Sodium Bicarbonate Kept Me Out Of Home Depot & Saved Me $15 (Step By Step Picture Instructions)

Is your range hood exhaust filter all greasy and clogged? No need to run out and buy a new filter. You can clean it and prolong it's life.

You'll need 1/2 cup fresh Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate), a large stock pot (at least 8 quarts), serving tongs and a kitchen towel. Oh, don't forget the sticky, clogged and greasy filter.

Keep in mind, to make sure your sticky, clogged and greasy filter will fit in the stock pot width wise.

Bring water to boil and slowly add a spoon full of Baking Soda at a time. Don't panic, it will instantly bubble up a few inches, then right back down. This is why you must NOT just dump the full 1/2 cup in at once.

Then with serving thongs, holding the sticky, clogged and greasy filter, slowly lower it into the stock pot. Once it's sitting on the bottom, let it boil for about 2 minutes. Then lift it up and let the dirty water drip off the corner. Then flip and repeat.

Sit it on the kitchen towel to drip dry a bit. Like an hour, or so. Then install it back in the range hood. Make sure you have the 'airflow in' side the correct way. Turn the exhaust fan on hi for about 20 minutes. Done, all dry and odds are the greasy, stale stink is gone.

Below are the before and after pics. I left a small, dirty line down the middle. So you can see it's actually cleaning it.

[Before] [link to i61.tinypic.com]
[After Front] [link to i57.tinypic.com]
[After Back] [link to i62.tinypic.com]
[Dirty & Stinky Water] [link to i62.tinypic.com]

The water will be black and smelly. So I'd dump it outside in a gravely area. Then wash the stock pot with hot soapy water, then again in the dishwasher. If you don't have a dishwasher, I'd wash the stock pot, then let some bleach/water ratio sit in it for a couple minutes. Then wash the stock pot again in hot soapy water.

*Disclaimer from deanoZXT: I am in no way responsible if you burn yourself, or others around you. It's common knowledge that Sodium Bicarbonate will fizz and bubble up, once added to boiling water. Remember middle school chem-lab? Plus I warned you above. If you do burn yourself, you are a moran and need a new brian.