Do you remember to clean the air ducts? Advice on how to do this efficiently
In most homes there is either an air conditioning system, a particulate-filtering system or even a simple air extractor (with ducts) through which all the air in the home circulates.
These ducts - often corrugated hoses of varying diameters - are used to vent not just regular air, but also the emissions from the stove (and other appliances). But proper duct maintenance is often neglected, in the mistaken belief that they do not get dirty. Nothing could be more false: over time, a layer of dust, hair and fluff in general forms on the internal walls of these ducts. This not only seriously limits the efficiency of the venting system (sometimes causing overloads), it is also a health risk due to the quality of the air you breathe. Above all, they are also a risk factor for the ignition of fires, since the dirt is highly flammable.
The TikTok @livecomposed account (aka Azure MacCannell) shows you an easy way to deal with duct cleaning. Vacuum cleaners used to suck up ash, sawdust and similar things are generally employed, but they do not always have long, thin nozzles which will fit inside the air ducts properly.
However, there are accessory kits that contain special extensions capable of entering the ducts, effectively sucking everything that adheres to the walls. It is much faster, far less tiring, and much more effective than using a broom with stiff bristles (or some other ad-hoc remedy).
The method of getting a suitable nozzle for the vacuum cleaner, is the ideal solution and will allow you to clean out for the sections of ducting that run into a wall.
How often should this cleaning be done?
The recommendation, in general, is to do this cleaning a couple of times a year - at the end of autumn and at the end of spring. In the case of ducting running from clothes dryers (that are used very frequently), cleaning should be done more frequently.
Watch the @livecomposed video to understand how to do this procedure properly and be amazed at the amount of dirt there can be inside air ducts.
