How to Degrease Range Hood Completely

What "Completely Degreasing" a Range Hood Means

A complete range hood degreasing goes beyond wiping the exterior — it covers every grease-accumulating surface: the exterior body, the underside, the filter housing, the filters themselves, the fan blades, and the interior walls of the hood. This is a quarterly or semi-annual deep clean that restores full ventilation performance and eliminates fire hazards.

Plan for 45–90 minutes depending on how long it's been since the last deep clean.

What You'll Need

• Zep Heavy-Duty Citrus Degreaser Concentrate — restaurant-grade, the primary tool for this job
• Krud Kutter Original Cleaner Degreaser — for exterior surfaces and lighter areas
• Rubber cleaning gloves — essential
• Microfiber cleaning cloths — multiple
• Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish — for finishing stainless steel surfaces
• Old toothbrush and stiff brush
• Large basin for filter soaking
• Plastic scraper
• Newspaper or drop cloth — to protect the stovetop below
• Warm water

Step 1: Prepare and Protect

1. Turn off the range hood and unplug or switch off the circuit breaker.
2. Lay newspaper or a drop cloth over the stovetop to catch drips.
3. Put on rubber gloves.
4. Remove all filters and set aside for soaking.

Step 2: Soak the Filters

1. Fill a basin with hot water and diluted Zep Citrus Degreaser (1:4 ratio).
2. Submerge all metal filters.
3. Let soak while you clean the rest of the hood — 20–30 minutes.

Step 3: Clean the Interior Hood Walls

1. Spray diluted Zep Citrus Degreaser (1:3) onto a microfiber cloth.
2. Wipe all interior surfaces of the hood — the walls, ceiling, and filter housing.
3. For baked-on grease: apply degreaser, let sit 5 minutes, scrape with plastic scraper, wipe clean.
4. Use a toothbrush for corners and seams.
5. Wipe with a clean damp cloth to rinse.

Step 4: Clean the Fan Blades

1. Apply Zep Citrus Degreaser to a cloth and wipe each fan blade carefully.
2. Use a toothbrush for the blade edges and hub.
3. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
4. Dry thoroughly.

Step 5: Clean the Exterior

1. Spray Krud Kutter onto a cloth and wipe the entire exterior with the grain (for stainless steel).
2. For heavy grease: use diluted Zep Citrus Degreaser.
3. Wipe clean with a damp cloth and dry immediately.

Step 6: Scrub and Rinse the Filters

1. Remove filters from the soak.
2. Scrub with a stiff brush.
3. Rinse under hot running water.
4. Dry completely.

Step 7: Polish and Reassemble

1. Apply Weiman Stainless Steel Polish to all stainless surfaces.
2. Buff with a dry microfiber cloth.
3. Reinstall the clean, dry filters.
4. Restore power and test.

How Often to Do a Complete Degrease

• Light cooking: every 6 months
• Regular cooking: every 3 months
• Heavy frying: monthly

Final Thoughts

A complete range hood degrease is one of the most impactful kitchen deep-cleaning tasks — it restores ventilation performance, eliminates fire hazards, and makes the kitchen smell cleaner. Zep Citrus Degreaser is the workhorse for this job. Do it quarterly and your range hood will perform like new indefinitely.