Allergy season is upon us so for those who spend fall with a tissue constantly in hand get some extra relief in your home by cleaning your air vents. Your air conditioning unit has been running all summer long, so before you switch over to using your furnace, take the time to clean out your home air vents and get rid of all of the dust and endless debris that have collected in your air vents over the summer.
Step 1: First, turn off the power to the unit and wait until the fan has completely stopped running.
Step 2: Remove the covering or the air duct from the wall or ceiling with a screwdriver. Use soap and water to clean it thoroughly. Some extremely dirty coverings will need to be scrubbed.
Step 3: Use a powerful vacuum such as a shop vac and a very long hose to reach deep inside of the air vents to collect as much dust, hair and other debris as possible.
Step 4: After you’ve cleaned the air vents and coverings, change the filter. The dirt that was knocked loose while you were cleaning will have found its way into the filter so be sure you replace it before turning the unit back on.
This easy DIY project should take about 15 to 20 minutes. This only needs to be done once or twice per year. The best time to do it is in the fall and spring while preparing your unit for the coming season. The vent coverings on the other hand, should be cleaned as often as needed.
