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DIY for Homeowners

Is It Time To Clean Your Vent Hood?

10/19/2022

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text by Vicki     Sign up here to join our weekly email newsletter!
This is one of those home maintenance issues that we ignore 'cause out of sight, out of mind. It's not until we look up while standing in front of the stovetop that we see the issue. 

The issue in Steph's kitchen was mold and grease!

And lots of both on the underside of the vent hood. 

​It was time to deep clean under there!

Products:


  • Kitchen Basics 101 Aluminum Hood Vent Filter 97006931 Replacement for Broan Nutone BP29 (Amazon)

  • A15 Appliance Light Bulb (Amazon)

This is the underside of a cooktop vent hood which is dirty and needs to be cleaned.
The vent over Steph's cooktop is used daily so there was a lot of built up grease on the filter and lightbulb, as well as a lot of mold growing under the hood. Moisture that doesn't get vented fully, stays around to provide an excellent environment for the growth of mold. Time to take care of this mess.
The mold looks like patchy white spots on the underside of the black range hood.
That white patchy stuff is mold. If you're going to replace the filter rather than try to clean it, that sticker will provide the information you need to find an exact replacement.
Even the lightbulb had a layer of grease on it.
Despite being covered by a shade the bulb still had a buildup of grease. Steph replaced this incandescent lightbulb with an LED that won't get hot.
If you don't want to clean the old filter, it's easy to order a new one to fit the space.
This filter has seen better days, so Steph ordered a new one rather than try to clean this one.
Turn off the power too the range hood if you're going to remove the fan to clean it.
Before proceeding with the cleaning, Steph turned off the power to the hood so she could safely remove and clean the fan.
The vent hood fan is held in place with two screws that can be removed with the appropriate size socket.
There are two screws holding the fan in place. Steph removed these and then disconnected the fan from the hood.
The fans not hard wired, but simply plugged in. Steph simply unplugged it for cleaning.
The fan is not hard wired, but simply plugged in. Steph simply unplugged it for cleaning.
The manufacturer of this vent hood does not recommend harsh cleaning chemicals, so here Steph is cleaning the grime with kitchen wipes.
The manufacturer of this vent hood does not recommend harsh cleaning chemicals, so here Steph is cleaning the grime with kitchen wipes.
The fan had a lot of black soot-like dirt built up on the blades.
There was so much gunk on the fan blades. Steph's friend took charge of cleaning this with kitchen wipes.
Picture
What a difference a little cleaning did for the fan. Not more soot-like grime on the blades of the fan. Steph reinstalled it by plugging it in, then reattaching the two screws, this time using a slotted screwdriver.
The brand new hood filter on the right.
Old filter on the left, fresh new one on the right! Filters can be cleaned, but do take a bit of patience and elbow grease and in my opinion, never ever fully clean up well. (I know this as I just cleaned the one at my house!)
It looks so much better with the new filter and bright lightbulb as well as the removal of all the mold and grime.
It looks so much better with the new filter and bright lightbulb as well as the removal of all the mold and grime.
A closer look at the underside of the hood.
If there had been damage that could not be cleaned or if the fan no longer worked, replacing the cooktop hood is something most DIY homeowners can attempt. Steph and her friend installed this one when she moved into the house in 2013. Just remember, when dealing with anything electrical to turn off the power. Safety first!

After seeing this video, I decided to investigate the situation at my house. I have a downdraft range hood that is very difficult to clean, and in order to get to it, I have to take off all the grates. It's not a quick, spur of the moment endeavor.

​Anyway, I found even more mold and grime than Steph had so I took an afternoon, and cleaned all the parts of the cooktop at my house. I'll share that in an upcoming video.


Please note: This is not a sponsored post. 

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don't claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

FYI: Affiliate links are being used on this page. Purchasing via these links help support MDP

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