Best Degreaser For Range Hoods

There is no shortage of options when it comes to range hood degreasers. But it can be difficult to choose the right one without buying and trying several different options. And that can be time-consuming and expensive.

I’ve worked in professional kitchens for over a decade and have cleaned more than my fair share of range hoods. It’s one of the least glamourous parts of working in a restaurant kitchen, but it’s necessary there as well as at home.

Through more personal experience than I’d like to think about, I’ve chosen the best degreasers for range hoods to keep your kitchen looking and functioning at its best.

Safe And Versatile: Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner

Simple Green is one of the best all-around cleaners that excels when it comes to greasy surfaces. 

Simple Green comes as a concentrate which can be diluted for general and light cleaning duties around the house. That helps it to last and last and makes it very cost-effective. But, when it comes to tackling a greasy range hood, you’ll probably want to use it at full strength.

As a daily cleaner, Simple Green works very well by simple spraying on and wiping off, and is safe to use on just about any kitchen surface. If it’s been a while since you last cleaned your hood, you’ll want to soak the dirty area for a couple of minutes before scrubbing and wiping clean.

Not only is Simple Green an effective range hood degreaser, but it’s one of the few options that come with the EPA’s “Safer Choice” designation. That means that the ingredients used have been inspected and are safer for the health of your family as well as the environment.

I also love that Simple Green is transparent and upfront about its ingredients. They even make the products’ detailed data sheet available and easy to find.

All-Natural All-Purpose: Puracy Multi-Surface Cleaner

Simple Green is a great option that’s safe to use around kids and pets. But, Puracy takes things a bit further by creating an all-purpose cleaner that’s 99.96% natural. And if you’re worried about that .04%, it’s a biodegradable preservative with no cause for alarm.

Even though Puracy has no harsh chemicals and is almost entirely plant-based, it does a very impressive job for daily cleaning tasks. They even go as far as to guarantee it will clean without leaving any streaks or residue. And that’s what you want from a range hood cleaner.

The all-natural formula is impressive and should make you feel good when using it inside, around your family. But, you shouldn’t expect this cleaner to tackle hoods with years of caked-on grease and grime. For that, you may need something a bit stronger. Instead, use Puracy as a light daily cleaner, which is the best way to keep your hood looking great in the first place.

Great For Vertical Surfaces: Zep Heavy Duty Citrus Foaming Degreaser

Island and wall mount hoods with large vertical services bring their own set of cleaning challenges to the table. As soon as you spray your cleaner, it’s a race against the clock before all that cleaning power is dripping right down on top of your range.

One way around that is with the Zep heavy-duty citrus foaming degreaser. The aerosol can produce a powerful foam that stays on and won’t drip off in a matter of seconds. That gives the cleaner the time it needs to break down grease and grime so you can scrub and wipe it off.

Zep’s “restaurant-grade” formula uses natural citrus solvents to help cut through grease. It’s effective and creates a pleasant citrus scent.

Since the foaming formula stays on surfaces for a long time, this is a great option when it comes to cleaning the backsplash behind your range. Or, for spraying on mesh or baffle filters before running them through the dishwasher.

Professional Strength: Dawn Heavy Duty Degreaser

If you need something a little bit stronger, the Dawn Professional heavy-duty degreaser should get the job done. I’ve come across this commercial cleaner in several different professional kitchens and have seen it work wonders.

Dawn’s professional line of cleaners is designed to tackle and clean restaurant kitchens. Which I can assure you have more grease and grime than your home. Professional hoods and deep fryers are in constant use, and this stuff does a great job breaking down oils so that it’s easy to wipe clean.

You’ll even see this cleaner used to clean up outdoor dumpster areas and drive-through pads that are notoriously difficult to clean.

Even though it is a “commercial” cleaner, it’s still safe to use at home and can even be used on food prep surfaces. This is another option that works wonders if you use it to soak your range hood baffles before they go through the dishwasher.

Degreaser With Disinfectant: Clorox Commercial 409 Cleaner Degreaser And Disinfectant

While you don’t necessarily need your range hood to be disinfected that often. But, having one cleaner that degreases and disinfects is a great way to cut down on the number of cleaners you keep stocked in your kitchen. And Clorox 409 can do it all.

This is another commercial-grade product that’s often used as an all-purpose cleaner in professional kitchens but is equally as useful at home. It does a great job cutting through grease, while also killing 99.9% of germs.

That makes it a good solution for a greasy hood, but it’s also great to use on countertops and in between prep projects to eliminate cross-contamination and the spread of things like salmonella and E. coli. 

Buyers Guide: Choosing The Best Degreaser For Your Range Hood

Material Uses

When choosing a degreaser for your range hood it’s a good idea to make sure it won’t damage the finish.

Stainless steel is the most common material used for range hoods and it happens to be a very durable material that can take a beating. Plus, since stainless steel is so abundant in kitchens, most cleaners and degreasers are designed with that material in mind.

If you have a hood with a painted finish you’ll want to check with your specific degreaser, as some could end up damaging or removing the paint.

And, if you have any copper on the exterior of your hood, you’ll likely need to add a copper-specific polish and cleaner to your arsenal as well. 

Multipurpose

While some degreasers are formulated for very specific cleaning duties, others can tackle a wide range of tasks all-around your home.

For example, the Zep foaming degreaser does an excellent job when you need a longer soak time on a vertical surface. But, it’s not a very good option as a bathroom cleaner, or even for the countertops in your kitchen.

Simple Green on the other hand does a great job cutting through grease, but can also be used on almost any surface in your home, even your floors.

It’s nice when you can consolidate cleaning products to fewer bottles. But, sometimes you need a very specific cleaning product to take care of a very specific cleaning duty. 

Safety Considerations

Choosing a degreaser that won’t have any negative effects on your health or the environment is the best way to go whenever possible.

This is especially true if you or anyone in your house has sensitive skin or respiratory conditions. Or if you’ll be using the cleaner around small children or pets.

Plant-based cleaners are often your best bet for very sensitive groups. Although, they don’t always have the cleaner power you need for very dirty hoods.

So when choosing your degreaser it can be a good idea to take the extra time to find out exactly what ingredients are being used. As well as what precautions should be taken when using it (i.e. gloves, ventilation, eye protection, etc.).

Ease Of Use

The cleaner you keep your hood daily the better, and the easier it will be every time. If you get into a habit of wiping down your hood daily or even just weekly, a quick spray and wipe with just about any degreaser will be all you need

The same goes for keeping your hood baffles or mesh filters clean. The more you do it the cleaner and easier it will be.

For tougher jobs, a bit of soaking and scrubbing is likely in your future. Most degreasers will have a recommended soak time before you start scrubbing or rinsing. This will range anywhere from a minute or two up to around 10 minutes.  

While commercial degreasers can cut through grease and grime faster, you can achieve the same result with more gentle options. It just may take more attempts and more elbow grease.

Fragrances

What your degreaser smells like comes down primarily to personal preference. Many brands offer the same cleaner in a variety of scents, while with others you’re stuck with only one option.

When cleaning anything in the kitchen, I try to avoid any overpowering scents that will compete with any food I might be cooking. Smell can be an important part of the cooking process, and a strong floral smell from a cleaner can throw things off balance. 

That’s why mild fragrances are often your best bet. And the citrus options do a good job of creating a pleasant environment without overpowering the food in your kitchen.

Cost-Effectiveness

Degreasers come in a wide range of prices and it’s not always the most expensive that is the most effective.

In most cases, you’ll pay more for the options with more “natural” ingredients. These aren’t always the most powerful options but can be better for the environment and a good option if you have small children around.

Some options come as a concentrated formula. If you can use these in a more diluted form they are going to last a long time and end up costing a lot less. 

While they can be expensive upfront, many commercial degreasers come in bulk. And that becomes very economical when you consider how long such a large size will last.

My Recommendation

I think Simple Green strikes a great balance between cleaning effectiveness, cost, and health safety. The concentrated solution lets you dial in the cleaning power you need and makes a single bottle last a long time. Plus, it’s one of the most versatile options that can be used all-around your house.

And while the Zep foaming degreaser isn’t the best multipurpose option, it is the best option when you need to clean and degrease verticle surfaces. Especially useful for tall island or wall mount hoods.

Frequently Asked Questions