The thing is that the vents are always so hard to clean. ::moan, whine, being really dramatic:::
I've tried to use an old toothbrush, but it just spreads the grim around. And then there is always the old standby of using a rag and pushing it around with my fingers, but unless you have freakishly small circus hands or, in fact, have children to do your manual labor- it will hurt. Adult size fingers just don't go in those little slots!
But do you know what does fit in there?
- A flat ruler, butter knife, paint stirrer, thin spatula or any other similarly shaped object (knock yourself out world!)
- Q-tips
Step One:
- Put an old rag over one end of the long flat, thin object of your choosing (popsicle stick, ruler, spatula...)
- Spray it with your homemade all purpose cleaner or store bought all purpose green cleaner.
- Side note: I'll caution against using a traditional heavy duty all purpose cleaners because the AC is going to be sucking up any cleaning residue and circulating it around your house. I don't know if you want alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride traveling through your air supply-- just saying! But it's all good. I don't judge if you do. ;)
- Use the damp washcloth (wrapped around your thinly shaped long object) to clean in between the vent... thingies.
- I don't know what they are technically called and I think "thingies" is perfectly logical.
- Don't focus so much on the edges because dirt will collect there-- that's what step 2 is for. But you will probably have to move the rag around a bit on your object because if it gets too dirty it'll start to smear the dirt around instead of clean it.
- Repeat this process until all the vents are clean (except the edges where dirt collects)
- After you clean finish step 1, there will be gunk left in the corners of the vent.... thingies. Spray the Q-tips with the all purpose cleaner and use them to remove the extra gunk in the corners.
Looking for Other Ways to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution:
Clean up Indoor Air Pollution with these easy steps
You ARE welcome world!
I don’t think cleaning the AC vent wouldn’t be a hassle anymore with these tips.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, but I guess that depends on how you cleaned the AC vent before. I always had issues and this, although a time time consuming, works the best for me. Do you have a different method that you use?
DeleteI think this is a great idea! I have been ignoring those thingies for a looooooong in hopes of them just disappearing (or cleaning themselves!), but they're still there and STILL grimy. I'm painting that hallway in the next few days (or weeks...), and I need to get them thoroughly clean before I paint them. I'm pretty sure that the level of gunk currently in residence would not respond well to a shiny new coat of paint. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'll admit that I've *never* cleaned vent thingies before beyond the cursory swipe with the vacuum or rag. Thanks for giving me an intuitive approach to get things rolling! I'll also be mixing up a batch of the all-purpose cleaner, so I may have a comment for that page after this little adventure. Woo hoo!
Meredith
Hi, Meredith! First, I LOVE your username/blog name. It made me giggle. And I read your last post-- you're hilarious. Love it.
ReplyDeleteSecond, thank you. I'm glad that you like the idea! Oh, and don't worry-- I don't think that most people actually clean the AC vent. I just get bored and then little things bother me like dust. I swear I have OCD.
Third, I bet you'll like the all-purpose cleaner. It's pretty sweet :) But please let me know what you think! I loooovveee comments and emails and questions!!
Happy painting! It's such a pain, but it's so much fun to see the finished project even if it takes weeks to finish :)
How about taking down the vent and cleaning in the sink? I used to hose my down in the backyard when we had our house and then let it dry and put it back on. :)
ReplyDeleteShandelyne, I WISH! For some reason my vent is not removable. I'm sooooo jealous that your can do that!
DeleteAlthough your idea is GREAT! I am not saying anything against it at all :) especially for those vents that cannot be taken down.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Thank you. I try to stay humble and modest, but yes, I can be smart sometimes :)
DeleteLol!! Yeah I'm jealous of my old way of cleaning my vents too haha! Oh and I am sooo gonna make this cleaner! I have been searching for something i can safely use around the house since we have a 1 yr old but have had no luck! So thanks ;)
DeleteOhhh I hope you tell me how you like it!! I love that cleaner! :) And essential oils are great to keep the little ones chemical free! Plus, it's surprising how good they work.
DeleteAnd did you see the giveaway I posted today? I don't know if you've heard of Thieves before, but it's for an entire kit of all natural cleaning supplies that a lot of hospitals are turning to because research has shown how crazy effective they are, but gentle on the body. It's pretty awesome (and they smell great too!) Hey-- if you win, then it's free and you can't beat free, right?! :) Just click the home button or the ad of the kit below my picture on the sidebar and it'll take you right there!!