Extractor grease filter
Washable, monthly, with mild soap and water — and the dishwasher permission its maker gives is deliberately not universal.
Precautions
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
- Rinse thoroughly afterwards
Start here
What this is, what tends to go wrong with it, and what to do about it.
Made from
What tends to go wrong
Fats and oils, which water alone cannot lift. Removed by surfactants, by heat, by solvents, or by alkalis that convert the fat into soap.
Why it is difficult: Why oil resists water, Emulsification
The science behind this: Alkali attack on light metals
Part of Extractor hood.
In detail
The metal mesh panel that pulls out of the underside of a hood, and the one part of the appliance the manufacturer positively directs a householder to clean. The instruction is mild soap and water, monthly or when the filter status indicator asks. The dishwasher question, which is what people actually search for, gets a carefully bounded answer: MOST grease filters can be placed in the dishwasher for additional cleaning, and the manufacturer directs verifying in the owner's manual for the specific model first. That is a maker declining to generalise about its own products, and it is a better answer than the confident yes or confident no the internet offers. Refitting is directional — one end slides into the opening opposite the tab area, then the other end swings up. Where the mesh is aluminium, a caustic degreaser is a poor choice, because strong alkalis attack that metal.
What works
Soap is safe on, in specific conditions, Extractor grease filter
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits, and nothing is established outside them.
Only within these limits:
- Mild soap and water
- Monthly, or when the filter status indicator asks
- Refit end-first opposite the tab area, then swing the other end up
The manufacturer's own interval and its own method. Nothing stronger is given.
Precautions
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
- Rinse thoroughly afterwards
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Cleaning the Filters (Grease and Charcoal) — Over-the-Range Microwave
Whirlpool Corporation · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That the recommended method is mild soap and water and the interval is monthly or as prompted by the filter status indicator. (states this directly)
Dishwasher detergent is safe on, in specific conditions, Extractor grease filter
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits, and nothing is established outside them.
Only within these limits:
- Check the owner's manual for the specific model FIRST — the permission is not universal
- Only as additional cleaning, not as a replacement for the monthly soap-and-water clean
The manufacturer says MOST grease filters can go in the dishwasher and directs the reader to verify. A maker declining to generalise about its own products is the honest answer, and it is the one the internet does not give.
Precautions
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Cleaning the Filters (Grease and Charcoal) — Over-the-Range Microwave
Whirlpool Corporation · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That most grease filters can be placed in the dishwasher for additional cleaning, and that the owner's manual should be verified first because not all models permit it. (states this directly)
Related
- Extractor grease filter is made from Aluminium
- Extractor grease filter is commonly affected by Grease
Sources for this page
Sources
Cleaning the Filters (Grease and Charcoal) — Over-the-Range Microwave
Whirlpool Corporation · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That the grease filter is cleaned with mild soap and water, monthly or as prompted, that most filters may go in the dishwasher subject to checking the owner's manual, and the refitting direction. (states this directly)