August Kitchen Maintenance To-Do: Clean Your Range Hood

The dog days of summer are barking and Labor Day is just around the bend, signaling the end of yet another epic season in the sun. But before you give your flamingo pool float one last hurrah, take a break with some home maintenance prep for the changing season ahead. And some home maintenance tasks, like checking and cleaning some of your larger Kitchen Appliances, are best tackled in the late Summer months, before temperatures start dipping.

For example, the Range Hood, (or if you have an over the range microwave fan instead) needs to be cleaned regularly to remove built-up grease. It’s fairly simple to do.

• Start by thoroughly cleaning the range hood or microwave inside and out with a citrus-based cleaner.
• Be sure to clean the top, sides, and even underneath, to remove all that cooking grime. Wear gloves and be careful of sharp metal edges.
• Remove the grease filter from the fan, and clean it in hot, soapy water; or run it in the dishwasher. If you can reach the fan blades, turn the power off to the fan, and wipe them down as well.

Now that your range hood is sparkling, you have a good excuse to keep it clean by doing some of your summer cooking on an outdoor grill, which can save energy by not making your air conditioner work as hard!

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Photo Credit: wertinio / Shutterstock.com