Can You Wash Range Hood Charcoal Filters?

On this page (11 sections)

1. Can you wash range hood charcoal filters and use them again?
2. Why doesn't washing restore a charcoal filter?
3. How do you tell the grease filter from the charcoal filter?
4. Which parts of the filter set can you wash?
5. How do you clean a metal grease filter?
6. What mistakes should you avoid when cleaning hood filters?
7. Which degreaser is safe on range hood parts?
8. What should you do when the charcoal filter is worn out?
9. How do you know which filter needs attention?
10. Do you need a charcoal filter at all?
11. Wash the grease filter and replace the charcoal filter

You can't wash range hood charcoal filters and expect them to work like new, so plan on replacing them. The metal grease filter in front of the charcoal is the part that goes in the sink or the dishwasher.

A ductless hood pulls air through both filters before it returns the air to the room. The grease filter catches grease, and the charcoal handles cooking odors.

For the full setup, see the ductless range hoods guide.

Can you wash range hood charcoal filters and use them again?

No. Bagean says its charcoal filters are not washable, unlike metal range hood filters, and Omaeon says the same about its HPF30-style set.

Both point you to a replacement schedule instead, every six months for Bagean and every 3 to 6 months for Omaeon. If your own manual shows a care step for the charcoal part, follow the manual over this guide.

Why doesn't washing restore a charcoal filter?

The carbon is what catches odors, and a wash cleans the surface without renewing it. Activated carbon catches odors in tiny pores, and once those fill, the filter has done its job.

That's why makers sell charcoal filters on a swap schedule instead of a cleaning schedule.

Can you rinse or soak a charcoal filter?

Rinsing or soaking won't bring back the odor control. A filter that looks dirty or smells stale is due for a swap, not a soak.

One maker does give a cleaning step for carbon. PUREBURG sells a cut-to-fit carbon sheet and says to brush it gently or vacuum it once a month.

That's a dry clean for that sheet, not a wash, and PUREBURG also says to replace it periodically.

Can a charcoal filter go in the dishwasher?

No. The dishwasher-safe claims you see from makers apply to metal grease filters, and Bagean and Omaeon both call their charcoal filters non-washable.

Does baking soda bring a charcoal filter back?

No. Bagean suggests baking soda for soaking its aluminum grease filter, not as a fix for the charcoal.

How do you tell the grease filter from the charcoal filter?

Check the material: aluminum mesh or stainless baffles are grease filters, and a pad or cartridge made of activated carbon is the charcoal filter.

Shapes vary, too. CIARRA's carbon filter twists onto the motor, SNDOAS's CF-0475 is a round cartridge, and Bagean's and Omaeon's charcoal filters are flat pads.

Some charcoal pads clip onto the metal filter. Bagean includes clips with its pad, and Omaeon's 4-pack comes with 8, so unclip the pad before you wash the metal.

Combined parts exist as well. COMFEE' describes its CVU30-F as an aluminum mesh and activated carbon cotton composite, so the manual decides what care that kind of part gets.

If you can't tell which is which, the parts list in your hood's manual names each one.

Which parts of the filter set can you wash?

The metal grease filter, and many makers say theirs is dishwasher safe. The charcoal pad or cartridge is the part you replace.

Broan-NuTone says the quick-release filters on its 413004 can go in the dishwasher. Cosmo calls the stainless ARC-FLOW filters on its ducted wall mount hood permanent and dishwasher safe, which is the wording to look for on a metal filter.

Check your own manual before you load yours, because not every filter comes with that promise. The charcoal filter vs grease filter comparison covers how the two parts differ.

Grease filters fit by model, too. Bagean's BPS1FA30 is an 11.8 by 14.3 inch size for Allure QS1, QS2 and WS1 30 inch hoods, so it's not interchangeable with the 10.5 by 8.75 inch one.

How do you clean a metal grease filter?

Soak it in hot water with dish soap and baking soda, scrub, rinse and dry it, or run it through the dishwasher if the filter is labeled dishwasher safe. The steps below follow Bagean's method for its aluminum filter.

Step 1: Take the filter out

Switch the hood off, then slide or unclip the grease filter. Hold it over the sink or a towel, since grease can drip as it comes out.

If a charcoal pad is clipped to it, unclip the pad and set it aside.

Step 2: Soak it

Soak the filter in hot water with dish soap and baking soda. Bagean says to let it sit for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Scrub and rinse

Scrub the mesh with a soft brush to lift grease from the openings. Rinse until no soap or baking soda is left.

Step 4: Dry it, then refit

Let the filter dry completely before it goes back in the hood. Reconnect the charcoal pad if yours clips on.

Can you wash a range hood grease filter in the dishwasher?

Yes, when that filter is labeled dishwasher safe. Check your manual first, since care steps differ by model.

How often should you clean it?

Clean it after heavy frying or searing, and whenever the mesh looks greasy. A clean grease filter also takes some work off the charcoal behind it.

What mistakes should you avoid when cleaning hood filters?

Three come up most: soaking the charcoal pad along with the metal filter, spraying degreaser on aluminum, and cooking with the grease filter still out.

Soaking the charcoal pad with the metal filter

If the pad is clipped on, unclip it first. The soak is for the metal only.

Spraying degreaser on aluminum

Easy-Off says not to use its degreaser on aluminum surfaces, which rules it out for aluminum mesh filters. Use the baking soda soak instead.

Running the hood without the grease filter

Bagean says you need a metal grease filter ahead of its charcoal filter to stop tough grease from reaching the charcoal. Refit the metal filter, dry, before you cook.

Which degreaser is safe on range hood parts?

Easy-Off says its heavy duty degreaser is for hard, non-porous surfaces and should not be used on aluminum, so keep it off aluminum grease filters. The brand names range hoods among the surfaces it suits.

Rinse the cleaner off thoroughly, and don't let it dry on the surface.

What should you do when the charcoal filter is worn out?

Replace it with a matching filter. The steps for replacing a charcoal filter walk you through the swap in order.

Makers give swap intervals between 2 and 6 months, and how long charcoal range hood filters last lists each one. Charcoal filters fit by model number, so check yours before you order.

Bagean's three-pack, for example, replaces the BP58 in Broan and NuTone 43000 series hoods and connects to the aluminum grease filter. The best charcoal filters for range hoods roundup compares replacements by the hood each one fits.

How do you know which filter needs attention?

Look at the grease filter first. If it's greasy, clean it, and if it's clean while odors still come through, the charcoal filter is the likely cause.

Run the hood after cleaning and see whether the smell fades. If it doesn't, the charcoal filter is due.

Do you need a charcoal filter at all?

Only if your hood recirculates air. A hood that vents outside sends the air out of the house, so it has no charcoal filter to wash or replace.

A charcoal filter handles cooking odors and doesn't remove combustion gases. For heavy frying or a gas range, a hood that vents outside is the stronger setup.

Wash the grease filter and replace the charcoal filter

Washing range hood charcoal filters isn't worth the effort, so clean the metal filter when it looks greasy and replace the charcoal one on its maker's schedule.

When you're unsure about a part, your hood's manual is the final word. Then pick a replacement that matches the model number.

Frequently asked questions

Can you wash a range hood charcoal filter?

No, because Bagean and Omaeon both call their charcoal filters non-washable and point you to a replacement schedule instead. The metal grease filter is the part you can clean and reuse, and Bagean says its 10.5 by 8.75 inch aluminum grease filter is dishwasher safe.

Can you put a charcoal filter in the dishwasher?

Don't, because dishwasher-safe claims from makers apply to their metal grease filters, while Bagean says charcoal filters, unlike metal ones, are not washable. Check your manual for any care step on your own hood, since a combined mesh-and-carbon part may follow different rules.

How often should you replace a charcoal filter?

Makers give figures between 2 and 6 months: CIARRA says every 2 to 4, COMFEE' says 3 to 4, and Broan-NuTone and Bagean say 6. Cook daily and lean toward the short end, then check your hood's manual for its own number before you set a schedule.

What cleaner is safe for aluminum grease filters?

Hot water with dish soap and baking soda is the gentle option: Bagean suggests a 10-minute soak, then a scrub and rinse. Easy-Off says its heavy duty degreaser should not be used on aluminum, so keep that spray off aluminum filters.