Duct cleaning is one of the most overlooked aspects of spring cleaning. But taking the time to get in there and drive out the pollens, dander, and dust can make a huge difference in your home. Cleaning out ducts can ease allergies and fight odor issues in the house. However, duct cleaning is tough to handle on your own. Professionals can really help get your home smelling fresh and allergen free.
Ducts Can Hold onto Pollens and Dander
Anyone with allergies can tell you what the local pollen count is just by taking a deep breath outside. Symptoms of allergies can run from minorly irritating to truly debilitating. While one person battles the sniffles, someone else can have legitimate difficulty breathing. Both people would love their symptoms to ease, and duct cleaning can help with that.
When air blows through your home, warm or cold, it circulates pollens, dander, and even animal hair. A lot of this gets trapped in your ducts, through air filters or the ducts themselves. These allergen triggers can then be slowly released whenever they happen to escape. Full air filters also can’t stop allergens that arise. When you don’t clean your ducts, someone with an allergy to pollen might find himself getting sniffly in January, because that’s when that clump of pollen finally fell off your clogged air filter and got spread through the house. Cleaning your ducts removes the allergens and can really ease the symptoms of allergy sufferers.
Difficult Odor Problems Can Be Helped By Duct Cleaning
The same mechanisms that trap pollen and other allergens in your ducts can also trap foul odors. One of the hardest parts of recovering from a grease fire, for example, is the smell that lingers in your home. No amount of washing and scrubbing can seem to get it out. This is because you’re actually washing the wrong thing. Your ducts are packed full of smoke particles, and every time you crank the AC or turn on the heater, you’re getting blasted by those scents again. Ick!
If your house doesn’t smell fresh, the problem may not be your upholstery or your carpet. Clean your ducts and then see if your whole house smells fresher! You should also tackle your ducts before you try to sell your house. You’ve gotten used to how your home smells, but there may be problems you’re not aware of.
Duct Cleaning is Hard on Your Own
One of the biggest reasons people skip duct cleaning is that it’s hard to do it well without professional equipment. Compressed air is your best bet if you can’t hire a professional. Use canned air to blow dust and particles in your air filter, and then promptly change it. You can repeat the process if it’s been a while since you cleaned your ducts. Your old filters are probably too clogged to pick up much extra gunk the first time!
Duct cleaning is difficult to master. Professionals with powerful equipment can get your home smelling fresh and clean in no time. Otherwise, you can do your best with compressed air to get your ducts as clean as possible. Anything to cut down on odor and fight allergens is worth the effort.