How to clean a cooker hood

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. We based this walk-through on the UK video "How to clean an extractor fan. Kitchen extractor fan cleaning", which does a decent job of showing just how much muck builds up inside a hood that looks clean from the outside. Worth a watch before you start — especially the bit about the fan blades.

1. Switch off and let the hood cool completely

Never clean a cooker hood that's been running recently. The filters hold heat and the grease inside is literally liquid when hot. Give it at least half an hour after the last cook, or just tackle it in the morning before anyone uses the hob.

Turn the hood off at the switch and, if you're doing a thorough job on the internals, flick it off at the isolation switch or unplug it at the mains. No need for anything dramatic — just don't have it live while your hands are inside it.

2. Remove the grease filters

Most hoods have mesh aluminium filters that slide or clip out from underneath. They usually release by pushing a tab or sliding forward. They'll look — and feel — significantly worse than you expect. That's fine. That's what they're there for.

Lay them on some newspaper or in the sink straight away. Don't rest them on worktops — the grease transfers onto everything it touches.

3. Soak the filters in hot water and washing-up liquid

Fill the sink or a large washing-up bowl with the hottest water your tap can manage, add a generous squeeze of washing-up liquid, and submerge the filters. Leave them to soak for at least 15 minutes — longer is better.

For a really grubby filter, add a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda to the water. It reacts gently with the grease and makes the scrubbing stage much easier. To be fair, some people just run theirs through the dishwasher on a hot cycle and that works just as well if yours will fit.

4. Scrub the filters clean

Use a stiff brush — an old washing-up brush or a nail brush is ideal — to scrub the mesh from both sides. Work in the direction of the mesh pattern rather than across it. The grease will come off in yellowish lumps.

Rinse under hot running water and hold them up to the light. If you can see through the mesh clearly, they're done. If patches are still blocked, back into the soak for another ten minutes.

5. Clean the canopy and underside

With the filters out, the canopy interior is accessible. Use a degreaser spray — kitchen degreasers from any supermarket work fine — and a microfibre cloth. Spray, leave for a minute, then wipe. For really baked-on grease, a plastic scraper helps.

The outside of the canopy just needs a wipe-down with a damp cloth and a dry buff. Stainless steel hoods benefit from a little bit of stainless steel polish at the end, buffed with a dry cloth in the direction of the grain.

6. Clean or replace the charcoal filter (recirculating hoods only)

If your hood recirculates rather than venting outside, it has a charcoal filter as well as the grease mesh. These cannot be cleaned — they need replacing every six to twelve months depending on how much you cook. They normally clip or slide in behind the grease filters.

That said, most people forget this exists entirely. If you've never replaced it and you notice the hood isn't removing cooking smells as effectively as it used to, a new charcoal filter is almost certainly why.

7. Reassemble and run the fan

Make sure the filters are completely dry before refitting — trapped moisture inside a running fan isn't a problem you want. Slot the grease filters back in, give the outside one last wipe, and switch it on.

It should sound noticeably quieter and pull noticeably better. If it doesn't, the motor may have a more serious build-up on the fan blades that needs the hood taken down and disassembled — at which point it's worth calling in some help.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if the motor sounds rough even after cleaning, if grease has found its way into the electrical housing, or if the hood needs unbolting from the wall or cabinet to access the fan blades properly. Some repairs that look like a clean-up are actually a replacement job — it's worth getting an honest opinion before spending a morning on it.