How to Prepare for Air Duct Cleaning in 6 Easy Steps

Prep makes perfect—at least with air duct cleaning

woman replacing dusty air vent
Photo: TRAVELARIUM / istock / Getty Images
woman replacing dusty air vent
Photo: TRAVELARIUM / istock / Getty Images
Lawrence Bonk
Written by Lawrence Bonk
Contributing Writer
Updated Mar 14, 2025
SKILL LEVEL
Easy
COMPLETION TIME
30 minutes
COST
Up to $25
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
  • Dust rag
  • Drop cloths
  • Plastic sheets (optional)
SUPPLIES
  • New furnace filter

Booking a professional air duct cleaning service offers peace of mind that your ductwork is literally in the clear. But you should know how to prepare for an air duct cleaning to make the process run smoothly. If you’re paying for the cleaning service by the hour, you could even save a bit of money thanks to your preparation work. Learn six helpful steps to set things up for your duct cleaning pro.

Angi Tip

Air duct cleaning takes an average of five to seven hours for most households. You can make the job go quicker by removing any obstacles around your HVAC entry points, like furniture, to make it easier for your pro to access the ducts.

Kassidy Barber
Kassidy Barber
Content Editor, Angi

  1. Clear the Space

    Remove any clutter or furniture in front of or covering any of the grates for the ductwork. The professional will need access to your HVAC ductwork system's supply and return vents. 

    You don’t have to clear the rooms completely, but you want the professional to be able to bring the vacuum hose to the grates without having to scoot around furniture. Aim to have a couple of feet of clearance around the grates in all directions.

    Additionally, clear any space around the furnace and air conditioner unit, so the air duct cleaning pro can access them if needed.

  2. Cover Your Furniture (Optional)

    The air duct cleaning process may create dust throughout the home. To keep dust off furniture, you should cover it with drop cloths or plastic sheets. However, the average duct cleaning shouldn't create too much dust, so you can skip this step if your ducts aren’t too dirty.

  3. Clear the Driveway

    Clear your home’s driveway (if you have one) and let the technician park the truck or van there. Also, ensure your home’s walkway is free of objects, like garden hoses or kids’ toys.

    The pro will run the vacuum from the truck and bring the hose into your home. The closer the pro can place the vacuum to the home, the smoother the process will go.

  4. Secure Your Pets

    Your air duct cleaning pro will make quite a bit of noise while they work, not to mention opening and closing your exterior door and hauling equipment. This type of activity could spook your pets, or even let them out of the house, so it’s smart to secure them outside, in a separate room or, in a crate.

  5. Provide a Tour of the Home

    Plan on being home when the air cleaning professional arrives. You should give the professional a quick tour of the home, including the location of the furnace. If the pro knows the location of all the vents and grates ahead of time, it’s easier to make a plan for doing the cleaning as efficiently as possible. You may also need to sign some permission documents before the cleaning process can start.

  6. Have an Out-of-Home Activity (Optional)

    Once you sign the documents and show the professional around, you then can decide to stay home during the cleaning or leave for a few hours. If you have kids, it may be easier to leave the home and get away from the noise of the vacuum.

    However, professional air duct cleaners do not require you to leave the home. If you prefer to stay behind and keep an eye on things, you may. Most professionals simply would ask that you give them room to work.

How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost?

Air duct cleaning costs an average of $380 for the entire home, though most homeowners will spend between $270 and $500. If you're cleaning professional charges by the time required, expect to pay $90 to $125 per hour. The more preparation work you do ahead of time, the more time you likely save for the duct cleaning pro.

DIY Air Duct Cleaning vs. Hiring a Pro

Although you can prepare for air duct cleaning yourself and complete it within a few minutes, performing the actual cleaning yourself is far more challenging. The air duct cleaning process requires a powerful vacuum, long brushes, and a ladder. Professionals already have the equipment and know-how, meaning it likely will be easier for you to hire a pro to do the job. 

So, who cleans air ducts? You can hire a local air duct cleaning service in most areas. If not, a local HVAC maintenance and repair company can likely do this work for you.

Benefits of Air Duct Cleaning

Clean versus dirty air duct compared visually
Photos: BanksPhotos / E+ / Getty Images, tanyss / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

There are a number of tangible benefits to keeping your air ducts clean. 

  • Improved air quality: Air ducts tend to accumulate dust, dander, pollen, and debris and cleaning this stuff out prevents the HVAC system from spreading it through your home. 

  • Reduced allergens: Your ducts are also magnets for allergens like pet dander. Keep the system clean to reduce allergy flare-ups. 

  • No foul odors: A home’s ductwork can trap odors from cooking, mold, pets, cleaning agents, paint fumes, and smoke.

  • Increased savings: Clogged ducts can trip up the entire HVAC system, reducing efficiency and increasing energy bills. 

  • Enhanced airflow: Clean ducts enhance the system's efficiency, which reduces dead zones throughout the home.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The only immediate step you need to take after the air duct cleaning finishes is changing your furnace filter. It’s likely to accumulate some dust and debris during the cleaning process. There’s no need to replace the filter before the cleaning starts, as a dirty air filter won’t affect the cleaning process. Regularly replacing your air filter is one of the best steps you can take to keep your air ducts clean in the months after a pro cleans them. The pro should clean up any mess left behind and reattach all the grates.

Most experts recommend leaving the house during a duct cleaning, especially if you have small kids or pets. The process is noisy and disruptive, and the house will be filled with specialized equipment. The technicians may also require seamless access to different areas of the home. Talk to your pros and ask them if you should take a short walk around the neighborhood while they work.

For an average-sized job, set aside five to seven hours for a pro to clean your home’s air ducts. If you have hard-to-access vents or if you have an extremely large home, it could take longer than seven hours. If you have a small home, expect the job to take two or three hours.

Spring and fall are the best times to hire a pro to clean ductwork. It’s a good idea to clean and maintain your ducts before the HVAC system will be busy regulating temperatures day and night. Scheduling a cleaning in the spring and fall ensures that the system will be at peak efficiency during the summer and winter.

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Learn more about our contributor
Lawrence Bonk
Written by Lawrence Bonk
Contributing Writer
As a technology enthusiast with a professional focus on smart home appliances and accessories, Lawrence Bonk keeps a keen eye on the home improvement innovation space. He is constantly searching for new and convenient ways for homeowners and renters to make the most of their domiciles and has written for publications such as Huffington Post, Engadget, CBS, and many more.

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