Why kitchen grease is never only on the range

It moves as vapour

Heat carries oil into the air, where it drifts and settles on walls, cabinet fronts, the hood, the ceiling above the range, and the tops of upper cabinets. The film is invisible until it has collected enough dust to turn tacky — by which point it has been building for months.

The seam nobody reaches

Where the range meets the floor, and the gap between range and counter, collect the heaviest deposits in the room. Reaching them means pulling equipment out, which is exactly why a routine clean never does.

Why it matters beyond appearance

Accumulated grease in a hood or on filters is a fire consideration in a commercial kitchen and a health-inspection finding in a food business. In a home it is mostly a smell — a room that never quite smells clean, no matter how often the counters are wiped.

A reasonable cadence

Wipe the visible splatter after cooking. Degrease the hood and filters quarterly. Pull the equipment annually, or twice a year if you cook with oil most days.