How to Clean Range Hood Filters (And Why Greasy Ones Are a Fire Risk)

If the smoke alarm goes off every time you sear something, or your kitchen smells like last night's dinner for days, take a look at the filters above your stove. There's a good chance they're coated in grease.

Range hood filters trap the grease that rises off the cooktop so it doesn't coat your cabinets and ceiling. Over time they fill up, the fan stops pulling air well, and all that grease sits right above an open flame.

Why It Matters

A clogged filter means your hood is mostly just making noise. Smoke, steam and cooking odors stay in the kitchen, and a sticky film settles on everything nearby. More importantly, grease-soaked filters and a greasy hood canopy can catch fire if a pan flares up underneath them.

Clean filters also mean the fan motor doesn't strain, which helps it last longer. The hands-on work takes about 10 minutes.

What You'll Need

A heavy-duty degreaser spray, an all-purpose cleaner for the outside of the hood, dish soap, very hot water, an old toothbrush, microfiber cloths and a sink or plastic bin for soaking.

How to Clean a Range Hood and Filters: Step by Step

1. Power down the hood. Turn the fan and light off, and make sure the cooktop is cool. If the hood has its own circuit, switch it off too.
2. Remove the grease filters. Slide or unclip the mesh filters from the underside of the hood. Handle them carefully; they'll be slick.
3. The easy way: use the dishwasher. Most metal mesh and baffle filters are dishwasher-safe. Lay them in the bottom rack and run a hot cycle. It's a great pairing with your dishwasher deep clean. (Check your manual first; some aluminum filters can discolor. Charcoal filters on recirculating hoods can't be washed and need to be replaced.)
4. The soak method: if you're not using the dishwasher. Submerge the filters in a bin of very hot water with a generous pour of degreaser or dish soap. Soak for 10–15 minutes, or 20–30 for heavy buildup. Then scrub both sides with a toothbrush, working the mesh in small sections, and rinse under hot running water. Repeat if grease remains.
5. Degrease the filter housing. While the filters are out, spray the inside of the filter housing with degreaser, let it sit two to three minutes and wipe it clean. Use the toothbrush on corners and seams.
6. Wipe the whole canopy. Grease doesn't stop at the filters. Wipe the full interior of the hood: the walls, ceiling and the opening around the fan.
7. Clean the outside. Spray all-purpose cleaner on the exterior. On stainless steel, wipe in the direction of the grain to avoid streaks.
8. Dry and reinstall. Let the filters dry completely, then click each one firmly back into place.
9. Test it. Restore power and run the fan on high for 30 seconds. It should sound smoother and pull noticeably better.

How Often Should You Do This?

Every six months works for most households. If you cook daily, fry often or do a lot of high-heat searing, go every two to three months. A quick test: if the filter feels sticky to the touch, it's time.

While You're at It

Kitchen fire safety is worth a quick check. Make sure you have a working smoke alarm at least 10 feet from the cooktop (closer tends to cause nuisance alarms) and a kitchen-rated fire extinguisher within reach. Our guide on testing smoke and CO detectors takes five minutes.

Let Our Team Handle It

Range hood filters are easy to forget because they're right at eye level and still invisible. For Livd members, your dedicated handyman cleans the filters and degreases the hood as part of your proactive maintenance plan, and when a dishwasher clean is on the same visit, the filters ride along.

Already a Livd member? Add "clean range hood filters" to your task list in the Livd app and we'll take care of it on your next scheduled visit.

Not a Livd member yet? Schedule your free home walkthrough at livdhomes.com. We'll look at what your home needs and build a proactive maintenance plan to keep the little things from becoming big ones.