Clean the screen!

• Posted on October 30, 2017
• by mikew
• in Fix It & Use It
• No Comments.

Where does the water go as you boil the pot and see the water level decrease? What happens when you reduce juicy tomatoes to a thick, rich marinara sauce? How come your neighbors smell your dinner when they walk by your house? The answers to these questions can be found with the ventilation fume hood over your cooktop and oven! Whenever your kitchen is in use it is a good practice to operate your ventilation fan. The properly installed fan will pull moisture from your cooking and exhaust it outside of the house – that is why things smell so good outside at dinner time!

One of the things we forget or procrastinate on is cleaning out the screens that filter the larger particles on their way up and out the chute! This restricts the air flow and can actually cause moisture issues with the walls, ceiling and cabinets. Fortunately, manufacturers make those screens easy to remove and clean.

Here is what I recommend:

1. Remove the screen cover and soak it in hot, soapy dish water overnight.
2. Give the screen a gentle scrubbing with the dish brush to help break up the bigger particles.
3. Run the screen through heavy dishwasher cleaning cycle. Skip the heated dry cycle though!
4. Repeat the above process if necessary.
5. Let the screen air dry and return to its proper place.

Let us share with the whole world what’s for dinner!