How To Clean A Metal Mesh Cooker Hood Filter

Cleaning your rangehood filter may not spring to mind as a necessity until it starts dripping with grease and debris. Ew. Try this simple rangehood filter cleaning hack.

Your rangehood has an important job within your kitchen as it's designed to remove odours, gas and excess steam that come with preparing a meal, says Chelsea Smith from The Organising Platform. A rangehood also helps remove heat from your kitchen – and this is why it's super important to keep your filter clean.

Here, Chelsea shares with us a simple, quick and easy way to ensure you keep on top of the cleanliness of your rangehood more frequently.

It's important to keep your rangehood filter clean so it can continue to do its job. Picture: Ross Campbell

1. Remove the filters from the hood

Carefully take out the filter from the rangehood. Most filters are easy to remove and simply pop out from under the hood.

Remove the filters from the hood. Picture: Ross Campbell

2. Fill a sink with boiling water, baking soda and dish soap

Make sure you have a large enough sink or bucket and fill with hot, soapy water, then add dish soap and 1/4 cup baking soda.

Fill a sink with boiling water, dish soap and baking soda. Picture: Ross Campbell

3. Submerge greasy filters in water

Let the filters soak for 10 minutes in the hot water solution.

Submerge filter and let soak for 10 minutes. Picture: Ross Campbell

4. Scrub the filters

If necessary, and your filters are beyond greasy, use some elbow grease and a scourer or dish brush to scrub away at the filters.

Scrub the filters. Picture: Ross Campbell

5. Place into dishwasher on a hot cycle

Place the filters into the dishwasher and run on a hot cycle – a pots and pans cycle is best if your dishwasher has this function.

Did you know you should also clean your dishwasher? Read our article to find out how.

Place filters into dishwasher on hot cycle. Picture: Ross Campbell

6. Allow to dry

And, hey presto – leave your filters out to dry naturally and take joy in how shiny and sparkly clean they look.

Allow to dry. Picture: Ross Campbell

How often should you change your rangehood filter?

If you frequently cook on your stovetop you might wish to change your filter every six months. Alternatively, changing the filter once a year should ensure the filter continues to perform at its optimum ability.

You should change over your rangehood filter every six to 12 months, depending on how often you cook on your stove top. Picture: Ross Campbell

Can you put your rangehood filter in the dishwasher?

Yes, you certainly can place your rangehood filter in the dishwasher. As the above cleaning hack shows, rangehood filters can be washed thoroughly in a dishwasher – and work best when put on a very hot cycle for pons and pans.

Read next: How to clean an oven door