4 Super Simple Ways to Clean Kitchen Chimney at Home

One of the most essential parts of a modern kitchen is the chimney. They do a pretty good job when it comes to keeping your kitchen clean and smoke-free.

However, when it comes to maintenance, there is no doubt that chimneys need to be frequently cleaned as they tend to get clogged quite often.

Since the issue is inevitable, here we have four quick tips on how to clean the chimney.

The below guide is very useful for all kitchen chimneys with mesh filters or baffle filters.

How to Clean Your Kitchen Chimney

There are different method and materials which can be used for cleaning the kitchen chimney. However, if you really want to know how to clean the kitchen chimney, then we are here to help. We will tell you all about it in the best way.

Follow these tips for a quick and effortless chimney cleaning experience.

1. Clean Chimney with Dishwashing Liquid or Detergent

This method is suitable for cleaning chimney filters which are not heavily clogged.

If you want to know how to clean a chimney filter made of mesh, you need to use the dishwashing liquid or detergent. These are pretty great cleansing agents which are specifically created in order to remove grease and oil in the best way.

All you have to do is apply some dish wash liquid or sprinkle some detergent onto your chimney filters. Now immerse these filters into some water-filled bucket (warm water will be better). Leave the filters in the hot water for 20-30 minutes. This will loosen out the stubborn oil and grease. Use a scrubber or toothbrush to clean any visible grease stains.

Now rinse the filters with clean water and dry them out.

Doesn’t that seem easy people? We are pretty sure that it is going to work for you.

Here is a video showing you complete steps of how to clean chimney filters with detergent.

2. Clean Chimney with Baking Soda and Vinegar

This method is suitable for cleaning chimney filters which are not heavily clogged.

Another one of the common compounds that you can use in order to clean the kitchen chimneys would be baking soda as well as some vinegar. In case you want to get rid of all the grease that is accumulated on the chimney meshes and filters, using the combination of vinegar and baking soda would be a great idea for sure.

All you need to do is wash the filters with some vinegar and then sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda and some salt in them as well. After that, you need to immerse these filters and meshes into hot water for about 2 hours. Then you need to rinse them using clean water. Use an old and discarded hard bristle toothbrush to clean any leftover grease stains. Rinse the filters with clean water and wipe them clean and you are all done.

3. Clean Chimney with Paint Thinner

This method is suitable for cleaning difficult to clean areas like folds, crevices, and edges.

Another amazing and powerful cleaning agent is known to be the paint thinner because it contains some great organic solvents such as Toluene, Acetone, and Turpentine, along with some other mineral spirits too.

Now, since these are solvents which tend to evaporate pretty quickly, you might inhale some vapor which can be dangerous when you are cleaning the filters. You should use it in order to remove the grease from stubborn places such as the folds and crevices.

Looking at the increasing need, some brands have launched ready to use Chimney filter cleaners. We have found one such chimney filter cleaner with positive customer reviews on Amazon.in. Here is the link for the same.

4. Clean Chimney with Caustic Soda

While the first three methods are best suited for cleaning lightly soiled chimney filters, this method gives the best results even if the chimney filters are heavily clogged with grease and oil. This method also requires minimal scrubbing and hence it is the best way to clean kitchen chimney.

Caustic Soda, or chemically known as Sodium Hydroxide, is another common element that people tend to use when they want to know how to clean the chimney at home. This material is pretty inexpensive and works for some industrial cleaning as well. Caustic soda is easily available online and in local hardware stores. It easily dissolves oil and grease and hence is one of the most popular options for the people.

This cleaning agent works really well when you need to clean baffle filters, and metal meshes in the best way.

All you have to do is take these parts apart and keep them in a wide bucket or tub and sprinkle the caustic soda powder over the filters. Let it stay like this for 5 minutes after which you need to pour hot boiling water over the parts in the bucket until these are immersed fully.

Make sure you maintain some distance from the bucket or tub as caustic soda releases harmful fumes. You need to keep the filters in the hot water mixture for about 3 hours before you take them out to rinse. Use an old toothbrush to clean any leftover grease stains.

Make sure you wear your hand gloves while removing the filters from the bucket/tub and while sprinkling the caustic soda on filters. Caustic soda is a very effective cleaning agent but you need to be careful while using caustic soda. Never touch caustic soda with bare hands as it can cause a chemical burn.

The YouTube video given below shows you how you can clean baffle filters using caustic soda.

Why Should You Clean the Kitchen Chimney?

Now that you know how to clean kitchen chimney let us focus on why you need to do that. To be honest, the function of your kitchen chimney is to ensure that there is no smoke, vapor fume, steam from the kitchen which remains.

Check out the 5 most important benefits of using a kitchen chimney.

The chimney sucks all the smoke, steam and oil particles through the chimney filters. The chimney filters are designed in such a manner as to only allow smoke to pass through them. This smoke is sucked by the exhaust fan of the chimney and released in the open air through the duct pipe.

But what happens to all the oil particles?

The chimney filters trap all the oil particles. These oil particles get deposited inside the filter and on the filter surface and form a greasy layer over time. If filters are not cleaned regularly then this can create thick layers of grease which can clog the filters and reduce the suction capacity of the chimney.

It is important to clean up the chimney filters regularly to maintain the efficiency and suction capacity of the kitchen chimney.

Another reason for cleaning the kitchen chimney is a microbial infestation. The areas with deposited grime can be an ideal source for bacterial growth which might spread diseases.

Hence, cleaning the kitchen chimney is important because of safety, improved power/suction efficiency, longer life of the blower, and effective removal of oil-grease, odor, and smoke.

How Often Should You Clean the Kitchen Chimney?

It totally depends on the load that is handled by the kitchen chimney of yours and all the different types of food that you tend to prepare as well.

However, if you want a clean and smoke-free kitchen, then you should clean your kitchen chimney at least once in a month. In case you are preparing a lot of oily and spicy food, cleaning the chimney twice a month is recommended.

For those who are using a kitchen chimney which has charcoal filters, replacing the filter every 6 months or earlier is essential.

Conclusion

So, there you have it, people. These are some of the best ways with which you will be able to clean your kitchen chimney with little effort. Use any one of the materials for cleaning your chimney filters in the best way.

If you are finding it difficult to clean the chimney filters with the first three ways then you should try the fourth and the most effective method i.e. cleaning the chimney filters with caustic soda.