Q. Any suggestions on companies that clean stove range hood vents? I looked in the Yellow Pages but had no luck. I live in a town home and would love to have mine cleaned. Everyone seems to do commercial work but not residential.
Valerie Antimuro, Chicago
A. Over-the-stove hood vents are designed to filter dirt and grease. The unit either vents the filtered air outside or circulates the air back into the kitchen. The hood is easily cleaned using mild dishwashing soap and water to remove the grease buildup, said David Knudsen of Art’s Appliance in Evergreen Park. The silvery screen type of filters can be removed and soaked in sudsy water and then rinsed clean. A unit also may have charcoal filters, which need to be replaced periodically according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Another part of the hood vent is the fan motor, which doesn’t normally need cleaning maintenance. But it will need to be replaced when it gets worn.
If a unit vents air outside, the air duct or air passageway unlikely needs to be cleaned, since only filtered air has been moving through it, Knudsen said. But these ducts can accumulate greasy dirt from heavy use or get blocked by debris such as a bird’s nest. In this case, try calling a chimney sweep or a HVAC duct-cleaning service, he said.
———-
More Top Picks Best Storage Benches For Bedrooms
Send questions to Home Remedies, Your Place, baiduhai, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL 60611, or e-mail [email protected]. Be sure to include your name, address and daytime phone number. Questions of general interest will be answered in future columns. Unpublished letters cannot be answered individually.