How to Clean Ducts
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the three principle reasons for having someone clean the air ducts in your home include visible mold growth, infestation with vermin--rodents or insects--and clogging with dust and debris. Because the air ducts travel the length of the house from the furnace to where they emerge, usually in the floor, if you want a really thorough cleaning you must hire a professional that can clean the length of the ducts. There are some steps you can take, however, to clean ducts on your own. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Dust mask
- Goggles
- Broom
- Screwdriver
- Small cup or bowl
- Flashlight
- Long-handled duster
- Vacuum cleaner with hose attachment
Instructions
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Turn off your home's air heating or circulation system--this is usually as simply as sliding all the selector switches on your thermostat panel to "Off"--before cleaning the ducts.
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Put on a dust mask to protect yourself from any dust or allergens that get kicked up when you clean your ducts. You may want to wear goggles to protect your eyes, too.
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Sweep the floor around the air duct covers. You don't want any debris falling into the air duct after you remove the cover, which also acts as a filter for your air ducts.
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Use a screwdriver to remove the screws holding the air duct cover down. Place the screws in a small cup or bowl off to the side for safekeeping.
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Shine a flashlight down into the duct and inspect the walls. If you see honeycomb or grill-like filters in the walls of the duct, use a long-handled duster to sweep out as much of the dust and debris you encounter as possible. Using a vacuum may create too strong a suction, damaging the filters. If the walls of the duct are solid, however, you can vacuum with impunity.
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Put the hose attachment of your vacuum cleaner as far down into the duct as possible. You may need to scoot the vacuum very close to the duct or even lay it down next to the duct to get as much extension as possible. Turn the vacuum on, and move the hose around in the duct, sucking up dirt, dust and allergens as thoroughly as possible.
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Vacuum the air duct covers or grilles, too. Then put them back in place, retrieve the retaining screws from the cup you stored them in, and screw the grilles back down. Don't forget to turn your heating system back on when you're done.
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