Author Archives: Desert Oasis Cleaners

Range Hood Cleaning Steps

While your range hood is keeping your air clean it naturally gets dirty itself while removing the harmful fumes, grease, and moisture from your kitchen. To clean your range hood you’ll need to clean the air filter, range hood, vent, and fan.

Step 1: Clean The Filter

Range hoods have air filters that remove particulates from the smoke leaving your home.  There are two kind of air filters, charcoal and metal.  Each of these different types can be removed and cleaned easily or replaced.

Charcoal Filters

Charcoal filters cannot be cleaned and must just be replaced. It’s a good practice to replace them annually.  For kitchens that get more use they may need more frequent replacement.

Metal Filters

The first step in cleaning it is getting it out of the range hood.  Next you’ll want to soak it in a solution of degreaser.  Make sure it is full immersed in the solution and once it’s dissolved you can give it a wash in warm soapy water.  You can also run it through a cycle in the dishwasher on the top rack for good measure.  Ensure it is completely dry and then reinstall the filter.

Step 2: Clean The Range Hood

While removing the greasy moist air from your kitchen the surfaces of the range hood will get sticky and coated with grease.  To get this film off ensure that the range is turned off and the range hood isn’t running, or light turned on.  Choose a nonabrasive household cleaner that is good for degreasing and wipe down the range hood.  Ensure you never spray switches, electrical components, or the light bulb with your cleaner.

Step 3: Clean The Vent

Just like the range hood grease will build up in the vent and should be removed.  Grease, as many of us know, is flammable. Letting grease build up in the vent presents a fire hazard that needs to be mitigated. Unless you’ve got the right tools and training to clean a vent you should contact a professional range hood cleaning company.

Step 4: Clean The Fan

The fan is the most common place to get excessive grease and should be wiped down with degreaser.  Many times it is the blower wheel that gets the most grease and dirt.  This part in many designs can be removed and degreased just like a metal filter.

Range Hood Trouble Shooting

If you’ve found this article because you’re having problem with your range hood, this section is for you!  Common range hood problems are buttons not working, the motor is loud, or the range hood isn’t removing smoke from your kitchen.

Buttons Not Working

If the buttons aren’t working to turn on the fan or light it is likely an electrical problem.  If the control board isn’t working on your panel it typically requires a visit from a professional repair person.

Smoke Stays In Kitchen

If your range hood is on high and isn’t removing the smoke from your kitchen, it’s a big problem!  Common causes are blocked vents, worn out fans, or clogged air filters.  Follow the cleaning stops above for the filter and fan.  Then ensure that the vent isn’t blocked in any way.

Loud Range Hoods

While some sound is normal elevated levels of noise is a sign of a problem.  Cleaning is the motor is the first step to quieting a noisy range hood.  The dirt and grease that collects on the motor can cause it to make noise and wear out.  If cleaning doesn’t resolve the noise you may need to replace it.

Professional Recommendations

Not only as a degreaser but also as a multi-purpose cleaner Mrs. Meyer’s vegetable-protein-based Clean Day Countertop Spray is highly used and recommended by professionals especially for the scent of the dormula available in lemon, lavender, basil and geranium. When you are facing an especially tough grease situation, the professionals often opt for the concentrated version of the citrus-packed Citra Solv Natural Cleaner and Degreaser. Incidentally, should grease splatter onto a wall, Siege Premium Kitchen Degreaser has the advantage of being solvent free and is much favored by those inthe cooking and cleaning industries.

Green Products

There is no questions green products are highly desired by consumers and there is a non profit organization promoring environmental health research and advocacy called: The Environmental Working Group. When assessing products claiming to be green, they break them down based on the ec-friendliness and safety of the ingredients the products are made from. This group has very high standards and currently only two products have received their top rating: Green Shield Organic Cleaner Degreaser and Whole Foods Market Green Mission Organic All-Purpose Spray Cleaner and Degreaser.

Make Your Own

Sometimes homemade degreasers can be fantastic, cost effective and utilize ingredients that are eco-friendly. A basic formula is to pour a small amount of white vinegar on to the area you want to clean and then wipe with a dampened soft cloth. It is especially effective on greasy cabinets but you should be weary of using it on marble. A combination of baking soda and coarse salt is very effective on range hoods and stove tops, too.

Top Tips

Vinyl Cleaning Banner Do’s And Don’ts

Cleaning a vinyl banner is simple, it just takes a mixture of soap and water together with a cloth that is non-abrasive. Just be cautious and do not scrub at the banner as it may cause damage to the ink on the banner. Rinse out the banner thoroughly with water and make sure it is fully dried out before you store it away. You should also avoid folding the banner. It is best to keep it in a container and cool and dry place away from sunlight. Do not use aggressive cleaning agents or detergents on the banner as it can destroy the color. Along the same lines, do not use any materials that provide abrasion or cleaning pads for the same reason. Do not use any solvents but be sure to wipe down the banner, especially if it has many colors with a microfiber or soft cloth.

Banner Storage

The ideal way to store a banner is to keep the packaging that was used to originally ship it. If it came with some paper for protection, you could utilize it. If you no longer have the original packaging, store it so the ink on the banner does not touch other parts of the banner containing ink.

Step By Step

• When cleaning with a non-abrasive cloth make sure the cloth is not too abrasive and avoid using sponges.
• Do not use any detergents, solvents or cleaning chemicals.
• Make sure the soap you use is mild in formula and not scented. Remember to mix it with water!
• Do not use paper towels as they are usually too abrasive.
• Store the banner in a dry cool place away from sunlight.
• When you hang your banner use the proper tools as you do not want the banner to drop down to the floor, damaging the banner and presenting a trip or a fall hazard.

Range Hood Filter Cleaning Process

Here is what you will require to clean your range hood filter:

• Dishcloth or paper towels
• A scrub brush that is non-abrasive
• Baking soda
• Dish soap with a degreaser
• Very hot water

Step By Step

1. First, remove the filters from the hood. In most cases, the filters pop or slide out from the underside of the hood. Some have a metal loop one can grab to push the filter up and slide it out.
2. Take a bucket or a sink with very hot or even boiling water. Consider boiling the water with a kettle or on the stove. The hotter the water, the more effective it will be.
3. Pour in dish soap and baking soda. Squeeze a good sized squirt and a quarter cup of baking soda into the hot water. Mix it with a brush until the water is soapy.
4. Insert the greasy filters in the water and ensure they are completely submerged.
5. Let the filters soak fully for ten minutes.
6. Remove them from the mixture and scrub the filters with a non-abrasive brush. if the grease is stubborn add more dish soap to the brush when you scrub.
7. Then rinse the filters in totally hot water and dry with a clean dishcloth or a paper towel.
8. Then replace the filters and get into the habit of cleaning them. Once a month should be enough!

Do You Have A Lacquer Finish?

In this article we are going to talk about three ways to clean a copper range hood. However, stop reading right now, if you have a lacquered finish and consult the manufacturer to make a determination of the recommended cleaning technique.

Using Bar Keepers Friend Copper Cleaner

Bar Keepers Friend is as well known copper cleaner and you can use it in the following way with some soft cloths:

1. Wipe the hood with a damp cloth so it becomes moistened.
2. Sprinkle any non-vertical surfaces with copper cleaner.
3. Gently rub the cleaner over the hood, ensuring all surfaces are covered with the moist paste you have created
4. Allow it to sit for a few minutes or as directed on the product label.
5. Use a clean cloth to clean the copper. Repeat this process until all cleaner has been removed from the range hood.
6. Finish by polishing the copper range hood to a bright shine with a clean soft cloth.

How to Clean a Copper Range Hood Caked With Grease

Here is what you will need:

• Dish soap
• Sponge
• Copper polish
• Flannel cloth

Cleaning Method

1. Use a wet sponge and some hot water with three drops of dish soap. Use the sponge to wipe the range hood and leave the soap on the surface for 12 minutes so the grease is loosened.
2. Take soapy sponge and rub the copper, adding and rinsing with more soap as required. Rinse the range hood with a clean, wet sponge and dry it with a towel to prepare for polishing.
3. Take a small amount of copper polish to the flannel cloth. The copper needs to be covered with a thin layer of polish and allowed to dry.
4. Using small circular like motions, rub the range hood so there is no residue from the polish remaining.