How to Clean Flexible Air Conditioning Ducts

The traditional ducts are usually made from some kind of metal, usually aluminium or steel. But the flexible ducts are usually made from plastic or PVC, which makes them perfect for certain structures, where installing traditional ducts is not recommended. The flexible air conditioning ducts are installed in all kinds of homes and commercial buildings, and their main goal is to transport the air from the cooling unit to rooms all around the building. Duct cleaning companies usually don't bother to clean such ducts, because it's a lot easier and less time consuming to just replace them. But home owners can easily do this task by themselves, using a few simple tools and materials. The regular duct cleaning of the flexible air conditioning ducts will prolong their lifespan and will provide you with clean air for longer.

Tools you'll need:

• Screwdriver

• Vacuum cleaner with attachments

• Sponges

• A soft duster

• A household cleaning solution

• Some foil tape

Prepare for the duct cleaning. Before you start cleaning anything, you should consider turning off the power to all the units which are connected to the ducts. If you don't know which units to turn off exactly, you should probably turn off the power from the general electrical panel. This way you will avoid an electrical shock, which is something very possible when dealing with such machinery. After the power is off, you can gently remove the tape or the clamps which are holding all the duct pieces together. Carry each piece outside very carefully and shake it to remove all the excess dirt and dust which is stuck in there.

Vacuum the area. Before you get to the actual vacuum cleaning, you should get the soft duster and try to clean the debris inside each duct with it. This will irritate the dust and make it easier to vacuum later. Just be very careful and make sure you don't puncture any of the sides of the duct, because these things are usually made from very delicate material and can be easily damaged. Once you've dusted the entire area, it's time to take out the vacuum cleaner and vacuum the entire area where the ducts connect to the cooling units and the supply grills. In order to achieve a perfect cleaning effect, you should use one of the smallest attachments of the vacuum. If the vacuum cleaner alone doesn't clean everything as it should, you can also use a damp sponge to remove all the leftover dirt from the surface.

Reattach the system. Reattach the clean ducts to the cooling unit and fix them in place by using the foil tape. When you do, make sure the ducts are secure and won't fall off at some point. Then you should repeat the entire process by attaching each duct to to the supply grill it's supposed to be attached to. Some flexible air conditioning ducts are also attached to other outlets, so you should be careful to connect everything properly.

Dust the outside of each duct. Cleaning the inside of your flexible air conditioning ducts is not enough. In order to finish this cleaning task, you will also have to remove the dust from the outside part of each duct, using the soft duster. If the dirt is too extensive, you can use a sponge and some household cleaning detergent. You should also consider just replacing the old flexible ducts with new ones, since they are quite cheap and it's very difficult to remove them and then attach them again without damaging them. Your local home improvement store should have flexible air conditioning ducts, so you can check out the prices there.