One natural item will clean years of grease from extractor fan in minutes

Extractor fans are one of the most important appliances in the kitchen, and without regular cleaning, grease and grime can build up and compromise their efficiency

One of the most complex kitchen cleaning jobs can actually be sorted in minutes with this smart hack.

Extractor fans come with fine mesh grates, or filters, on the underside of the cooker hood to trap smoke and steam from cooking.

Yet, if these cooker hood filters aren't cleaned regularly, they can hinder the extractor fan's performance.

Cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie has highlighted how often these vital parts are overlooked. The cleaning aficionado and social media star has shared a simple tip for keeping extractor fans spotless.

She recommends: "Cooker hood filters are often forgotten and can lead to the kitchen smelling if they aren't clean; soak these in warm soapy water and white vinegar."

Lynsey, celebrated as one of the UK's top cleaning influencers, shares her expertise with over 362,000 Instagram followers. Also known as the Queen of Clean, she is a regular face on ITV's This Morning, where she serves as their resident cleaning guru.

Appliance expert Nick Small from AO has also offered his insights on keeping extractor fans in tip-top shape. He suggests: "Your cooker hood catches all the smoke and steam from preparing your food, but did you know you could open it? " He continues, advising that cleaning should be done every three months to prevent grease and dirt build-up, which can reduce effectiveness, reports the Express.

Nick further advises: "Most filters you can put in the dishwasher so check the manufacturer manual to see if they are dishwasher safe."

"If not, let the filter soak in hot soapy water for at least 10 minutes then scrub with a brush."

While your extractor fans are having a good old soak in some steaming hot soapy water chuck in a bit of white vinegar if you fancy you've got the perfect chance to crack on with other vital cleaning jobs.