How do you clean a greasy cooker hood?

How to clean a kitchen hood, step by step

Switch the hood off, soak and scrub the mesh filters, wipe the canopy, then dry everything before you refit it. The steps below are practical advice, not a rule from any agency, and if your hood's manual says something different, follow the manual.

1. Switch off and let it cool. Turn the hood off at the wall switch with dry hands, and wait until the hob and the hood are cool to the touch.
2. Remove the mesh filters. Unclip or slide out the metal filters as the hood's manual shows.
3. Soak them in hot soapy water. Lay the filters in a sink or basin of hot water with dish soap and leave them to soak so the grease softens.
4. Scrub along the mesh and rinse. Brush gently along the mesh with a soft brush, then rinse the filters under hot water until no soap or grease is left.
5. Wipe the canopy and buttons. Wipe the canopy, the underside and the buttons with a damp soapy cloth, never a dripping one, then dry them with a towel.
6. Dry and refit. Let the filters dry fully before you clip them back in, then dry your hands before you switch the hood on again at the wall.

Regular cooker hood filter cleaning keeps each session short, because a thin film of grease needs far less scrubbing than a thick layer. For the rest of the kitchen, use the kitchen deep clean checklist.

Why grease build-up matters

Keeping the hood clean is part of kitchen fire safety, not only housekeeping. In its Emergency Handbook, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) advises keeping stove-tops, cooker hoods and ovens clean and free of grease. The same handbook says to keep flammable materials away from heat sources and never to leave cooking unattended. In practice, that means moving tea towels, paper and packaging away from the hob, and staying in the kitchen while a pan is on the heat.

The hood is only one of several points worth checking at home. For a wider look around your flat, work through the home fire safety checklist.

Degreasers and what not to mix

Dish soap and hot water handle most kitchen grease, so start there and give the filters time to soak. If soap alone will not degrease hood panels or filters, a kitchen degreaser can help: follow its label, check the hood's manual for any products it says to avoid, and keep the kitchen ventilated by opening a window. Never mix bleach with acid-based cleaners or ammonia. The guide on mixing cleaning products explains the risks in more detail.

Storage matters as much as use. HealthHub advises keeping household chemicals such as cleaners and detergents out of a child's reach, and keeping cleaning products in their original containers. Put each bottle away as soon as you finish, rather than leaving it by the sink where small hands can reach it.

How often to clean the hood

No agency sets a schedule for cleaning a home cooker hood, so treat this as practical advice, not a rule. If you cook daily, wipe the canopy about once a week and wash the mesh filters about once a month. Wash them sooner if grease starts to drip from the filters. If you cook less often, check the filters each month and wash them when you see a film of grease.

For a plan that covers the rest of your home as well, see the deep cleaning checklist.

When to get help

Book a deep clean when the hood, the cabinets and the walls around it all carry grease, or when the motor has become noisy. When you book, ask whether the hood canopy and its filters are included and what the price covers, since the price depends on the job. You can compare providers on the deep cleaning service page.

A hood that hums, sparks or will not start is an electrical fault, not a cleaning job. Leave it off and ask a Licensed Electrician to check it. If it sparks while running, switch it off at the wall only if your hands, the switch and the area around it are dry. If there is fire or smoke, or someone is hurt, call 995.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) advises keeping electricity and water apart, not using electrical appliances near water or with wet hands, and not touching an open electrical outlet or switch with wet hands. If water has reached the hood's controls or the wall socket, keep away from it and call a Licensed Electrician.

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