How to Clean Mildew Odor From Air Conditioners
Mildew odor is not a welcoming smell, especially during the hot summer months. One source of mildew odor is your air conditioning unit's screen filter. This guide will outline a step by step process to eliminate mildew odor and to keep it from coming back.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Basin
- Liquid disinfectant
- Toothbrush
- Newspaper
- Clean cloth
- Hand-sized whisk broom
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1
Open the front cover of the air conditioner unit and remove the screen filter.
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2
Place the screen filter in a deep basin. Place the basin in your kitchen sink.
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3
Run lukewarm water over the screen filter until the basin is 3/4 full.
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4
While holding the screen filter firmly against the basin, dump the dirty water from the basin into your toilet and flush.
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5
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the water in the basin is clear.
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6
Fill the basin with lukewarm water and add a cap of liquid disinfectant.
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7
Go over the screen filter twice on each side with the toothbrush to remove any lingering debris. Rinse the screen filter and lay it out to dry on newspaper.
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8
Dump the basin in your toilet. Fill the basin half way with lukewarm water, add a cap of liquid disinfectant and your clean cloth.
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9
Take the whisk broom and dust off the air conditioning unit.
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10
Remove the clean cloth from the basin. Wring it out. Wipe it over the outside of the air conditioning unit and the inside of the screen filter cover.
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11
When the screen filter is dry, place it back inside the air conditioning unit. Turn the unit on. If a mildew odor still exists, repeat steps 1 through 11.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use a scented disinfectant such as Pine-sol or Lysol scented disinfectants. Clean the filter and air conditioning unit twice a month during the summer and once a month during the fall, winter and spring.
Before cleaning the air conditioning unit make sure the unit is turned off and unplugged.
