How to Clean Household Air Vents
Household air vents allow hot and cold air from the furnace and air conditioner to circulate in your house. You can adjust which direction the air blows out of them or close them off. Household air vents often trap dust. Vents need to be clean to work properly. If dust clogs the vent, the household's furnace or air conditioner will not be able to heat or cool the house efficiently. Air quality is also negatively affected if the vent is filled with dust. You can clean your air vents yourself with little materials.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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1
Unscrew the air vent and remove it. In order to properly clean it, you will need to remove it. Put the screws into a container so you will be able to easily find them later.
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2
Wipe the air vent with a clean rag and water. Use an old toothbrush to get in between the slits in the air vent.
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3
Vacuum the duct behind the air vent. This will remove dust that would have eventually made its way to the air vent. If using attachments, do not go too deep or they could fall off and you might not be able to reach them to remove them.
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4
Replace the vent and the screws that held it in place. Make sure the vent is dry before putting it back in place.
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5
Place your hand in front of the air vent to make sure that air is blowing out of it. If it is not, the vent may be closed or not properly screwed into place.
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6
Repeat this process for each vent that needs to be cleaned. It is best to remove, clean and put each air vent back in place before moving on to the next vent so you will not have a problem trying to figure out which vent belongs to which hole.
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1
Tips & Warnings
For air vents that are very dirty, you may have to use a nontoxic household cleaner.
When you are vacuuming out the vent, have someone hold the vacuum for you while you are on the ladder.
Never try to clean the air vent while you are on a ladder. You may lose your balance and fall.
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References
- Photo Credit vent image by jbattx from Fotolia.com
