Cleaning Dirty Ducts

Written by April Reinhardt (last updated October 28, 2019)

How clean is the air in your home? Oftentimes, we take for granted the ability to just breathe clean air, with little thought to how it is supplied within our homes. The central air conditioning system combines a series of ductwork to supply fresh and, hopefully, clean air to each room of the house. The air in your home is only as clean as the ductwork that provides it. So, it makes sense to routinely clean your ducts, or hire a professional to clean them. While you should hire a professional to clean the places you cannot reach, you can clean you're the most vital parts of your ductwork yourself. Some of the materials you will need are a screwdriver, duct tape, heavy-duty cleaning gloves, paper towels, rags, vacuum cleaner with attachments, filters, cleaning brushes, step ladder, spray cleaner, such as Formula 409 or Windex, and dust mask

Before attempting to clean your ducts, make sure the central air conditioning system is turned off. If there is a breaker for your system, flip the breaker to the off position. Change the vacuum cleaner bag of your vacuum. Always use a new bag before vacuuming your ducts. Follow these steps to clean your dirty ducts:

  1. Go through your entire house and remove all of the vent covers using your screwdriver.
  2. Remove all of the air filters.
  3. Use the duct tape to tape the attachment to the vacuum cleaner hose to prevent it from coming apart once it's inside of the duct.
  4. Vacuum the first duct, starting at the mouth of the duct, and reach into the duct as far as you can with your vacuum cleaner attachment and hose. Take care not to shove the hose forcefully, as you may dislodge the ducts from each other.
  5. Use your rags, paper towels, and spray cleaner to wash the mouth of the ductwork.
  6. Either clean your existing air filter, or replace it with a new one, and then place the filter it place.
  7. Before replacing the vent cover, vacuum it and then clean it thoroughly with your spray cleaner and rags or paper towels.

Repeat the entire process with each vent and ductwork piece. Once all of the filters and vent covers are back in place, flip the breaker back on and turn on your central air conditioning unit and allow the fan to run for at least an hour.

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

Treating First-degree Burns

Exercise good judgment and common sense when treating first-degree burns at home. Know the varying stages of first-degree ...

Discover More

Installing a Pocket Door

Although pocket door kits include most of the hardware you will need to install your door, you may need to buy a handle. ...

Discover More

LED Lighting

While still relatively new, LED lighting has become an energy efficient and safe alternative to traditional, thermal ...

Discover More

The Power of Microfiber! Zwipes Microfiber Cleaning Cloths will become your favorite tool for every cleaning task. This 36-cloth package is perfect for hundreds of uses in the garage, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and all around the house. Each cloth is tough, streak-free, lint-free, reusable, and washable. Check out Microfiber Cleaning Cloths today!

More Cleaning Tips

Removing Bad Odors from Ducts

For the most part, central air systems are a wonderful invention that can simply make our lives better in both cold and ...

Discover More

Cleaning the Chimney

Even if you only have a light coating of soot in your chimney, it is very important to clean your chimney each year since ...

Discover More

Cleaning a Reusable Furnace Filter

While disposable furnace filters are less expensive, reusable filters will save you more money over the long term. ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

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 five less than 6?

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

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.