5 Tips to Cleaning Out Air Ducts
There are many tasks that one must perform on a regular basis to keep their home in tip top shape. One of these tasks is cleaning your air ducts out from time to time. Doing so will eliminate allergens and dirt from the air and help the air circulate and flow better throughout the house. This article will provide some tips on air duct cleaning. If you are not interested in performing this task on your own, there are many great companies that can help you complete the job.
Cover the fan or registers. Cover up your fan or register openings with clean paper towels. You will want to protect the air from any dust or dirt particles that could come out of your vent while cleaning the air ducts. This will cut down on the clean up and save you time.
- Turn on the fan. Be sure to turn the fan on and have it running while you clean your air ducts. This will help dislodge dust particles and make the process easier. It is also a good idea to set the thermostat to fan only and turn off any heating or cooling that had been on. You only want to have your fan running during the cleaning process.
- Check filter. Before you begin cleaning, you will want to make sure that your air filter is in place so that it can help collect dust and debri that may get dislodged as you clean the air ducts. Once you are done cleaning the air ducts, you will want to replace the air filter with a clean one so that old dirt does not cycle through the vents yet again.
- Loosen dust. Now for the fun part! Be sure to wear gloves and perhaps a face mask so that you do not breathe in dirt and debri that gets dislodged while cleaning. To clean your air ducts, you will need to use a brush handle and tap on the duct work. Start in the basement and tap any visible and accessible duct work that you can find. By doing so, you will be able to break up dust that may have gotten damp and has stuck to the insides of the air ducts.
- Clean registers. Once you have loosed all the clogged dirt, you will want to sweep up all the debri. Make sure to use a vacuum as it is easier to collect all the dust and dirt that has been accumulating for so long. Be sure to use the hose attachment and put it inside the register. The fan will help the dust circulate and come to the top of the vent and the hose will help suck up the dirt. After you have completed this task, be sure to discard of all dirty paper towels that were once covering the fan registers.
Cleaning out your air ducts may take time and effort but you and your family will benefit a great deal from breathing in clean air.
Disclosure: This is a collaboration post.