How to Clean Your Home’s Air Filters

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t think about the air quality inside your home until it becomes an issue. However, many things can affect the air quality in your home. Also, make it more difficult to breathe: pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and mold spores. And if you spend a lot of time indoors (working from home or sitting at a desk all day), then these issues may be even worse for you. Here are steps to follow when cleaning home air filters:

Check the Filters for Damage

If you find any, replace them. Do not clean them. They need to be replaced with new ones.

Disconnect Power Before Removing each Filter from its Compartment or Area in your HVAC Unit

This will prevent you from getting an electrical shock while cleaning the filters and working on your units’ components. Also, ensure that all other switches are turned off so no one can turn on anything accidentally when you’re done with it unplugged. Leave appliances like televisions plugged into a surge protector if there is one available. Shut down any automatic timers used by things like lamps.

Remove the Filters and Give them a Good Shake Outside.

Take the filter out of your unit. To do this, remove it from its slot and give it a shake to get rid of any debris that may be stuck within it. Then set aside for later use or disposal under local regulations about hazardous waste materials.

If you find dust bunnies inside when taken apart, vacuum them away before starting the cleaning process. But make sure all parts are dry first; wet filters will not clean easily (or at all). You can then proceed with different cleaners, such as vinegar and baking soda mixtures, soap and water solutions, or commercial air-filter cleaner sprays.

You can also follow these steps:

• Vacuum off loose debris from one side of the face,

• Remove any screws on the front panel and gently remove the filter from your air conditioner,

• Use a brush to clean the inner side of the face.

• Then you can vacuum out any remaining debris on both sides before reinserting it back into place in your unit.

Also, be sure to shake off the filter after each cleaning step, and always remember (if you can) where it goes in the air ducting system. Then put it back into place when finished. If used regularly, your furnace filters will last longer before needing replacement. This helps save energy costs since dirty filters waste more watts trying to push clean air through them. And don’t forget that a cleaner home with healthier indoor air is good for everyone living inside, too – a win-win situation all around.

Rinse your Filters Off with Cool Water from a Garden Hose

Make sure each filter has no soap left behind and is completely dry before putting it back in place for use again. If needed, use the soft bristle brush to clean larger ones like these air conditioner units have by hand instead of using a vacuum’s crevice tool. Please note that most interior coils will need their separate cleaning as well.

Replace the Filter into their compartment

Be sure to align them properly, or they won’t fit correctly and work as intended for you again.

Turn Power on Behind Every Step before Plugging Anything In

If you use a vacuum, test it out with something like tissue paper to make sure there’s no suction issue afterward that might cause injury. Then try using it near what you were cleaning too. If safe to do so after this check.

Always Remember to Clean your Filters at least once a Month

If you can’t do it yourself, then try taking them out and bringing them somewhere that does this professionally for you. Since air filters are essential to your HVAC unit’s performance. Also, cleaning often will prevent malfunctions because of dust buildup trapped inside of their pores.

Final Thought

So, now that you know how to clean your home’s air filters are you ready to start? For most people, washing or vacuuming these filters every month will do the trick! But if not, remember that there are many other ways of cleaning them as well—with dish soap and lint rollers being two popular alternatives. And finally, make sure everyone in your household knows how important it is to clean these filters regularly. Why? Because they could affect the health of anyone inside your home—including pets.