How to Clean Range Hood Filters (and How Often to Do It)

Clean washable range hood filters once a month if you cook with a lot of oil, and every 1–3 months otherwise. Stainless baffle filters can go straight in the dishwasher; aluminum mesh filters can too, though a hand soak in hot, soapy water with baking soda keeps them looking better. Either way, the job takes about 20–40 minutes, most of it soaking or drying.

Dirty filters are the single most common reason a hood stops pulling smoke well. If your hood has already lost suction, cleaning the filters is step one in our weak suction guide.

Know which filter you have

Ductless hoods usually have both a metal grease filter and a charcoal filter. Clean the metal one as described here, and see our charcoal filter replacement guide for the carbon one.

How often to clean or replace filters

Use this schedule as a starting point, then adjust to what you see. A filter that looks glossy, feels tacky, or has amber drips at the bottom edge is due no matter what the calendar says.

Many newer hoods have a filter reminder light that counts fan run-time hours. It is a useful nudge, but it does not know whether you were boiling pasta or deep frying, so trust your eyes too.

Dishwasher vs hand washing

Aluminum discolors in the dishwasher because many detergents are alkaline and the hot, wet cycle reacts with the metal. The filter still traps grease the same way, so if appearance doesn’t matter to you, the dishwasher is fine.

How to clean filters in the dishwasher

1. Turn the hood off and let the filters cool if you have been cooking.
2. Remove the filters. Most have a spring latch or a finger tab; push or pull it and tilt the filter down. Support it with your other hand so it doesn’t drop onto the cooktop.
3. Scrape or wipe off any thick, gooey grease with a paper towel first so it doesn’t coat the dishwasher.
4. Stand the filters on edge in the bottom rack so water can spray through them. Check that they don’t block the spray arm.
5. Run them on their own or with pots and pans, not with glasses. Use a normal or heavy cycle.
6. Hold the filter up to a light. If you still see a film in the mesh, finish with the hand soak below.

How to clean filters by hand

1. Remove the filters as above.
2. Fill a sink, tub or large plastic bin with the hottest tap water you can safely handle. Wear rubber gloves.
3. Add a few tablespoons of degreasing dish soap and ½ cup of baking soda. Stir to dissolve.
4. Submerge the filters flat and soak for 15–20 minutes. For caked-on grease, drain, refill with fresh hot water and soak again rather than soaking for hours.
5. Scrub both sides with a soft nylon brush, working with the direction of baffle slats or mesh layers. Don’t use steel wool or wire brushes on aluminum.
6. Rinse with hot water until it runs clear and no suds remain in the mesh.
7. Shake off excess water and stand the filters on edge to dry.

Drying and reinstalling

Let filters dry completely, typically 1–2 hours on a towel or rack. Wet mesh catches airborne grease faster, and water can drip onto the fan housing or controls.

1. Wipe the filter channel and the underside of the hood around the filter openings with a warm, soapy cloth while the filters are out.
2. Slide the back edge of each filter into its track, then push the front up until the latch clicks.
3. Turn the hood on high and check that nothing rattles. A filter that isn’t seated fully will buzz or vibrate.

While the filters are out, shine a flashlight up into the hood. If the fan housing or blower is coated in grease, cleaning filters alone won’t fix a greasy smell or drip; see grease dripping from the range hood. Heavy grease you can see up in the duct opening is a fire concern covered in grease in ductwork.

When to replace washable filters

Washable metal filters can last as long as the hood, but replace them when:

• The mesh is torn, holed or pulling away from the frame.
• The frame is bent enough that the filter doesn’t sit flat or latch.
• Grease has hardened into the mesh core and two soaks don’t clear it.

Order by the part number or dimensions in your manual; filters from the same brand vary by model. Replacement metal filters typically cost $10–40 each.

Common mistakes

• Using oven cleaner on aluminum. Harsh alkaline sprays can blacken and eat into aluminum mesh.
• Reinstalling filters wet. Give them time to dry.
• Running the hood without filters. Grease goes straight into the blower and duct, which is harder and costlier to clean.
• Washing charcoal filters. Water ruins standard carbon filters. Only regenerable ones can be washed, and only as their manual describes.
• Skipping filters on a hood you rarely use. Grease still collects from cooking even when the fan is off.

Bottom line

Pick a regular day, such as the first weekend of each month if you cook a lot, and run the filters through the dishwasher or give them a 20-minute soak. Clean filters keep suction strong and the motor quieter. If suction is still weak after cleaning, your hood may be undersized for how you cook; the CFM calculator will tell you in a minute.