...and the renovation continues.

The saga of an inexperienced kitchen renovator trudges on. As many of our loyal readers may know, we are the middle of a six month project of renovating our kitchen and the time has come to pick out the range hood.
Little did I know about range hoods before the project, but even littler could I find out online. I did find out that there are not as many styles as one would think - with Broan being one of the more popular. Little did I know about the maintenance needed. There are no miraculous self-cleaning range hoods around yet! So before you buy - take note of these tips on keeping your range hood in tip top shape.

• Range Hood Filter Cleaning & Replacing
  Schedule a periodic cleaning of your over-the-stove range vent hood. The silver screen is the grease filter. Some models have more than one grease filter. The grease filter traps airborne oils and grease to ensure that they are not sucked up in the exhaust vent. To clean the filter, remove it and soak it in a degreasing solution until the grease is totally dissolved. After soaking, wash it with warm, soapy water to remove any traces of the degreaser. You can also place the grease filter on the upper rack of your dishwasher and run it through an entire cycle, believe it or not!
  Note… If your unit circulates the air rather than vents it outdoors, it may have one or more activated charcoal filters. Don't wash these. Just replace them periodically
  
• Cleaning the Inside of the Range Hood
  Remember to always TURN off the range hood before doing any cleaning. Also avoid spraying any type of cleaner directly onto the light bulb or light bulb socket. Clean the interior of the vent hood with a household degreaser/cleaner like soft scrub.
  
• Cleaning the Outside of your Range Hood
  Clean the outside of your vent hood with a degreaser or a non-abrasive cleanser like soft scrub. If it is stainless steel, you can use a stainless steel cleaner after the grease is off.
  
• The blower wheel also gets greasy and dirty, over time, which can slow down the fan or cause vibration. Remove the wheel and clean it with a degreaser. Then, if the fan is still slow or if it vibrates, you need to replace the fan motor.
  
• Vent cleaning
  Contact a vent-cleaning contractor to clean the vent properly.

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