Not only can dust, dirt, and debris accumulate inside your air ducts, but sometimes your ductwork system can become home for rodents, insects, ants, and other unsanitary invaders. For helpful suggestions on how to avoid or prevent these problems, check out the tips below.
Note whether your clothes are starting to come out of the dryer damp
Have you noticed that lately your clothes are no longer completely dry after one cycle in the dyer like they used to be? This can be a sign pointing towards a dryer vent that's too clogged up, reducing the airflow drastically. This makes it much harder for the air to reach your clothes and dry them efficiently, which is why you may wind up needing to run your dryer for longer. It will waste a lot of energy!
Grow houseplants for cleaner indoor air
Dirty ductworks allow for a larger presence of pollutants in your indoor air. These contaminants can cause headaches, dizziness, and respiratory irritations. Growing houseplants such as Peace Lily, Dracaena, Spider Plant, or Garden Mum to purify the air you breathe can make a significant difference. Keep in mind that these plants are only a temporary solution and won’t improve the efficiency of your HVAC system and get rid of the root cause of contamination.
You don’t always need antimicrobial chemical treatment
Most air duct cleaning professionals will use some sort of a vacuum-like method to eliminate dirt, debris, and contaminants from your HVAC system. Sometimes, companies will use antimicrobial chemicals to clean your ducts. Remember this is only necessary when there are signs of mold or fungal growth in your ductworks.
Families with children will benefit from more frequent HVAC air duct cleaning
This is an effective way to lower youngsters’ exposure to allergens. Since such contaminants can find their way into the HVAC system and get circulated around the house even with regular home cleaning, this step can provide an even higher level of protection. In general, having the air ducts cleaned two times a year should be sufficient in most cases.