Cleaning Your Air Ducts

Written by April Reinhardt (last updated January 18, 2021)

I'd wager that the majority of homeowners overlook the importance of cleaning their home air ducts, even if they have household members susceptible to allergies, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses. Even the United States Environmental Protection Agency says that duct cleaning alone has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Even so, cleaning your air ducts on a regular schedule can do more good than simply ignoring them year after year.

So, how do you decide when to clean your air ducts? As with any other home preventative maintenance program, you should inspect and clean your air ducts annually. Gather everything necessary to clean before you begin the task. Typically, you'll need a vacuum with a hose and soft brush attachments, a screw driver, old rags, spray cleaner, vacuum cleaner bags, duct tape, paper towels, and possibly a dust mask.

Follow these easy steps for cleaning your air ducts, and greatly improve the air quality within your home:

  1. Locate the air return and vent covers within your home. Remove the covers with a screwdriver.
  2. Wash the vent covers completely and allow them to air dry.
  3. Remove the air filters if they are installed. If they are reusable filters, wash them with a strong stream of water, and then allow them to air dry while you clean the ductwork.
  4. Fit your vacuum hose with a soft brush attachment, and tape it in place with duct tape. It would be unfortunate to have the brush attachment become loose and fall into the ductwork while vacuuming. Vacuum into the air ducts as far as you can reach.
  5. Using a spray cleaner and old rags, clean around the mouth of the vent and ducts. Wash the inside of the ducts as far as you can reach, and don't forget to clean around the walls of the vent and ductwork.
  6. Replace the air filters, and then reattach the clean vent covers.

If, while you are cleaning, you see signs of mold growth, call a professional for an assessment of your ductwork and vents. If you choose to hire a professional, ask them to use a commercial disinfectant after cleaning your air ducts.

Author Bio

April Reinhardt

An admin­istrator for a mutual fund man­age­ment firm, April deals with the writ­ten word daily. She loves to write and plans to author a memoir in the near future. April attend­ed More­head State Uni­ver­sity to pursue a BA degree in Ele­men­tary Edu­ca­tion. ...

MORE FROM APRIL

Understanding Types of Tomatoes

Most people agree that home-grown varieties of tomatoes taste better than greenhouse assortments. Do you know why they ...

Discover More

Energy-Efficient Appliances

While you might be somewhat hesitant to buy energy-efficient appliances because they cost more than lower efficiency ...

Discover More

Baked Pork Chops with Cabbage n' Apples and Boiled Potatoes

While a side dish of plain boiled potatoes might sound boring, you can make sure that everyone has a topping that they ...

Discover More

MAX Power! A powerful lithium-ion drill/driver that delivers 0-to-650 RPM and 115 inches-per-pound of torque in a lightweight, easy-to-use package. An anti-slip soft grip and LED worklight makes this tool a delight to use. Check out Black & Decker 20-Volt Cordless Drill/Driver today!

More Home Improvement Tips

Replacing a Thermostat

Although replacing a thermostat is a relatively simple task, it can be quite dangerous since you're dealing with ...

Discover More

Maintaining an Oil Furnace

Many people forget about maintaining their furnaces until it is too late. The best time to get your maintenance done is ...

Discover More

Cooling Down a Hot Room

Contrary to what many people believe, cooling down a hot room does not solely rely on your air conditioner. Here are a ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is three less than 4?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)