How to Clean a Kitchen Extractor Fan

Man replacing filter on extractor fan
  • 1 hours
  • Beginner
  • 0-100
What You'll Need
Soapy water
Sponge
Polish
Dusters
Vacuum cleaner
Screwdriver
What You'll Need
Soapy water
Sponge
Polish
Dusters
Vacuum cleaner
Screwdriver

A kitchen extractor fan will get rid of any smell, grease and fumes in the room and expel it into the outside air. While effective, this device can quickly become clogged with all the grease and grime in your kitchen. This means you will need to clean it to get rid of the dirt. There are a number of different ways you can clean the kitchen extractor fan, which will also improve its efficiency.

Safety

Before you begin, switch off your fan at the circuit breaker. Although you're not actually repairing it, there is a small danger that you will electrocute yourself. By switching off the power, you are completely eliminating this possibility.

Step 1 - Unscrew the Vent

man putting together an exhaust fan

When the power is shut off, unscrew the extractor fan vent from both the inside and outside of your wall. Depending on the model of extractor fan you are using this might use the same screws or it might have different screws for inside and out. Unscrew the extractor fan vents and take both of the halves down from the wall.

Step 2 - Unclip the Fan

The fan will normally be attached to the internal half of this extractor fan casing. If possible un-clip the fan, this might sometimes involve unscrewing it. If the whole fan cannot be removed then you need to be very careful when using water to wash the fan with.

Step 3 - Wash the Housing

silver range hood

The fan housing can now be washed in warm soapy water, if you're washing part of the electrical fan then you should never submerge this under the water and you should always use as little water as possible. The soapy water should help to clean the plastic up as good as possible.

Step 4 - Clean the Fan

The fan blades also get mucky. Use polish and a duster to clean this but be as gentle as possible. You don't want to risk causing damage to any of the blades. Also be very careful not to get water inside of the motor.

Step 5 - Clean the Duct

The duct can collect all sorts of strange and wonderful things, you can clean this out by using a vacuum cleaner. Try to get as much of the dust and dirt out as possible.

Step 6 - Reassemble

Once you've finished cleaning, allow all of the parts to dry and then you can start re-assembling everything. The extractor fan needs to be put together in the same way it was taken apart to will ensure everything works properly. Now you just need to turn the power back on and check that the fan still works.