How to Clean a Rangehood Filter
Your rangehood's grease filter is essential for trapping grease, oil and cooking residue before it enters the fan motor and ducting. A blocked or dirty filter reduces the rangehood's extraction efficiency and is a fire hazard. Regular cleaning is simple and takes only a few minutes. Here's how to clean your rangehood filter properly.
How Often Should You Clean a Rangehood Filter?
As a general guide:
- Light cooking (1–2 people, mostly boiling and steaming): Every 6–8 weeks
- Moderate cooking (family, mixed cooking styles): Every 4–6 weeks
- Heavy cooking (frying, stir-frying, frequent high-heat cooking): Every 2–4 weeks
Many modern rangehoods have a filter saturation indicator light that turns on when the filter needs cleaning — if yours has this, follow the indicator.
Types of Rangehood Filters
Stainless Steel Mesh Filters (Most Common)
These are the most common type in modern rangehoods. They are reusable, washable and long-lasting. These are the filters covered by this guide.
Aluminium Mesh Filters
Older-style disposable or replaceable filters found in older rangehood models. Some are washable; others need periodic replacement.
Carbon Filters (Recirculating Rangehoods)
Recirculating rangehoods (those that don't duct to the outside) use carbon filters to absorb odours. Carbon filters cannot be cleaned — they need to be replaced every 3–6 months. This guide does not cover carbon filter replacement.
What You'll Need
- Rubber gloves
- Dishwasher (preferred) or large sink
- Dish soap / degreaser (for hand washing)
- Stiff brush or old toothbrush (for stubborn grease)
- Hot water
Method 1: Dishwasher (Easiest)
- Remove the filter(s) from the rangehood — most stainless steel mesh filters clip out or slide out. Refer to your rangehood's manual if you're unsure how yours detach.
- Place the filter(s) in the bottom rack of your dishwasher. Don't stack them on top of dishes.
- Run the dishwasher on a heavy/pots cycle with a good quality dishwasher detergent. The hot water and powerful detergent dissolves grease effectively.
- Remove the filters after the cycle, allow to dry, and refit.
Confirm your filter is dishwasher-safe in the rangehood's manual — most stainless steel mesh filters are, but some older aluminium mesh filters are not.
Method 2: Soaking in Hot Water and Degreaser
- Fill a large sink or bucket with the hottest water from your tap. Add a generous squirt of dish soap or a degreaser designed for kitchen use.
- Submerge the filters and soak for 10–20 minutes (longer for heavily soiled filters).
- Use a stiff brush to scrub both sides of the filter, paying attention to the mesh openings. An old toothbrush works well for stubborn deposits in tight mesh areas.
- Rinse thoroughly with hot water.
- Allow to drain and dry before refitting.
Tips for Stubborn Grease
- Add half a cup of baking soda to the soaking water alongside dish soap — the alkaline reaction helps break down heavy grease deposits
- For very stubborn buildup, spray the filter with an oven degreaser spray before soaking
- Avoid abrasive scourers on stainless steel mesh as they can damage the surface
Refitting the Filter
Once clean and dry, refit the filter(s) in reverse order of removal. Make sure they click or slide fully into place before using the rangehood — a loose filter can be noisy and reduces efficiency.
Need a New Rangehood?
If your rangehood's performance has dropped significantly even after cleaning, the motor, ducting or fan blades may need attention. For older rangehoods, replacement may be more practical. We stock rangehoods from Bosch, AEG, Westinghouse and Electrolux with delivery across Sydney.
- Showroom: 2/14 Centre Place, Wetherill Park NSW 2164
- Phone / WhatsApp: 0422 489 492
- Email: support@oceaniaappliances.com.au