Grease cutter advice, please
 

We just bought a house and I discovered the underside of the exhaust fan is virtually crusted with grease. UGH!

What can I use to cut that old, multi-layered grease?

It is so gross, I almost want to just remove the thing and replace it, but my thrifty side won't let me. Battling with that side is the side that just wants to throw up thinking about that gross thing. I am conflicted.

Advice on the best grease cutters would help my mental health.

Blue Dawn dish soap. But have you priced the replacement? It might be worth it. How much would you pay to do someone else's gross exhaust fan job? Compare that and make your decision.

I have the same problem as Grandma Nancy. The house had been professionally cleaned, paid by the seller, and that was the only place that had nasty grimy grease. I was thinking the same thing - Blue Dawn dish soap and a brush. Hopefully, I can get it off the top of the microwave. Hmmmm.

The grate on the underside of my microwave/fan comes off and I can soak it in dawn or put it in the dishwasher -- is there a chance yours is removable?

I use a product called "It's Awesome." I buy it a 99c stores.

I took the grates off as well as the glass over the light bulbs and put them through the dishwasher. It worked great, but the super-greasy non-removable bottom of the unit isn't removable.

Ammonia or bathroom alcohol - not together though.

My son was 20 years in the Navy on a Submarine. He swears by "Simple Green" for any kind of grease.
Would be worth the try.

Krud Kutter is also very good for most anything.

The grease was so thick in the kitchen of a house my folks bought many decades ago that my mother ended up needing to use kerosene to cut the grease on the cabinets and fixtures! Not sure I'd go that route. I find Softscrub does a good job with grease generally. Use a rag vs a sponge though. Rinsing that stuff is painful from a sponge. Rag is much better.

There are products you can get at auto stores like PepBoys or Autozone made to cut engine grease that would work really well on that fan. They are strong chemicals, but easier to get the grease off than some others.

I realized I need this information too. Found this video that uses Super Clean:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z800trmZJyY

I am a little leery of using an automotive product in the house, but Super Clean is biodegradable so I'm thinking it might be okay. You *do* need to be careful with it and not let it dry before wiping it off. The reviews on Amazon are pretty favorable so I'm thinking of trying it:
https://www.amazon.com/SuperClean-10...dp/B0039ZBLEC/

Edit: On second thought, after reading the negative reviews, I don't think I want to use it on our 10-year-old expensive stove hood. Will look for something similar that is not as caustic.

Edit 2: Easy Off Degreaser looks like it might work.

Simple Green or Blue Dawn if you want to scrub. Can you remove the greasy part to let it soak? If so, try soaking in a pan /bucket/whatever works of hot water, a few drops of Blue dawn and a plain unscented Dryer sheet. After a couple hours or over night, of soaking, the crud should come off easily

Me too. Lay the screen in the plugged sink, let stand with spray all over it for about 5 minutes, then fill sink with straight hot water. Let stand until cool. (You could boil water for this) If it is not clean, repeat. For gunk stuck in little crevices on it, a quick trip through the dishwasher finishes it nicely.

We took ours down and sent out to be steam cleaned. Now I own a steamer (for draperies, etc from a flea mkt for $15.) If you have access to a steamer, cover your stovetop w/plastic and lots of newspapers. Let the drippings fall on paper. Easy finish from there.

Dawn Dishwashing soap..my go-to fave and it works! Add some vinegar to it if you want to. Dilute both in water. I clean my webbed outdoor furniture every spring ...using Dawn. My furniture sits in a barn and after a winter of crotters crapping all over the pieces, Dawn and vinegar just does the job. I need to clean my hood screen too.
sandy

nice info! Thanks
sandy

regardless of the cleaning product you choose, i'll bet it would be a lot easier to get into its nooks and crannies if you took it down as mermaid suggested.

don't ask me to admit how i know, but the run-of-mill steamers for household use will not make the work much easier or less disgusting.

They have grease cutters at Home Depot in the cleaning dept. Don't use soap and water...that won't help. I had something with a 1/2" of gummy gunk and it took it right off. Sorry, can't remember the brand. I will never fight that stuff with out a commercial grease cutter again, no scrubbing necessary.

A friend of mine swears by a product called Greased Lightening, that she swears is better than blue Dawn. I think it is available at lumber or dollar stores. The best degreaser on walls or cabinets that I have found is Trisodium Phosphate (granular) or Lowes has a similar product that is an orange liquid that is similar, right next to the granular version. If the hood is painted though, it may strip the paint. Wear rubber gloves, but there is not a chemical odor at all. I have used it for years to prepare walls to paint, or to wipe down the kitchen cabinets occasionally.

Use Blue Dawn--our go-to cleaner----does the job right .

The ammonia you buy at the grocery store really cuts grease!

I clean my range vent filters often but still it starts to look yucky after a few years. I buy a new vent hood. The cost is not that much considering the time it takes to deep clean one upside down and if I took it out, a new one would go back in. Over and done with.

I had the same problem when I moved into this house. Seems the previous owner when he installed the microwave above the stove he positioned it level with the bottom of the cabinets so very close to the stove. They must have ate a lot of greasy food. I had my carpenters move the cabinet and microwave higher above the stove and that's when I found the oven light switch. Couldn't see it before. Anyway, I removed the metal filter and soaked it in boiling hot water with vinegar and Dawn dish soap (blue). It came out clean with a little help from my scrub brush/toothbrush I keep handy under the sink. Same went for the microwave innards as it was crusted with old food....YUCK!!!!!!

That was my thought or the stuff they use to clean outdoor grills. Of course I can't think of the name. I believe Easy-Off and Goo Gone both have grill cleaners.

I have found that Pledge Multi surface cleaner takes off grease really well and it is "safe" for granite, metal wood glass and electronics. The other thing you could try is to spray it with an ammonia mix and then tape a plastic bag around it some way. Leave it over night to cut the grease. That is the product in Easy Off for ovens that cuts the grease in the oven.

I am going to suggest an old fashioned cleaner...baking soda. Baking soda works wonders on grease. I use it to clean the oven. I just make a bit of a paste with soda and water and if possible let it sit a moment. You will see it turn brown and that means it is absorbing the grease. If this is not an option then just make a solution and wipe things down with a sponge. It takes a bit more work that way but is every bit as effective. I also use a paste solution on the exterior of my cast iron cookware. I use the cast iron for most all my cooking and the outer surface can get crusty over time. My DMI used to toss her cast iron in a bonfire once a year to clean off the edges, but a bonfire is not an option for me. In another hint, just add about a table spoon of Baking Soda to the dishwater in addition to the soap [I don't have a automatic dishwasher] the dishes and glass ware will come out sparkling clean with just a swish after a bit of a soak. There are many more uses for Baking soda, including a treatment for a clearer skin, shampoo, acid reflux, too many to go into here. It really is a sort of a jack of all trades substance.

Remove the underside and soak in full strength Lestoil.

Awesome cleaner is my go to cleaner.

Dilluted Draino gel...or any kind of drain cleaner

The fan blades / fins on the Jenn-Air downdraft counter-top stove that was in our house when we moved in several years ago was so caked with grease and unbalanced because of it, that the counter shook when we turned on the fan. Well, that would never do. We removed the fan from its housing and left the intact fan overnight in a bucket of water and dissolved trisodium phosphate. Next day, the grease was dissolved and the fan was fine. Washed it and re-installed it.

WARNING when using TSP: be sure to wear good quality rubber gloves (not the ones that they use at the deli counter or doctor's office) that extend above your wrist. TSP does no favors to your skin. Also, best if no children or pets are around when using TSP. Try a test area if you're going to use it to clean a painted surface as it probably will dull the finish. TSP is a heavy-duty product that works great to remove grease. Just use common sense and you will be fine.

Wow -- am I glad I asked this. I have learned so much. Thank you all!

My father used Simple Green when doing engine work on the cars & truck. I have used it for the last 20+ yrs. Most times diluted but not always. I have used it to clean on oven fan & it worked great.

Have you tried equal parts dawn and HOT white vinegar. I use this on tubs and showers to remove scum. Spray on, let sit about 30", and wipe away. Use a magic eraser if necessary.Rinse with a moist sponge. I use this same mixture for floors, drive tops, etc. My husband even asks me to make him a bottle to clean his boat after a day of deep sea fishing. A spray bottle full of vinegar with 4-5 drops dawn works great on windows, too.

...stove tops, not drive tops...I love this little computer spelling and thinking for me.

I've used this too! Works great for a variety of surfaces and very affordable!

I use"" Oil Eater"" it can be purchased at auto parts stores. You can spray it on the fan on cabinets . It does not strip the finish off but it will melt the grease off . Its is also good for grease on blue jeans or blood . Its a great multi cleaner . I never use any other product.

Hubby and I took charge of a senior center three years ago. The place was badly in need of a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. Krud Kutter did wonders! The center had lots of nicotine and grease built up in places. After replacing the drop in ceiling tiles, having the high quality vertical blinds ultrasound cleaned, etc. the building looked great and smelled clean without the chemical odor residue. Good Luck!

I was surprised to learn about this product from a 17 yo cleaner I hired a few months ago. It really works well, but does make me cough when I use a lot.

I'd place your item in a plastic baggie, spray heavily with the product, tightly close the baggie and let it sit a for few hours. Rinse and then try the Dawn dish liquid.

wish I'd seen this sooner, we just did mine.
My dd and my dsil took mine down and I used Dawn and Baking Soda...make a
paste and let it sit a little while.[ATTACH=CONFIG]562265[/ATTACH]
You'll know how long by when you start to clean it...I was using an s.o.s. type
pad and if it's too difficult, wait a little longer.
The grease came off in sheets in places, like it had turned into a funky plastic.
Straight Simple Green eats off paint- ask me how I know!!!
This is all I used.
They took all parts off and we soaked them and that 33 year old exhaust fan
works like new. I hadn't used it in years.
After we were satisfied with the cleanliness, we primed and used appliance
enamel by Rustoleum.
Please keep in mind when viewing pictures, that my "update" is still in progress!
There is tons of advice for cleaning things on pinterest and this is how I learned
about this.
I always add a little baking soda to my dishwater now and my dishes come cleaner.
I have Corelle and would get a little buildup on the back side near that rim...no more.
This is great for bathtubs too.