how to clean your stove hood filter

A nasty bout of the stomach flu made its way through our family last week. After a couple of days of doing nothing but lay on the couch, I started feeling restless and started puttering around the house, freshening up different corners. I remembered a not-so-fun chore of cleaning the stove hood filters that I had been meaning to get around do for quite a while.  This was the day!

I thought I remembered that the last time I cleaned them I had read about putting them through the dishwasher. So I started googling. I kept coming across this blog post, which actually references this post on cleaning them by immersing the filters in boiling water mixed with baking soda. It worked well, was quick, but a bit smelly.

Here’s how to do it:

Remove your stove hood filters and marvel at how disgustingly gross and greasy they are (the last part is optional).

Next, find your largest pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil.

Measure out 1/2 cup of baking soda and slowly add it to the boiling water. If you add it too fast it will immediately boil over and make a mess of your stovetop, creating another chore for you once this one is over (ahem).

Carefully drop the filters into the boiling water.

Boil for 5 minutes, all the while amusing yourself with watching the disgusting amount a grease coming out of the filters. Flip them over about halfway through if your pot is not big enough to submerge them completely.

After 5 minutes, take them out and give them a good rinse with hot water to get them completely clean. I put mine outside to dry for a little while.

I’m not sure if you can tell, but there is quite a difference between the before and after. The whole thing only took 10-15 minutes and leaves me with that smug homemaker feeling.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.