How to Clean Mold From a Window Air Conditioner

A window air conditioner is not too difficult to clean.

The purpose of your window air conditioner is simple. You turn it on to cool down the air inside your home on hot or humid days. Generally, your window air conditioner should complete this task with no major issues. However, if your air conditioner has built up mold from the moisture that collects inside, you're spreading harmful mold spores every time you turn it on. To eradicate this problem, thoroughly clean your window air conditioner.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Water
• Laundry detergent
• Stiff brush
• HVAC cleaner
• Cloth

Instructions

1. Remove the filter from the front of your window air conditioner and place it in the sink. If it is a disposable filter, make sure you have another filter to replace it with and skip the filter-cleaning steps below.

2. Sprinkle a thin layer of powdered laundry detergent on the filter and cover it with hot water. Let it soak while you clean other areas of the window air conditioner.

3. Pull off the air conditioner's front grill. This might require unscrewing a few screws.

4. Use a screwdriver to remove the metal cover for the window air conditioner.

5. Brush off any mold you see with a small stiff scrub brush. An up-and-down motion will be more effective than a back-and-forth motion.

6. Spray the inside of your window air conditioner with an HVAC cleaning product. This product can be purchased from a hardware store or home improvement store. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

7. Wipe off the HVAC cleaner with a dampened cloth.

8. Vacuum the grille you removed to remove surface dirt. Spray it down with the HVAC cleaner, let it sit for 15 minutes and wipe it off.

9. Rinse off the filter soaking in the sink. Make sure it soaked for at least 15 minutes.

10. Let all pieces dry completely before reassembling your window air conditioner.

11. Replace the metal cover, grille and filter, putting screws back into their proper places, once the entire unit is dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Unplug your window air conditioner from the power source before you start the cleaning process.

References

• Allergy: How to Clean an Air Conditioner and Remove Mold