your range hood. Leave it for 15 to 20 minutes. It will break apart the stubborn stains.

Prepare for the next step by filling up your sink with hot water, but make sure it’s not too hot to put your hands in. Add a teaspoon of degreasing detergent and 2 tablespoons of baking soda.

This step may be the dirtiest part of your exhaust hood cleaning task since your filter gets the worst of the grease and grime spatter. 

• Remove it: Carefully remove the filter by pulling on its attached metal loop.

• Soak it: Immerse the filter in your sink. Let it soak for 20 minutes to allow the detergent and baking soda to work their magic on the buildup of weeks’ or months’ worth of cooking. While it’s soaking, clean your glass stovetop.

• Scrub it: Once it’s soaked, use your brush to scrub the filter's entire surface. Depending on how dirty it was, you might need to drain and refill your sink to get it completely clean. 

• Rinse it: Rinse it off with warm water and dry it with a clean towel.

Carefully pick up your clean, dry filter and slide it back into place. You should feel it click into place, and the outside edge will be flush with the opening.

Go back to the stubborn stains you previously covered with the baking soda paste. Knock them out with wet paper towels, removing both the paste and the offending stains. You might need to use your scrub brush to remove the last vestiges of grease and dirt.

Your final step involves another natural dirt-fighting superstar, which is white vinegar. Grab your spray bottle and douse the inside and outside of your range hood. Using damp paper towels, wipe down the entire area one last time. The vinegar and hot water spray solution cleans off any remaining particles and freshens up the range hood’s surface nicely.

Once you’ve cleaned your range hood, it’s time to check the vent. Over time, grease and dirt can build up in a range hood vent and become a fire hazard.

Test the vent’s function by holding a piece of paper over it and turning on the range. If the range hood sucks up the paper and holds it in place, it’s working properly. If not, call a pro with the tools and experience to thoroughly clean the vent and ensure it functions safely and efficiently.