HomeTriangle Guides: Chimney Cleaning - Everything One Needs to Know
Chimneys are an important part of most modern kitchens. They do the essential job of clearing all the smoke and vapors that would otherwise end up leaving your kitchens greasy and smelly. The oil and grease associated with cooking get stuck in the filters, which in turn decreases the efficiency of the chimney. And so it goes without saying that cleaning chimneys are a very important task. But cleaning them is a tedious and time-consuming task.
Chimney Cleaning - How Often Should You Do it?
You should clean your chimneys once every 2 months at least. As mentioned above, all the grease and oil from cooking will get lodged in the chimney filters making them borderline useless. If you prepare a lot of oily food, you should mostly clean your chimneys once every month. Depending on the type of food and the amount of cooking, the time might vary. It also depends on the type of filters in the chimney.1. Cassette Filters : Which are made up of multi-layered layers of aluminum need cleaning every 10-12 days As these filters contain small pores in which grease sticks and ends up blocking them.2. Baffle Filters : That can separate smoke and grease don’t get clogged as often as cassette filters. So, cleaning them once every 2-3 weeks is enough.3. Charcoal Filters : Have charcoal granules present in it to absorb the smoke, odor, and grease. They should be replaced every 4-6 months as they cannot be cleaned.
How to Effectively Clean Chimneys?
The first step in cleaning chimneys is removing the filters from the hood. Mesh filters are simply aluminum thread made into sheets. These filters can be cleaned using different techniques. Over the counter chemicals, harsh soap, and detergents can damage the color of the aluminum meshes. Some natural alternatives are given down below:
Baking Soda
This requires baking soda, salt, and vinegar. Take the filters into a large enough container like a bucket or a steel or aluminum container and add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda, a couple of tablespoons of salt, and 300 ml of vinegar to it. Let this soak for 2 hours. For better results, instead of adding hot water, you can boil it along with the mentioned ingredients.
Vinegar
White vinegar is a brilliant option to remove grime and stains that are collected on the exterior of the chimney, like the hood and the panels. Wipe the surfaces clean with a paper towel or a piece of cotton cloth dipped in a vinegar solution. Let it sit for a few minutes before wiping be cleaned with paper towels ducked in plain water to remove whatever is left. Make sure that you wipe every nook and corner of the chimney when you do.
Paint Thinner
Another good to clean the oily and greasy materials is paint thinner, or even nail polish remover. Scrub the filters using a small piece of cloth soaked in the thinner or nail polish remover. After scrubbing the filters completely, was it using water and dry it in the sunlight. This is a time-saving option to clean your chimneys.
Caustic Soda
Take the filters to a tray or a tub and sprinkle caustic soda on the filters. Pour hot boiling water into the tray. Be careful to keep a distance because the fumes released may be harmful to you. Rest this for 2 -3 hours. Also, remember to wear hand gloves while removing the filters from the tray. Wash the filter in clean water, let it dry, and place it back in the chimney hood.
Dishwashing Liquid
Apply dishwashing liquid soap to the filters. Immerse the filters in a container and add hot boiling water to it. Ensure that the filters are completely submerged in water. Let it rest for 2 hours. Boiling this instead of submerging it in hot water will be more effective and a lot faster as it will result in removing grease faster. After this, scrub the filters and dry them before replacing them in the hood.
Get Professional Help
Even with all these techniques and details available on the internet, it might still prove cleaning chimneys is a hard job because most of us don’t have the technical know-how of how chimneys work. That is why you should consider getting professional help. HomeTriangle has an extensive database of experienced professionals offering chimney cleaning services in Bangalore and all over India. Book a chimney cleaning service from HomeTriangle either through our website or call us on 76 76 000 100.