How to Clean Air Ducts Yourself (A Step by Step Guide)
Hands pulling on blue latex cleaning gloves
Wondering how to clean air ducts yourself? You’re in the right place! Professional cleaning can deal with heavy-duty problems like mold and infestation, and powerful vacuum suction will reach deep into your system like nothing else - but for regular maintenance, you can clean your air ducts yourself.
Keeping your air ducts clear helps to control indoor air pollutants and keep your HVAC system running smoothly. Here are five steps to show you how to clean air ducts yourself:
How To Clean Air Ducts Yourself
#1 - Gather Your Supplies
The first step in how to clean air ducts yourself is to gather your supplies. You should already have everything you need in your home, but you don’t want to have to stop halfway through, covered in dust, to hunt for a screwdriver! Make sure that you have:
A Vacuum
Professionals will have heavy-duty, industrial vacuums to clean your ducts, but for how to clean air ducts yourself routinely, a household vacuum cleaner will do the job. Make sure you have a long hose attachment - you’ll need this later to reach into the ducts.
A Stiff-Bristled Brush
Some vacuum cleaners come with brush attachments that are perfect for how to clean air ducts yourself because they work well to scrub between the grilles on the vents, but if you don’t have one of these, you can use a new toilet brush or a stiff dusting brush.
A Screwdriver Or A Drill
You will most likely need to unscrew some of the HVAC registers and the cover on your furnace, so make sure you have the means to do that. It’s worth checking that you have the right bits to fit the screws before you start.
A New Furnace Filter
If you are cleaning your air ducts, you will probably want to replace your furnace air filter so that your whole HVAC system can start on a clean slate!
Cleaning Cloths And Paper Towels
Your vacuum and brushes will do some of the work, but when it comes to how to clean air ducts yourself, a lot of it comes down to elbow grease! Make sure you have a good supply of microfiber cleaning cloths and paper towels to hand to clean the grilles, vents, and fan.
Optional: Mask, Goggles, And Gloves
You don’t absolutely need any of these protective measures, but you may want them as a precaution. If you have sensitive allergies or breathing conditions like asthma, or if you are working with air ducts that haven’t been cleaned for a long time, a mask and other protective gear may be a good idea to keep you from being covered in or breathing in the dust!
#2 - Turn Off Your Heating And Cooling
So, once you’ve got the supplies for how to clean air ducts yourself and you’re ready to begin, head to the thermostat and turn it off. It’s safest and most efficient to keep the power off while you clean your air ducts. Leave the fan on for the first part - the airflow will help you to dislodge and move the dust.
#3 - Cover The Supply Vents
There are two different vents in your home HVAC system: supply vents, which channel air from the system into your home and return vents, which cycle air from your home back into the air ducts to be heated or cooled.
A key step in how to clean air ducts yourself is to cover the supply vents that you aren’t engaged in cleaning. This is to stop any dust and dirt that you dislodge in the process of cleaning one vent from being sucked into your home through another vent.
Pop a cloth or a few paper towels between the vent and grille while you work to keep things tidy.
#4 - Clean The Grilles and Vents
Two signs saying ‘cleaning in progress’
There are a few stages in how to clean air ducts yourself when it comes to the visible grilles and vents, so you’ll want to work your way around the vents in your home before you approach your furnace.
Unscrew Or Remove The Grille
Watch out - this will be dusty!
Start With The Brush
Give the inside of the grille and the vent a quick pass with the brush to dislodge dirt and make it easier for the vacuum to pick up.
Use The Vacuum Cleaner
Get in there with the vacuum, picking up as much dust and dirt as possible and sticking the tube attachment as far down the air duct as you can.
Clean The Vent With A Cloth
Go after the dust your vacuum hasn’t picked up with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Wash The Grille
Use the brush to really get between the spaces in the grille, and clean it in the sink if it is particularly stubborn.
When you screw the grille back on, remember to cover it back off as you continue to clean to stop the inside of the register from getting covered in more dust from the other vents.
#5 - Clean The Furnace and Fan
Once you’ve cleaned the supply and return grilles and ducts, you can move on to the furnace and fan system.
Turn Off The Fan
You’re going to be cleaning the fan itself, so make sure that it’s turned off and there’s no other power running through the system.
Open The Covers
Unscrew the covers and expose the blower system and fan.
Clean With Vacuum And Cloth
This is the moment to go to town with the vacuum! Get rid of all the visible dust, and in harder-to-reach areas like the fan itself, use a cloth or paper towel until all the dirt is gone.
Replace The Filter
Finally, take the old filter out and replace it with the new one. Now you can replace the covers and turn your thermostat and fan back on.
You’re done! Your HVAC system has been cleared and is ready to run for the next few months.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this has answered your question about how to clean air ducts yourself. As you can see, it’s actually fairly simple to do - with a little elbow grease, anyone can!
But if your home hasn’t had its air ducts cleaned in a long time, or if you are cleaning your air ducts and you come across something concerning like mold or vermin, contact Crystal Clean Vents for a professional assessment and quote!