Just a handful of tools and supplies makes this DIY a breeze
From tufts of cat hair to piles of pollen, it's normal to fear that your air ducts are full of everything that makes you sneeze. Learning how to clean air ducts by vacuuming the accessible areas when you switch out your HVAC filter is both quick and easy. Here’s how to do a light cleaning of your air ducts in nine simple steps.
Hiring an HVAC specialist to inspect your vents before attempting to clean them yourselves is good practice. Speak with them about whether or not you should learn how to clean your air ducts yourself and if it's worth the effort. If you have an old or complex system, find out which vents to clean and which ones to leave to the pros.
Take a moment to put on your safety goggles, an N-95 mask, and gloves. Cover furniture and carpets near your duct vents to protect them from rogue dust.
Studies conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that cleaning your air ducts is only necessary if you have visible mold, pests, or excessive dust and debris in your vents.
If you suspect that you have mold in your air ducts, it's important to pump the brakes on cleaning them yourself and call a pro. The same thing goes for signs of pests that have left urine or droppings in your ducts. HVAC pros have specialized experience handling these dangerous materials and getting to the root of the problem.
Take a moment to get to know your HVAC system. You should be able to find both a supply and a return vent inside your home. The supply vents blow out hot or cold air while the return vents pull air back into the system. You can use a tissue or light piece of paper to test the suction and determine which is which.
Turn off your furnace or AC by switching your thermostat off and switching off the power breaker to that area of your home. While some may argue that keeping the fan running assists with pushing out extra dirt, it’s safer to cut electrical power to the system before working on it.
One at a time, remove the vent covers on your supply and return vents. In most cases, you can use a flathead screwdriver to loosen the attachment screws and then pry the side of the cover toward you. Avoid tugging on the vent grates or dampers, as they can bend and break easily.
Use a thick paper towel or a piece of paper to block all the supply vents that you're not currently cleaning. This will keep all the dust from blowing out of that vent as you're working on others. You can place the paper between the vent and the cover, but you shouldn't need to reinstall the cover to get it to stay in the interim.
Note: Your return vents—the vents that pull in new air—may have old filters behind their grills.
Leave these in place until you're done cleaning and are ready for replacement. They will only get dirtier during this process.
If you have access to the outside of your air ducts directly around the duct opening, lightly tap along them to loosen debris and dust so you can vacuum them. If not, you can tap on the inside of your vents just beyond the grills and registers.
Use a strong home vacuum or wet-dry vacuum to remove dust and debris on the vent covers and as far back in the ducts as you can reach with the vacuum attachment. The process may kick up additional dust stuck to the side of the vents, so be sure to wear your protective gear. Then wipe down the inside of the vents as far as you can safely reach with a microfiber towel.
With your vents cleaned, fully remove the supply registers one at a time and bring them to a sink. A register is different from the cover on the return grill as it will have a damper that opens and closes to control airflow.
Use a hard-bristle brush, dish soap, and warm water to rinse each register. You can purchase a thin brush specifically made for cleaning vent covers, but any hard-bristle brush will do. Dry off each register and secure it back on the vent.
Repeat the same process in the last step with the return grills, and set the old filters aside to prepare for the next step. Be sure to clean the grills with as much attention as the supply registers.
One of the most important HVAC maintenance tips for a healthy system is to change your AC filters once every three months (or less if you have a lot of hairy pets running around). New filters will cut down the need for DIY and professional cleanings and keep your HVAC from using extra energy.
There's no question that an HVAC professional has more specialized tools—such as a very powerful vacuum—and experience to clean your air duct with precision. However, whether or not a professional cleaning is necessary depends on the state of your system.
The cost of professional air duct cleaning ranges from $270 to $490 depending on the size, type, and accessibility of your system. Call in a pro if you recently completed a renovation in your home, moved in and want to perform a deep clean, or suspect you have mold or pest problems.
While air duct cleaning does not have proven health benefits, according to the EPA, professional air duct cleaning is worth it when you suspect mold, pest, or major debris buildup in your system. Otherwise, there's no need to regularly clean air ducts yourself. Instead, keep a regular schedule when changing your filters.
Air duct cleaning can be beneficial—though it’s not always necessary—every three to five years. Determining how often to clean your ducts depends on whether or not you are in the middle of renovations, have significant allergens in your home from pets, or are concerned about mold and pest problems. Also, if someone in your home has asthma or allergies, then you might consider having a pro inspect your ducts.
Keeping dust out of your air vents starts with eliminating dust from your home. It's important to regularly vacuum and wipe down surfaces as well as encourage proper ventilation. Take your shoes off inside and use door mats to catch any remaining dust tracked in from outside. You should also change your air duct filters every 90 days to prevent dust from circulating through your vents.
