There are so many aspects of the kitchen that can be kept up with a quick daily wipedown. The stove hood tends not to be one of them. Most of the time, home chefs forget about the stove hood, and the fact that it collects vaporised cooking grease over time. You don’t really need to wash it every day. But over a month, several months, or even a year of ignoring your stove hood, it can get a little tough to break through the slowly yellowing patina of built-up cooking grease lightly coating most of the entire hood surface – both over and under the lip.

Today, we’re here to talk about the best tips to clean your stove hood. Strip away the grease layer by layer and leave your stove hood gleaming the original colour of the paint, which you might not currently remember.

Gather Your Supplies

• Stove Cleaner
• Sponges with a Scrubbing Surface
• Hot water and Dish Soap
• Scrubbing Powder (paint safe)
• Surface Cleaner
• Paper Towels or Cleaning Cloths

Start with a Dirty Stove Hood

First things first, start with a dirty stove hood. This process is less fun if you cleaned the stove hood yesterday or even last week. This process is for the usual stove hood that has seen hundreds to thousands of meals cooked between cleanings. If you can’t create a fingernail scrape through the stove hood grease, then simple surface cleaner and a sponge might just be enough. If you can cut a fingernail track through the grease, keep reading.

Remove and Clean the Vent Screen

Did you know that your stove hood has a metal-mesh vent screen? Not everyone realises this, or just how easy it is to clean that screen. The metal vent screen can become fully, dangerously, clogged with grease if not cleaned. Fortunately, the process is simple. Run the tap water hot, then rinse out the screen underneath the hot water. When the first rinsing is done, wash with soap until the water that flows through the screen runs clear.

Remove the Stove Light

Take down the stove light and use an extra light instead. This will allow you to work in and behind the light in addition to the space near it. You can also switch off the light to prevent your washing from causing an electrical reaction. You may need to wipe down the lightbulb itself. However, if your stove light has a cover that has been keeping the light compartment clean, you may only need to remove and wash the light cover.

Spray with Stove Cleaner & Let Sit

Now spray stove cleaner, the strong foaming kind, over the worst areas where grease has built up. It’s OK if it drips onto the stove, you can clean the stove when you’re done.

Let the spray sit and foam for a while, breaking down the layers of grease on the surface of the stove hood.

Wipe Down with Damp Sponge

Take a water-only damp sponge and wipe away the stove cleaner. Rinse the sponge as many times as necessary to fully remove both the cleaner and the grime it has helped to dissolve.

Scrub with Scrubbing Powder As-Needed

If there is anything left after the stove cleaner, treat your sponge with surface-safe scrubbing powder and scrub at the residue. Tough spots often come loose with a little elbow grease and the application of a wet, scrubbing-enhanced sponge.

Spray with Surface Cleaner and Wipe Clean

For the final step, use a common household-safe surface cleaner to polish your stove hood. This should leave the enamel or paint shining like new, at or close to the original colour. Wipe clean and allow to dry.

Repeat as Necessary

Sometimes, one round of stove hood cleaning isn’t enough. If you finished the process and your stove hood still looks dirty and is not smooth to the touch, start over with the oven cleaner and repeat the process with more gusto.

Cleaning your stove hood is one of the most challenging and forgotten parts of kitchen cleaning. With a little stove cleaner and elbow grease, however, you’ll see that original paint colour in no time – and the food you prepare will be done under a clean hood. For more step-by-step cleaning guides or professional cleaning services, contact us today.