For those of you that are new to the blog, I have started a 50 week cleaning challenge. This challenge is part of my 2018 theme to live simply. (You can read the post here.) This means eating good food, being nice to myself, and relaxing more. It also means small bursts of cleaning instead of long and tiring deep cleaning sessions. I have broken out my usual spring cleaning list into 50 small, manageable tasks. On to the challenge….
WEEK 2 | CLEAN AIR VENTS
Why is this important? Air vents, like other fixtures in your home, are prone to collecting dust, dirt, and allergens. Removing this yuck makes your space look more pleasing. Additionally, it reduces allergens in the air and helps your AC and heating units run more efficiently.
Air vents, unlike other fixtures such as door knobs and light switches, do not need to be wiped down weekly. You should be able to manage buildup with a quick vacuuming a couple times a year. Do it once a quarter if you have issues with allergies
HOW I CLEANED MY AIR VENTS
We had not touched our vents in far too long, so they were a bit dusty. If you have been as neglectful as I, your vents may look as bad as mine. I pray they do not look worse.
Use the following steps to clean your air vents:
- Turn off your AC or heater. You are not likely to hurt yourself if you don’t. But if it comes on, it will blow dust filled air in your face.
- If you have a vent that is particularly dusty, I recommend putting on a baseball cap to protect your hair and put an old sheet over your furniture. As the dust falls down, it could leave marks on cloth covered furniture.
- Pull out your vacuum cleaner and fasten the dusting brush attachment.
- Run the dusting brush over each vent, moving from left to right (or right to left if you are a non-conformist) until all the dust has been removed.
- If the vacuum cleaner doesn’t cut it, you are going to have to bring soap and water into the mix. Unscrew the vent using a screw driver.
- Place the vent in a sink of warm soapy water. Allow it to soak for about 10 minutes.
- Use a soft cloth to clean the vent. Be careful not to use a scouring pad as this may remove any painted finish from the vent.
- Dry the vent completely before reinstalling.
I now challenge you to clean your air vents.
Like this week’s cleaning challenge? Want to see more? Check out the weekly cleaning challenge page!
