How To Clear Your Car’s Air Ducts Of Dust And Allergens
Your cars air vents might not look dirty, but theyll filled with dust and particulate that blows into your lungs every time you run the air conditioning. If the air ducts are filthy and neglected, theyll fill the cabin with pollutants and irritants that could be harmful to your lungs.
When youre cleaning your vehicles interior by vacuumingthe seats and dusting the dashboard, make sure youre also cleansing the carair vents following these steps every six months.
How To Clean Car Ac Vents At Home
· Updated March 11, 2022
Your cars AC vents are narrow spaces in the AC compartment with a cozy temperature and snug space making them a perfect home for bugs and contaminants to start a life in. Cleaning the AC ducts routinely is an important part of car maintenance as they serve a crucial role in the functioning of your air conditioner. These duct channels hot air out from the cabin, acting as a ventilation system and also ensure the cool air coming from the system is fresh and clean.
Spray Cabin Ac Vents With Disinfectant Cleaner
Close the car doors and windows. Also, ensure the car is off, and the key is out of the ignition. Spray the disinfectant on the in-cabin AC vents with an enzymatic cleaner. After spraying is done, start the engine after a few minutes and set both the air conditioner and fan blower to the maximum. After around 10 minutes, turn off the AC, open all car doors and let the fan blow for another 10 minutes. This will ensure the AC vents are dried and the moisture inside the cabin is blown away.
Step 1 :
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How To Remove Bad Odor From Car Vents
After you have successfully cleaned car vents, there might still be some bad odors coming out of them.
Although this is a pretty common problem, its easy to fix it.
If youre a professional car detailer, this is a great way to earn some extra money by adding this option for your clients.
For this, youre going to need some high-quality odor remover. I recommend you use this Turtle Wax Odor-X Multi-Surface Cleaner .
Follow these steps to flush the AC system:
After 15 minutes, you have an odor-free car that smells great. And air vents are entirely cleaned from any bad smells.
However, dont forget to remind your clients to change the cabin filter. I realized that many people dont change it often enough, and usually, its the most common reason for bad smells coming out of air vents.
Tuff Stuff Foam Cleaner Aerosol
For overall cleaning, Perry recommends using a foaming carpet cleaner on cloth car seats. The foaming cleaner will remove stains, as well as dirt and grime that gives cloth seats a dingy appearance. A laundry stain treatment product like Shout can also be used to spot treat stains.
To clean leather seats, start by determining if the leather is real or imitation. Regardless of the type of leather, Marilee Nelson, a cleaning expert and co-founder of Branch Basics, says to vacuum the seats first. Vacuuming protects the leather from being damaged by dirt that could scratch the leather when scrubbed with a cleaner.
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Ways To Properly Sanitize Your Car And Its Ventilation System In The Covid
Recent spikes in COVID-19 cases remind us it may be awhile before things return to something resembling normal. While wearing masks and social distancing in public are urged to slow the spread of the Coronavirus, there are things you can and should be doing to keep your car from becoming a traveling Petri dish as you shuttle between home, work, and other essential destinations. If youre not sure how to even go about sanitizing your car in a manner thatll limit your exposure, weve got some helpful information below.
1 Clean Your Interior and Exterior Surfaces
2 Cleaning the Vent System
Pressurized air, like the kind you find in keyboard cleaner spray bottles, will make the easiest work of blowing out your vents. Because of the high likelihood that therell be loose particles or bacteria in your vents, be sure to use a paint respirator type mask. These masks filter out 99%+ of particles in the air and offer the most protection. Blowing out your vent system should be done before changing your cabin air filter, which is next.
3 Have Your Cabin Air Filter Changed
4 Hand Wipes
Hand-sanitizing wipes are convenient, smell great, and work well for sanitizing your cars surfaces and your hands. Use these wipes every time you get in and out of your vehicle.
5 Plastic Floor Mats
A Reminder to Rideshare Drivers
Using An Enzymatic Cleaner Spray
Step 1: Turn Off the Car Engine, Close the Doors and Windows, and Turn the AC Off
All AC vents have to be sprayed with an enzymatic cleaner spray. But before doing that, you need to close all the doors and windows of your car first. Then you would turn your cars engine off and take out the keys from the ignition.
You would also have to turn your cars air conditioner off.
Step 2: Spray the Cleaner, Turn On the Engine, and Change AC Settings as Needed
Attach the straw to the disinfectant spray to be able to spray within the AC vents. You can consult your vehicles manual to know where these vents are exactly.
Once the straw is attached, insert the straw inside a vent and spray the cleaner liberally. Spray all the vents, including the vent by the drivers side, by the dashboard, by the passengers side, and defroster vents located by the windshields base.
After spraying the aforementioned AC vents, turn the engine on and let the car air conditioner run at maximum level and circulate. Then, without the straw, spray the intake duct located below the glove compartment. You will then once again change the air conditioner setting to fresh air intake, then step out and close the door.
Step 3: Spray Exterior Intake Vents, Then Turn Off and Ventilate the Car
Finally, you would turn the engine off once again and open all the car doors to ventilate your car.
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Dust Buster: Cleaning Those A/c Vents
Air-conditioning vents covered with dust are not only unsightly, they can create an unhealthy environment for those with asthma, allergies or respiratory issues.
Fortunately, theres a variety of tools and methods to make sure those vents deliver cool, refreshing bursts of air all summer long.
Air vents arent particularly difficult to clean, but youd be surprised how neglect can lead to a buildup of dust and grime, said Dean Croft, president and owner of Automotive Training Centres, a Canadian-based campus that trains and certifies automotive technicians. In some cases, it may even lead to the growth of mold.
Inhaling these harmful pollutants can be troublesome for drivers or passengers with allergies and asthma, Croft said.
Croft offers the following tips and suggestions for getting rid of the dust and keeping the air in your cabin fresh and clean:
Use A Foam Paintbrush And Homemade Cleaner
Purchase a foam paintbrush, which would be a perfect tool to get deep into the spaces between the AC vents’ slats. These paintbrushes are inexpensive and easily available as well. Dab the paintbrush in a homemade cleaning solution of warm water and vinegar. Insert the paintbrush between each vent slat to remove dust and grime. Rinse the brush as required to remove the dust. Finish by wiping off the vents with a dry brush.
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What Shoppers Are Saying
Backed up by a 4-star rating from more than 18,000 shopper reviews, this cleaning gel offers a great way to thoroughly clean your electronics.
One reviewer called this cleaning putty “magic,” adding that “after one use” their car looked “just like new.”
Another reviewer who “totally recommends” the cleaning gel says they’ve used it on everything from car air vents to computer keys and “small places that are hard to get dust off,” also noting that it’s “still useful” after many uses.
$16 at Amazon
While the ColorCoral cleaner does manage to remove dust, dirt and crumbs from your devices, it may not be the most sustainable option around. Depending on the extent of your cleaning, you may find that it needs to be tossed after a single use, but as other reviewers have mentioned, you may be able to break up the gel into smaller pieces in order to extend its shelf life.
One shopper says they “recommend using a blob” not the entire container and throwing out the smaller piece when it gets dirty.
How To Clean Car Ac Vents: Easy Ways
Air conditioning is one of the most overworked components of any passenger vehicle cabin. The dust particles on the AC vents make things look ugly and unhealthy for the occupants inside as well. Hence, it is important to keep the AC vents clean and dust free. It is recommended to clean the AC vents at least every month or two or more often if you notice dust formation there. However, cleaning the narrow spaces between the in-car AC vents can be a difficult task if you try to do it using a simple cloth. An inexpensive foam paintbrush can make your job easy and quick.
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If turning on the air conditioning system releases an odd odour of fungus inside the cabin, you should use a disinfectant spray cleaner. To prevent fungal growth inside the air conditioning system, make sure to periodically dry out the AC vents by blowing the fan on maximum with the AC turned off. Also, ensure to clear away any dust that collects around the cabin air filter.
Here are some easy ways to ensure your in-car AC vents are clean.
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The Best Way To Clean Car Vents
Steam vapour blast
Due to steam vapour being a vapour, it can get into the most to reach places. The high temperature component of steam vapour will provide a deep clean to any surface it touches and eliminate dust and grime.
Steam vapour commonly produces as little as 5% moisture content. This means that surfaces that are water sensitive stay dry whilst getting a thorough clean.
Since steam vapour also sanitises its surfaces due to being produced at such a high temperature, it removes odours and bacteria.
Investing a steam vapour machine that comes with a lance to achieve air vent cleaning provides you with this 3 in 1 step of deep cleaning, being safe to use and sanitisation. It will also provide you with a range of other interior and exterior cleaning applications like no other method can.
How Does A Cars Ventilation System Work
The automotive ventilation system consists of the air conditioning and heating units all in one. Air gets pulled into the large duct located at the front of the vehicle while the car is moving. When the air enters, it gets heated or cooled, depending on the fan setting you have chosen.
Heating vs. cooling isnt much different. When the heat setting is chosen, the air moves through the water-heated radiator while the fans push the air into the car. However, for cooling to occur, the refrigerant must be present in the AC system. This refrigerant gas gets compressed and converted to a liquid that moves through the condenser to remove heat. This process creates the cold air that gets pumped into the cabin.
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Steam Cleaning The Car Ac Vents
Should you be wary of strong and lingering odors from the air cleaner sprays, you may be better off using a steam cleaner for your car AC vents instead. Steam cleaners are a popular alternative as they are odorless and effective. By directing their steam nozzle at the vents, they will dispense steam at a controlled temperature and pressure at and into the vents. This way, they dislodge the micro-sized organisms and air pollutants that are lurking in its passageways.
For your switches, you can go over them with a gentle stream of mild steam. Quickly wipe them down with a clean microfiber towel. This way, they are guaranteed to be clean, rejuvenated and non-greasy to the touch. Alternatively, there are interior care and protection products for your dashboard. Some that are water-based and oil-free, can be used to clean your switches. This also provides durable protection against UV rays.
Traveling For The Holidays Heres How To Clean Your Car Before You Go
Everybody wants their car to have that just out of the dealership feel one only needs to consider the number of new car smell products on the market to know thats true. But it can feel like a losing battle in the face of all those spills, messes and odors that happen in our cars.
There are four basic cleaning jobs that happen in cars, and these are things that do not require an expensive trip to the detailer. Breaking down cleaning the interior of a car into these four distinct jobs can help to make the overall task feel less daunting.
To help you get your cars interior looking its very best, we consulted experts and got their tips, tricks and go-to products for cleaning car seats, floor mats and hard surfaces like the dashboard, center console and side panels and of course, eliminating any odors that are making your car smell awful.
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How Do I Clean Car Air Ducts
What’s the best way to clean my car’s air vents? They are filthy, but I’m not sure how to deep clean them.
compressed airvacuumclean microfiber clothew
- Spray a can of compressed air into the duct to get the dust out.
- Next, vacuum each of the vents as well as possible. Then, turn your air on full blast and vacuum them again.
- Finish up by spraying a clean microfiber cloth with car cleaner and wiping away any remaining dust from the vent slats.
Three: Use Your Soap And Brush
Mix some liquid soap with warm water into your spray bottle and shake it up. Spray some of the solution onto your vents and the air duct walls if you can reach them. Be sure to use a detailing brush that will help break up any buildups without scratching the plastic.
Get as deep as you can into all the ducts of your car. Dont forget the ones near your windshield or any of the ones underneath your dashboard by your feet.
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Why Is A Clean Ventilation System Important
A clean ventilation system helps keep smog, allergens, and other pollutants from entering your cars cabin.
Regular cleaning of the evaporator core, which is a type of heat exchange device, can help to facilitate proper heating and cooling of a vehicles interior. A clean core can help to facilitate the refrigerant to properly absorb heat and then convert it to a low-temperature vapor within the evaporator coils. Colder air in a vehicle’s cabin is regulated by its driver and passengers, which is blasted into the vehicle through the vents.
How To Clean Air Vents In Your Car
Do you know how to clean air vents in your car? They might not be the first thing you notice when the time comes to give your car a thorough cleaning, but your air vents need a little attention. They look better when theyre clean and removing any dust keeps that same debris from ending up in the air you breathe.
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Break Out The Vacuum Attachments
Another easy way to clean air vents in your car is to use a small vacuum brush. Many vacuum cleaners come with an accessory pack that has smaller tools and now is the time to finally give those tools some use.
If you have a garage vacuum cleaner, theyre often the best vacuums for the job because they include a longer hose so its easy to reach every vent. Make sure you dont use any attachments with hard bristles or simply a plastic head. These can scratch car surfaces, including the materials used to make your dashboard.
Although the vents you likely think of cleaning are the ones right up front on the dashboard, theyre not the only air vents in your car. There are air vents down low, often unseen below the dashboard, that send air to your legs. Make sure you clean those, too.
Signs An Air Vent Cleaning Is Needed
The most common signs that a vehicle’s heating or air conditioning system is malfunctioning are musty scents, which may lead to sneezing, itching, and watery eyes. These issues could most likely be caused by microorganisms in the vehicle’s heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems. Schedule an appointment today for a thorough vent cleaning today is you notice unwanted smells in your vehicle.
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A Step By Step Guide To Cleaning Your Air Vents
Breathing in clean air is one of the cornerstones of staying healthy. In order to ensure that you are breathing in the highest quality of air possible, you should regularly clean your air vents at least once a month. You may need to do it once every two weeks or less if you live in an area with high levels of air pollution, such as a large city or industrial park.
Cleaning your air vents isnt difficult, but it will take a little bit of time and some elbow grease.
These are the steps for properly cleaning your vents:
