How to clean the hood in the kitchen from grease

There are places in the kitchen that should be cleaned regularly, at least once a week, but they are often neglected even by responsible housewives. One of them is the hood above the stove. It saves from problems related to smoke, heat, fat and the abundance of smells that arise during cooking, but it gets clogged too quickly. It is quite difficult to wash it even with regular maintenance, and if the grease trap net has not been washed for months, then dealing with dirt seems like an impossible task. There are several proven ways to clean the hood in the kitchen, you just need to determine the optimal one for yourself and choose the appropriate ingredients.

Why is she so sticky?

The grid of the grease trap is simple in design and principle of operation. A fine steel or aluminum mesh laid in several rows prevents air from passing directly. He needs to go around all the obstacles along the break, due to which drops of liquid, fat and smoke particles in any case collide with the metal by inertia. First of all, fat settles on the surface of the filter, steam and drops of liquid are added to it, all other garbage and dust with smoke stick to the fat film.

Since the hood is located directly above the stove, hot air enters it, under the influence of the temperature, a greasy film and all inclusions are sintered into a strong crust, which is not easy to clean without damaging the base of the grate.

How to clean

Any adequate actions aimed at cleaning the hood in the kitchen from grease are reduced to attempts to dissolve the contamination and wash it off without applying brute force to the metal. Abrasive materials and hard brushes can damage the grid and its surface, which will inexcusably increase the rate of contamination, and the filter can be deformed and no longer fit in its seat or simply sag, spoiling the appearance.

To clean the hood in the kitchen, follow these instructions:

1. Unplug the device. It is necessary to pull out the power cord from the outlet, disconnect the automatic switch in the switchboard, which is responsible for the electrical equipment in the kitchen. The option with a built-in switch is not considered.
2. According to the instructions for the hood, locate all the grease traps. These are two to four fasteners with latches that you move to the “open” position, then remove the bottom cover. A grippable handle is usually located at the front, and from the back there are several grips in grooves, including a panel that is accessed by pulling it forward.
3. If possible, remove the grease trap grate with little or no frame from the panel. It is more convenient to clean it this way, especially if you have to cook it, but more on that later.
4. Check the pipe leading from the fan to the exhaust port. If it is an aluminum corrugated pipe, it is easier to replace it over time, dismantle any other option and wash it from ash and soot.
5. Using a damp sponge and dishwashing detergent, wipe the entire inside and outside surface of the hood. Exceptions are places with laid wiring and electrical units, usually they are additionally protected and do not get dirty.
6. Clean the grill of the grease trap in one of the following ways, dry.
7. Install all hood elements in reverse order.

It remains to determine the most optimal option, how to clean the grill from the hood from dirt and grease. Depending on the available set of chemicals. funds are selected in an appropriate way, which, as practice shows, is quite a lot.

Dishwashing detergent

It is quite logical that it is best to wash away grease with a dishwashing detergent specially designed for these purposes. However, you should be prepared: the dirt will not give in so easily and you will have to soak it in a thick solution for at least 2 hours in order to be able to rub it with an ordinary sponge without abrasives at all. It is better to soak in hot water, in addition, in a small amount of water and with a dosage of approximately 1:4 with water. For a greater effect, citric acid is added, about half a teaspoon, then it will be easier to clean a thick layer of fat.

Special means

In any supermarket or hardware store there is a department with chemicals, and among them there are a number of compounds that can clean old grease stains and dirt. These are Mr. Muscle for the kitchen, and Sif, compositions for glass and ceramic cooktops (almost an ideal candidate). They are designed to dissolve hardened and old stains, which is characteristic of a hood.

The selected composition is applied according to the instructions. Most often, it should be evenly distributed with a sprayer or sponge on the surface and wait 5-10 minutes to achieve the result. After that, it remains to clean the mesh under running water, using a sponge or a soft brush.

Aggressive means – as a last resort

A grill covered with old grease and dirty dirt can be cleaned with aggressive agents containing sulfuric acid or alkalis. They are used to clean sewers, wash toilets and sanitary ware.

Arm yourself in advance with all the necessary protective equipment: an enameled container in which a filter can be placed, rubber gloves, an apron, a face mask, and a room open to ventilation with the ventilation running at full power.

Determine that the chosen product will not damage the grate before cleaning the hood from grease. To do this, it is enough to first wash only a small area from the inside, before proceeding to large-scale actions.

Apply the solution evenly over the surface using a sponge or a household brush with medium-hard bristles. Leave everything as it is for 5-7 minutes, while the acid or alkali begins to work, and then wash off all the dirt, helping yourself first with a brush and then with a sponge. Rinse thoroughly and for a long time so that no traces remain.

Household soap

The familiar 72% household soap from childhood is rubbed on a grater and added to water in a container where a filter can be placed. Before cleaning the hood filter, it should be boiled in a soapy solution. Imagining the variety of shapes and sizes of lattices, it is worth clarifying one point right away.

If the grate does not fit into any pot or pan completely, it can be immersed in the solution only for half and then repeat the procedure for the other half. Another great option is to use a baking sheet for the oven. It is usually deep and large enough to accommodate the net and completely cover it.

A soapy solution softens the fat film well, and boiling water dissolves the entire amount of pollution in 20-25 minutes of cooking. However, soap is not able to bind fats, so after processing, it must be a painstaking job to wash off all the same washing solution for dishes and a sponge of dirt from the hood grate.

Soda

Much more often this substance is used in the household than in cooking, and for good reason. It can even clean the hood from soot and fat. As in the case of household soap, it is necessary to prepare a solution and boil the grater in it.

To prepare the solution, a glass of soda is combined with two liters of water. After heating the water in a pan until it boils, soda is gradually added. After that, a grid is lowered into the pan or the prepared mixture is poured into another container.

Cook for at least 30 minutes. After that, the dirt that has not yet fallen off is washed off under running water with a sponge and detergent or washing powder dissolved in water. More problems will arise when you try to wash the pan from dirt around the circle where the foam has accumulated on the surface of the water and at the bottom. But the grill hoods in the kitchen have been cleaned.