Ducts clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are releasing this into the home from your supply registers. The air duct cleaning industry is rampant with scams; i. It has been reported that many companies take shortcuts (or don’t even really do the whole job), and consumers don’t know until much later.

If you’re apprehensive about trusting the quality of somebody else’s work or you want to save some money, g go ahead and clean them yourself. Here are four simple steps to get it done right:

1. Turn off the power connected to the heating and air conditioning system.

2. Unscrew the air duct covers or grilles from the walls. Use your brush to clean the grates. If they’re very dusty and dingy, you can use soap and water to make them shine like new.

3. Vacuum the ducts as much as possible. You can rent a heavy-duty vacuum to really do this right. The standard household vacuum likely isn’t powerful enough to clean deep into the crevices of the ducts. Make sure that the vacuum you rent has a long hose to reach the really deep places inside the ducts. This is important, there could be mold and mildew growing inside your air ducts that you aren’t aware of. However, iIf you want the ducts to be cleaned as thoroughly as possible, hiring a professional to do the job is your best bet.

4. Clean the grilles in your ceiling. If you can’t reach them with the vacuum or screwdriver, use a broom to swipe away the dust. Remember that if you haven’t cleaned them in a while, wear a mask to protect yourself from the dust and debris that will fall. You don’t want to breathbreathe that in or get it in your eyes.

Cleaning your own air ducts probably won’t give you the same results as hiring a quality company, but it will go a long way toward improving the indoor air quality of your home. If you want to hire a professional but are not sure where to start, call Mckinnon. We can recommend reliable companies that will do the job right.