Tips on Cleaning Air Filters

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How To Clean Air Filters

Air filters are almost always dirty, and it’s by design. The purpose of an air filter is to collect all of the dirt, dust, and debris to keep it from entering the air you breathe.

The filter doesn’t collect all of the dirt particles, but when it’s dirty, it can’t do its job at all. In fact, dirty air filters can make the air you breathe filthy.

Air forced through a dirty air filter can release dust and dirt that has accumulated for weeks or even months. Especially if you have allergy sufferers in your home, it’s important to clean your air filters often.

Furnace and Central Air Conditioner Filters

You should change your furnace filter once a month in the winter season and your central air filter once a month during summer months.

If you run your heat or air every day and night, have pets, or your home collects a large amount of dust, you may need to change your filter more often during very hot and very cold months.

If you use disposable filters, it’s really not worth vacuuming them to reuse them. They are inexpensive enough that you should replace them instead.

Disposable filters don’t work as well after only being vacuumed and they are usually in a cardboard frame and therefore don’t wash well.

Before you take out the filter, however, vacuum the outside of the filter and around the filter encasement. After you remove the filter, you should vacuum behind it, too, to catch any stray dust and particles.

Window Air Conditioners

Most window units have washable filters. If yours, however, uses disposable filters, the above still applies.

Replace disposable filters with new ones.

Washable filters should be vacuumed as you take them out of the unit. It’s a good idea to vacuum around the filter opening as well. After you vacuum the filter, you should wash it.

It’s important to vacuum the filter first because you’ll make a bigger mess in the sink washing a dirt and dust-clumped filter. Lint, hair, and clumps can cause problems in your garbage disposal and plumbing.

First, run water through the filter. A kitchen sprayer works great. Then take a soapy (dish soap is fine) cloth and clean both sides of the filter. Rinse the filter thoroughly, and shake it a bit to get most of the water off the filter.

Then dry it thoroughly with paper towels or a towel. Don’t put the filter back into the unit until it’s completely dry. Be sure to clean the vents and the outside of the window unit as well. You should wash your window unit filters often in the summer.

Both city and rural settings bring in a lot of pollutants. Cleaning the filter once a week isn’t too often for some rooms. Use the amount of dust and dirt on the filter as a guide. If it’s filthy when you clean it, you should wash it more often. If it’s barely dirty, you don’t have to wash it as much.

Other Filters You Should Monitor

Lots of other devices in our home have air and water filters. If the filters are expensive, try vacuuming them and giving them a quick brush with a damp cloth if the frame is cardboard or any other material that shouldn’t get wet. If it appears to be washable, you should vacuum it first, and then wash it to get the best results.

How often you should change other filters depends on how quickly they get dirty. It stands to reason that anything designed to collect dust, dirt, and impurities should be cleaned as often as possible. Many of our small and large appliances have filters that go neglected in too many homes.

Be sure to check filters often in:

• Humidifiers
• Dehumidifiers
• Air Purifiers
• Vacuum Cleaners
• Dryers and Dryer Ducts
• Washers
• Water Softening Systems
• Faucet-mounted and Filtered Water Pitchers
• Pools
• Aquariums

Hard-to-Find Filters

If you are having a difficult time finding a replacement filter for your device or appliance, the Internet is a great tool. You should visit the manufacturer’s website to get information on how or where to purchase replacement filters.

You can also Google your appliance and model number for Internet specialty stores where you might be able to find the right filters. Don’t forget to check eBay as well.

Sometimes people purchase several filters in advance and end up not keeping the original appliance. Specialty stores also sell their items new on eBay, too.

Environmentally Friendly Air Filters

If you are environmentally conscious, you’ll want to find an alternative to disposable filters.

Ironically, your filter is necessary to keep you from breathing in pollution that things like disposable filters add to in the first place! There are alternatives available.

For instance, if you have central air and heat, you can find inexpensive washable filters in home and hardware stores. They are adjustable to fit different sized openings, and they can even be cut to fit odd measurements.

There are also companies that make air filters out of recycled materials. Check out your local home supply store for biodegradable air filters. You can breathe clean air and do your part for the environment!