How often should you clean a kitchen hood filter?

A cooker hood quietly does a lot of work: it catches grease, steam and cooking smells before they settle on cupboards and walls. Its filters fill up gradually, so the drop in performance is easy to miss — until the hood is loud and the kitchen still smells of last night’s dinner.

Which filter do you have?

• Metal grease filters (mesh or baffle) sit right above the hob. They are washable and reusable.
• Carbon (charcoal) filters are found in recirculating hoods that don’t vent outside. They absorb smells and are usually replaced, not washed — a few models can be regenerated in the oven, so check the manual.

How often?

Wash metal filters every one to two months, and closer to monthly if you fry or sear often. Replace carbon filters roughly every three to six months, or as the manufacturer recommends.

How to clean metal filters

1. Switch off the hood and let it cool.
2. Release the filters with the catch and lift them out.
3. Put them in the dishwasher on a hot programme, standing upright — or soak them in very hot water with washing-up liquid and a spoonful of baking soda, then brush gently.
4. Rinse, and let them dry completely before refitting.

While the filters are out, wipe the inside of the hood and the underside of the canopy — that is where grease drips from next. It pairs well with cleaning the dishwasher filter on the same evening.