| Cooker hoods are often seen as the finishing touch to | | | | have a metal filter it can usually go in the dishwasher |
| a kitchen but after installation many of us are disposed | | | | for an easy, quick clean – check your manufacturer |
| to forget about the cooker hood and the importance | | | | guide for details. If you have no dishwasher washing |
| of cleaning the filter area regularly. | | | | up liquid and hot water should do the trick. |
| If your cooker hood filter is dirty the extractor fan has | | | | For the surround of extractor cooker hoods it is |
| to be run at a higher setting to achieve the same | | | | important to regularly clean with your regular kitchen |
| benefits as a clean one. Running your extractor | | | | cleaning product. Unless you take care of it the build up |
| cooker hood at a higher level increases the energy | | | | of grease and grime can be very difficult to get rid of |
| consumption and therefore the cost of running the | | | | without an industrial cleaner. Be careful to check the |
| appliance. It also increases the noise level which can | | | | material of your cooker hood before embarking on a |
| be irritating – especially in open plan living situations. | | | | new cleaning regime because some caustic materials |
| Steam and splashes from cooking food can stick to | | | | can corrode aluminium. The manufacturer’s guide is |
| the hood forming a layer of grease and dirt. With this in | | | | the best place to start. |
| mind it is important to clean your cooker hood’s | | | | For the best part, providing you’re not dealing with |
| filter about once a month to ensure it runs at is | | | | years of grime build up a washing up liquid and sponge |
| optimum efficiency. | | | | will be strong enough to remove grease. If the material |
| How to clean your cooker hood | | | | scratches easily it is best to avoid scourers on cooker |
| Disposable filters need replacing every month or so to | | | | hoods. So test on a small, inconspicuous area before |
| ensure they don’t start to smell. They can be | | | | scrubbing the whole appliance. |
| bought from many retailers and easily replaced. If you | | | | |