A non-toxic, eco-friendly way to clean a greasy range hood filter without harsh chemicals. Best of all, there’s no scrubbing!
If you’ve read my blog before you know how I remove set-in oil stains and grease stains from clothes. Baking soda is excellent to have around the house. Today I’m sharing with you how to clean a greasy range hood filter with something I recently learned about: super washing soda. If you’ve never heard of this before, you’re not alone.
ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda™ is a natural detergent booster and freshener and can be used all around the home. It increases your detergent’s cleaning power to get out dirt and stains and it also cuts through grease!
Washing soda, sodium carbonate, is not the same as baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, although the two are related. You can find it in the laundry aisle next to all the laundry boosters. Best of all, a 55 oz box will run you under $6 and last you months!
Ever since purchasing Super Washing Soda over a month ago, I’ve been adding it to my “secret” method for fresh-smelling towels (which removes the mildew smell that accumulates from time to time due to fabric softener) with great success. However, I realized there has to be other uses for super washing soda. Over dinner the other night, I found my next cleaning project: the range hood filters.
Earlier this year, our range oven gave out. We took that opportunity to also replace our range hood + microwave combo. Brian’s enjoyed using our new kitchen appliances, and I’ve enjoyed reminding him to turn on the range hood to make sure all cooking smells leave the house. (Fried eggs can seriously stink up a house!).
We cook a lot at home. Unfortunately, all that cooking under the range hood takes its toll on the filters and we’re left with a greasy mess.
I remember my mother using hazardous grease removers my dad brought home from his restaurant job, and how they could burn your nose hairs off.
I then wondered, if baking soda does such a great job at removing set-in oil stains and removing the mildew smell from towels, would super washing soda work faster on the range hood filters?
Spoiler–it does! Here’s how I used it to clean my greasy range hood filters.
How to Clean a Greasy Range Hood Filter
What You’ll Need
- large bowl or bucket
- 1/2 gallon hot water
- 1/4 cup ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda™ Detergent Booster
- 2 TBSP ARM & HAMMER™ baking soda
- 2 TBSP borax powder
- degreasing dish soap (one squirt)
- paper towels
Instructions
Prepare work area
Caution: You should wear gloves while using Super Washing Soda.
I gathered all of my materials by the kitchen sink. My range hood filters are on the small side. If yours are larger, feel free to tweak the amounts of detergents. In case you were wondering, borax is also found in the laundry detergent aisle, and for the degreasing dish soap I just used my favorite blue dishwashing soap!
Add detergents to bowl
Add the dry ingredients first, then the liquid dishwashing soap.
Fill with hot water
See that steam rising? The boiling hot water will activate the detergents for maximum cleaning power. Because you add detergents first, there’s no manual mixing involved!
Soak greasy filters in bowl
Fully submerge the filters in the detergent water. Add warm tap water if you didn’t have enough boiling water to cover them completely.
Let the filters soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Check on their progress in a few minutes. But, I didn’t have to wait long!
Truth be told, the Super Washing Soda solution cleaned one of my filters in under 10 minutes WITHOUT SCRUBBING. The second one had a little bit of grease left, so I let that one soak for another five minutes.
Again, there was NO SCRUBBING involved.
I didn’t have enough time to take a picture of them in the “clean” water because the solution started working immediately. You can see the grime suspended in the water above. I used tongs to remove them because I didn’t have gloves on hand.
Rinse and dry
Immediately rinse the filters under cold, running water. Pat dry with paper towels.
There you have it! Squeaky clean range hood filters cleaned in under 15 minutes with NO SCRUBBING required! Now you can replace your clean, shiny filters into the range hood. It’s a shame you can’t see them when cooking because mine are glittering like diamonds!
Now, don’t make your greasy range hood filters jealous! Go and wash them the EASY way with NO scrubbing!
What’s your favorite way to use ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda?
Kiersten says
I didn’t know about this but I like other Arm and Hammer products! I’m sure my range hood filters could use a good cleaning. I’m going to give this product a try! Thank for sharing.
Kiersten @Autumn Country Girl
Will G says
I’ve never used it, but based on this post I would say the filter cleaning would be a great way to use it!
Erin Ellis says
I do use ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda to clean my stovetop! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Erin
ErinLoves2Run at gmail dot com
Nicole Martin says
I’ve never used it, but now I definitely want to start!!
Jessie C. says
I use ARM & HAMMER Super Washing Soda to clean bathroom, toilets and kitchen appliances.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
Mita says
I’ve never used it, but would be a nice way to use it.
Mita says
https://twitter.com/mitadav/status/801629281243828224
Rachel says
My favorite way to use ARM & HAMMER™ super washing soda is on my stove top.
Natalie says
My favorite way to use ARM & HAMMER Super Washing Soda is to clean my tub/shower. It does such a good job and I don’t have to scrub very hard at all!
Donna says
I’ve not heard of it before! Going to buy some now. I think I’ll try it on my rimmed baking sheets.
Donna says
I haven’t seen this product before now. Hoping it’ll clean my rimmed baking sheets.
Spencer says
I’ve never heard of super washing baking soda before! I only use the regular baking soda to clean up around the house. Will definitely check if we have this in our stores!
Bert says
Is this solution non-abrasive? Can it be used on exterior stainless steel that gets really greasy?
appliances connection says
i love this recipe for removing grease. very effective
Eric Williamsone says
I just did this baking soda and soap in hot water and I was floored. I didn’t have any scrub and the filter looked brand new! Thanks for the tip. Helped me get even closer to a perfectly clean kitchen for the cure.
Dau Shell says
Thanks for sharing from your blog. Lubricants are not inherently harmful to the health of nature, but sticking to people without proper cleaning is dangerous.
Lorraine says
Wow! This is very helpful. Such an huge ease in cleaning my range hood filter next time around.
Dau nhot Shell says
Thanks for sharing your very interesting experiences. Our families have many children so it is easy to get dirty especially the greasy spots that children play with. Today I have read the sharing of my friend has added the treatment method is very good
Granny G. says
Dear Lisette, I’m old enough to remember my mother using Arm & Hammer in her old Bendix front load washer – boy was that machine a beast! Your process for removing grease from range hood filters is great, but I have an even easier one that works just as well.
Buy some liquid (or powder) Calgon water softener. Use a capful in a small basin of VERY hot water, add a few drops of blue Dawn dish soap, swish it around and dump in your range filters. Walk away for 30 minutes and do something else. When you come back, swish them around, drain the water and rinse the filters in hot water. Lay them out to drain and your done!
Very simple, less “ingredients” and Calgon costs no more than Washing Soda. I’ve been doing this for years and it works every time. Calgon softens water AND cuts through grease with ease.
evshik says
thank you for this best article about Clean a Greasy Range Hood Filter
Donna says
I was helping a non-domestic friend with some household cleaning questions. She had not cleaned her filter in the six years she had lived in her place. My wheelhouse knowledge didn’t work to clean one bit of it and then I found your post. I packed up the supplies and she got a dishpan ready. We mixed the ingredients and dropped the filter in it. Immediately, we thought it looked like little asteroids popping upward- beads of brown grease globs. The bubbles turned brown over time and we decided hers needed a little more time. After 25 minutes, it was spic and span. Thank you for an easy solution. Now she knows to do this more often and what to make the job easy.