How to clean cooker filters? Here is a guide as to how to degrease them properly

Discover Elica’s guide to properly cleaning cooker hood filters, in order to ensure efficiency and higher durability. 

Proper operation of the hood extraction system is essential for air quality in the kitchen. Healthy air in this room allows for kitchens to be experienced as a new ‘social place’, a modern living room concept, which combines both function and comfort.

In order for cooker hoods to meet required air quality parameters, their filters must operate at maximum efficiency and functionality: in fact, factors like extraction power, filtering capacity, and noise level strictly depend on filter performance. A proper filter cleaning and degreasing routine will result in the best performance of hoods:  these are the key aspects to consider when cleaning cooker hood filters.

Filter cleaning: get to know your hood

Before starting to cleaning or degrease your cooker hood first check: What kind of hood do I have?  There are two types available on the market: 

• Duct out cooker hoods, classic extraction systems equipped with a duct leading outside,   that convey air outside of the home, allowing for an adequate air exchange.
• Filtering cooker hoods,  equipped with latest generation air filtering systems that filter all greasy and organic substances found  in the air, responsible for odours typical of cooking vapours, and then recirculate the air back into the room.

Depending on the type of hood, the filters they are equipped with are divided into two broad categories:

• Grease filters, found in both hood types, remove fatty and greasy substances from extracted air, retaining them in porous mesh structures.
• Activated charcoal odour filters, these are specific filters for filtering hoods, which retain organic molecules that cause unpleasant cooking odours, allowing for internal air recirculation. 

Disposable filters are available for both types: grease filters can be made of porous acrylic sheets with lipid molecule high filtering capacity; activated charcoal filters have single or multilayer structures that retain  the odours present in the air captured by the hood. As we can logically guess, this type of filter cannot be washed or maintained, but must be replaced when its life cycle is over (filter capacity saturation).

Filter cleaning: washing and regeneration

Reusable grease and odour filters represent a longer-lasting and more sustainable  solution ,  as they have a much longer life provided they are properly washed and degreased when they reach saturation.

Filter washing: grease filters

Grease filters are generally long-lasting. These filters are made of  aluminium or stainless steel metal mesh grids that covers the extractor fan right where the air is captured over the hob. Over time, the grids begin to accumulate grease on the mesh that may partially obstruct the extraction area, thus lowering the quality and placing the extraction fan under stress.

The cleaning and degreasing of the metal grid may include:  

• Hand washing in hot water and soap or soaking in water with vinegar and baking soda, careful to delicately rub the grid as to not damage the surface.
• Dishwasher cycle at a low temperature 

The best way to degrease and regenerate filters  is to use specific products developed for grease filter cleaning:  Elica offers a set of cleaning products and microfiber cloths especially created for this type of cleaning.

Odour filter cleaning

There are various types of odour filters available on the market:

• Long life and long life hp filters, can last up to 3 years. To maintain high filtering efficiency levels, the filter must be washed every 2-3 months with hot water and delicate detergents, or in the dishwasher at 65°C. Afterwards, the filters should be dried in an oven for 10 minutes at 100°C.
• Ceramic filters, can be thermally regenerated for up to 5 years. The filter must be regenerated in the oven every  2-3 months at 200°C for 15 minutes.

Proper filter cleaning  is essential to ensure high air filtering efficiency levels and proper hood operation.

Before starting to clean and replace filters, it is best to check the instructions in the filter box to avoid the risk of damaging the appliance.