DIY Air Duct Cleaning Steps And When to Hire Professionals
Cleaning your indoor environment is crucial to good health. A clean home will have good air quality indoors, ensuring everyone is breathing clean, healthy air day after day.
Cleaning practices such as dusting surfaces, sweeping and mopping floors, and wiping down surfaces with disinfectant cleaners are all great ways to keep your home clean. However, most of us overlook our home air ducts — which means we overlook the dirt and debris that hide in there!
The air ducts in your house can contain a frightening amount of pollutants — including dust, debris, pollen, germs, bacteria, spider webs, hair, and other allergens. Often these pollutants hide in our air ducts for years, out of sight and unnoticed until home air quality begins to decline.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that air duct cleaning be done every 3 to 5 years. If you live in an extremely dusty area or suffer from respiratory issues, air duct cleaning should be done more regularly.
Cleaning your air ducts and vents is not a simple process, and it is best left to professional cleaning teams, such as Forever Vent, that will leave your air ducts and vents as clean as the day they were first installed.
However, there are several tips any DIY-er can utilize to clean air ducts and vents in between professional cleaning appointments:
DIY Air Duct Cleaning Process
Again, cleaning your home air ducts and vents is not a simple process. It typically requires high-powered vacuums and specialized brush tools to really get the job done.
There’s also the chance you might accidentally cause damage to your air ducts, which can be costly to repair. Here is a simple 6-step process for any DIY-er who wants to clean their home air ducts
Step 1: Gather your cleaning tools.
There are a few ways you can clean air ducts by yourself but first, you need to gather the tools of the trade:
- Broom
- Cleaning Brush
- High-powered vacuum
- Screwdriver
Step 2: Turn off HVAC system.
Make sure your HVAC system is completely turned off before cleaning begins.
Step 3: Remove air duct covers, grills, or vents from the walls.
With your screwdriver, carefully remove all air duct covers or grills and set them aside before you begin cleaning. You can use a brush to clean grates. Use soap and water if needed.
Step 4: Cover nearby surfaces.
As you clean, some dust may spread to nearby surfaces. Cover furniture with an easy to remove plastic covering before turning on your vacuum or brush.
Step 5: Vacuum and clean the air duct or vent.
Vacuum the vent as much as possible. This is ideally done with a high-powered vacuum, but you can also use your vacuum’s hose attachment to do it. After vacuuming, clean the vents with the broom.
Step 6: Replace air duct covers and clean surrounding area
Carefully remove all coverings from the area, replace air duct covers and grills, and turn on your HVAC system. And that’s it! Your air ducts are now clean.
When Should You Hire Professional Air Duct Cleaning?
You may want to clean your air ducts and vents more regularly if you live in an older home or in a high-pollution area. Older homes may not have had their vents cleaned for several years, and the buildup of debris inside air ducts could be too much for a home cleaning.
A high pollution area, such as a desert with lots of dust or a city with high amounts of smog, will have a higher amount of pollutants settling into your air ducts every day.
You may find you also don’t feel comfortable removing air duct covers or looking inside your vents for fear of causing accidental damage. This is when it’s time to call the professionals for a high quality air duct and vent cleaning service.
If it’s been too long since your air vents and ducts were cleaned or you feel like you can’t do leading work by yourself, call the experts at Forevervent! Here are some of the benefits our team offers:
1. Outstanding Work All The Time
The team at Forevervent comes with all of the equipment needed for a thorough air duct cleaning, including high-powered negative air vacuum systems, rotating brushes, and an extensive pre- and post-inspection process that ensures your air ducts and vents are as clean as possible.
2. Increased HVAC Efficiency
We focus on your vents, ducts and also inspect your whole HVAC system. We know the right way to perform duct cleaning, and with us, you can avoid costly repairs and maintenance of your HVAC system.
3. Save Energy and Money
It might seem unnecessary to pay a professional for home cleaning, but professional air duct cleaning actually saves you money in the long run.
After cleaning, air ducts allow easy airflow throughout your home, and your HVAC system uses less power to pump air indoors. This can considerably lower your electricity bill and help you save on energy costs.
4. Supplementary Services Available
We also offer additional services, including mold remediation, complete sanitation, and decontamination.
Final Thoughts
Now you know more about air duct and vent cleaning and how vital it is to improving indoor air quality. Hopefully, these tips can help you keep your air ducts clean in between service appointments.
If you have any doubts, simply contact us and we can get started on your air ducts right away! Our experienced team of technicians comes with the right tools and techniques to offer you a reliable, efficient duct cleaning service.
We also ensure that your HVAC efficiency is enhanced to save you money in the long run. Visit our Services page to learn more about air duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, and additional services Forever Vent offers.
Call us today to schedule your professional cleaning appointment. We are also available on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter if you need more information about us!
