How To Clean Your Air Conditioner Vents
                     How To Clean Your Air 
Conditioner Vents
Why You Should Clean Your Air Conditioner Vents
Your air vents collect a lot of dust, dirt, and other particles 
floating around in the air. They get dirty surprisingly 
quickly, and dirty air vents could be negatively impacting 
your indoor air quality. You need to clean your air vents 
regularly, depending on how quickly they get dirty. What 
do you need to do to clean your vents, and how should 
you do it? Here’s our simple DIY guide on how to clean 
your vents.
What You Need To Clean Your Air Conditioner Vents
• Vacuum with a hose
• Screwdriver (type of screwdriver depends on your 
vents)
• Dish soap
• A scrubbing brush
• Gloves
• A bucket or a bathtub
Steps To Clean Your Air Conditioner Vents
It doesn’t matter where your vent is mounted, this guide 
will work for any of them. These instructions are general 
and may not work for all types of vents; however, most 
residential vents should be relatively simple to clean. Turn 
off your HVAC system. Before cleaning anything, turn your 
HVAC system off! That includes your furnace and your air 
conditioner. You should be able to do this through your 
thermostat, but you can also turn them off manually.
Remove the Vents
Some vents can be easily pulled off, but many require a 
screwdriver. Take your vents off and put them to the side.
Vacuum the Ducts
Your ducts will likely be dirty, so take your vacuum’s hose 
and let it run! Get as much dust and dirt as you can out of 
the ducts. Don’t go too deep into the ducts: there’s no 
reason to clean out the entire duct at this stage, just the 
area near the vents.
Dust Off Your Vents
Use a duster and get all the extra dust and dirt off of your 
vents. Take this dust and throw it in the trash: try not to 
get too much of it in the air! Preferably, dust off your vents 
inside a garbage bag so that the dust doesn’t fly up into 
the air and up your nose!
Prepare Some Soapy Water
Get some warm water and mix in some dish soap. Make 
sure the water has a good deal of lather in it: this way, you 
know the water has been sufficiently soaped. You want to 
do this in your bathtub, but if you don’t have a bathtub, a 
washbasin or a bucket will do just fine.
Soak Your Vents for up to 15 Minutes
This is where the real cleaning happens. You want to soak 
your vents in the tub or basin for 10 to 15 minutes. It’s not 
necessary to let them soak for longer than 15 minutes, 
and if your vents are made of iron or non-stainless steel, it 
may cause them to rust.
Dry Your Vents with a Towel and Put Them Back On
Putting your vents on should be as simple as taking them 
off, however, ceiling vents might be a little annoying. It’s 
okay if your vents are still a little wet: it won’t cause any 
issues with your HVAC system. Try your best to get them 
as dry as possible though.
Replace Your Air Filter & Turn Your HVAC System Back On
Go to where your furnace is and replace the air filter. If 
you’ve been having a problem with dusty vents, you’re 
likely dealing with a clogged filter. If you find the filter to 
be clear, then you don’t have to replace it. After replacing 
your air filter, turn your HVAC system back on. 
Congratulations, you’ve cleaned your vents and you 
shouldn’t have to do it again for several months!
Click here for more info!
Contact Us
935 Chattahoochee Ave 1233 Canton 
NWAtlanta, GA 30318 StreetRoswell, GA 30075
404-350-2300 MoncriefAir.com