When turning on the exhaust fan, should you open or close the room door? Surprisingly, many people are doing it wrong.

Nowadays, there are many advantages to having a closed kitchen design, but one major downside is the difficulty of getting rid of food odors. That’s why when cooking, we often have to open the door and turn on the fan to remove the smell. Nowadays, the invention of range hoods has helped eliminate odors in a more modern way. So should you open the kitchen door when the range hood is turned on?

The working mechanism of a range hood is to immediately suck in the odors and smoke from the cooking pot into the hood’s duct, then expel it out of the house. Therefore, the mouth of the range hood must be placed right above the cooking area and not too far away from it, while the exhaust duct leads outside the house. Therefore, when the range hood is turned on, it is not advisable to open the kitchen door or window as it will affect the operation of the range hood. If the window or door is located in the direction of the exhaust duct of the range hood, it may even bring back smells from the outside.

Furthermore, when the door is open, the airflow will create a counter-current that pushes the smoke and food smells out of the house instead of focusing on the suction flow of the range hood, making the hood less effective, and the smell spreads throughout the house, making it difficult to be captured by the range hood. Frequently opening the door when the range hood is turned on will also make kitchen surfaces such as walls, stoves, and the hood itself greasy, making kitchen cleaning difficult.

However, if the kitchen is tightly sealed, a negative pressure zone will form in the kitchen, making it difficult for the range hood to completely remove the smoke. The remaining grease smoke in the house can have a negative impact on the health of the whole family. Grease smoke can also cling to clothing, causing discomfort.

The best way to deal with opening windows or doors when the range hood is turned on: It is advisable to partially open a quarter of the window or kitchen door to prevent too much outside air from entering while maintaining air circulation in the kitchen, helping to improve the efficiency of odor extraction and prevent grease accumulation.

After cooking and turning off the range hood, it is recommended to open all kitchen doors and windows to create airflow in the house, dispersing harmful substances in the kitchen.

Tips for cleaning grease buildup on the range hood:

To clean the range hood, follow these steps:

– Remove the stainless steel panels and filters from the range hood.

– Prepare a large boiling pot of water, add about 300ml of white vinegar, a little dish soap, and 5 tablespoons of baking soda, stir well. Depending on the thickness of the grease buildup on the stainless steel panels, you can increase the amount of dish soap and baking soda.

Place the filters in a bowl, pour the boiling solution into it, and soak for at least 2 hours, then scrub.

Pour boiling water over the washed filters and use a small brush to scrub every nook and cranny.

– Then use a damp cloth to wipe the inside and outside of the range hood. You should use lemon juice or white vinegar to make the stainless steel shine and reduce minor scratches on the surface.

Useful tip using kale leaves for cleaning the range hood:

– Pour a tablespoon of laundry detergent and a tablespoon of white vinegar into a spray bottle. Laundry detergent is good at removing grease stains. Vinegar helps soften the dirt for easier cleaning during the cleaning process.

– Pour an appropriate amount of water into the bottle, shake well to dissolve the laundry detergent and vinegar.

– Spray the solution onto the grease stains, wait for 3-5 minutes for the solution to penetrate and dissolve the stains.

– Use kale leaves to scrub the grease stains a few times.

– Use a cloth to wipe off any remaining solution on the surface.