DIY guideDucts and vents
Vacuum the supply registers and return grilles
Lift the covers, vacuum the openings and the grilles, wash the covers and put them back open. Machine duct cleaning stays a pro's.
- 30 min to 1 hr
- 7 steps
- Every step animated
7 steps
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Set the thermostat to Off so no air is moving.
Lift each floor register out of its hole. Undo the screws of wall and ceiling grilles.
For a ceiling grille, use a step stool, not a chair.Vacuum as far into the opening as the hose reaches, and pick out anything that's fallen in.
Wash the registers in warm soapy water and dry them.
Vacuum the big return grilles on both sides, and the opening behind each.
Set every register back with its louvers open, and nothing on top of it.
Droppings, mould, or dust that keeps blowing out: deep duct cleaning is a pro's. Ask Handyman for a duct cleaning pro.
What you need
- A vacuum with a hose and a brush
- A screwdriver
- A bucket of warm soapy water and a cloth
- A step stool
Call a pro if
- There are droppings, nests or mould in a duct
- Dust keeps blowing out after cleaning
- After a renovation, or before moving into a home that sat empty
- A register's opening is broken or loose in the floor
Handyman says: Pests or mould? I'll find a duct pro.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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