How to clean grease from painted cabinet surrounding hood?

14 years ago

My vent-a-hood is encased in painted cabinetry. Here is a picture to show you what I mean:

I ran my hand along the painted wood that covers the hood and it was sticky - I think it is probably a thin coat of cooking grease.

Do you have any recommendations on how to clean this? I need something that will cut the grease but not damage/discolor my white paint.

Thank you,

try_hard

Featured Answer

live_wire_oak

14 years ago

Do NOT use the Magic Erasers! They are micro abrasive and will remove the cabinet finish over time. A solution of Dawn dishwashing detergent and a soft cloth is all I ever recommend to remove grease from a painted finish. However, if you're getting grease on the front of your cabinets, then I'd have to say that your hood wasn't providing enough CFM to suck it up into the filters, or you have inadequate capture area for the size cooktop below, or the vent is clogged somewhere. Since it looks as though the hood projects at least 18", investigate if the ducting is blocked. If it's clear, you may want to change the blower to a stronger model and start it running before you start cooking. Grease on cabinets can damage the finish over time, even if you are careful about removing it freqently.

Comments (6)

rgjem
14 years ago
I suggest Charlie's Soap all purpose cleaner. It is an excellent degreasser. I use it all over my home and have not had it damage anything so far.
betsy_anne
14 years ago
We have a similar set-up with a painted hood encasement. I have used the Mr. Clean Magic Sponges with no damage to the paint and removing the grease coating.
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hsw_sc
14 years ago
I use Method all purpose cleaner on everything from the appliances to the cabinets to the baseboards to the walls (we have two Golden Retrievers that rub up on everything). It works really well at cutting through the grease on the stove hood, but has never damaged any of the painted surfaces that I've used it on.
teachmkt
14 years ago
If you can, I'd check with whomever painted the surround (it's not clear if this is a liner, part of the cabinet or the hood was painted to match the cabinet) in the event there're any warranty issues about cleaning agents. We have had painted cabinets and a SS VH for 5 years and have had no residue on the cabinets (including those that butt up against the hood and are directly along the side the range top--similar to yours). We have a grill and do major front burner stirfry and panbroiling. We've used fantastic and soapy water for general cleaning on the cabinets. VHs don't have filters, and you may want to check to make sure your hood's dampers are fully opening. There have been a few posts about dampers getting stuck (I know, I was one of them). However, if they were stuck you'd expect increased noise and diminished performance. You can check the dampers by removing the grease collection box as you do when you clean it (hopefully you've done this before)--the dampers will be small doors above the squirrel cage wheels and should open easily and extend to a full 90 degrees. The number of dampers depends on the number of blowers. You also should have a damper on the outside of your house wherever you hood cap is mounted. When the hood is on high, this should be fully open; hopefully you can check this from the ground. One question: do you follow the old restaurant rule of "stove on, hood on?" It took me a while to get the rest of the household to always exhaust, and to run the hood at a level high enough to clear the cooking area. If the hood is working properly on high and it's underpowered, I would think you could see smoke/steam rising outside the front lip and not being captured.
try_hard
Original Author
14 years ago
All: Thank you for the suggestions. I am now armed with some things to try.

Live Wire Oak and Teachmkt: I think the problem is that I don't use my hood as often as I should. I rarely turn it on - only when I have a bunch of steam from boiling pasta. I guess I need to start using it when I cook anything that has grease in it (or anytime I cook anything).

I appreciate all the input!
Try_Hard