How To Clean Your Return Air Vent

Are you spring cleaning? How long has it been since you've cleaned your Air Return Vent Cover? Read on for quick step-by-step instructions on cleaning yours! Thank you to Harris Teeter for sponsoring this this tutorial. Be sure to check out their Clean Spring Sweepstakes!

I'm hearing lots of talk of spring cleaning this month. The weather is warmer, and it's time to open those windows and let in the sunshine and fresh air. I've never been one to go on a spring cleaning spree. I have tasks that I perform daily, weekly, monthly, semi-annually, and yearly all year long. I bet most of you do, too! But if you are looking for a few areas of your house that may need extra special cleaning attention, let me call your direction to the Air Return Vent Cover.

Say, what? I'm hoping you're not frantically looking around your house to see if you actually have an Air Return Vent Cover. The air return vent cover hides, well, the air return vent. A lot of air travels through that vent every day, and the cover itself collects dust and cobwebs. In short, the air return vent pulls air circulating in the home and recycles it back through where it can be heated or cooled. Our Air Return Air Vent Cover that I'm using for today's step-by-step tutorial is located in the ceiling.

The Air Return Vent Cover may not look that bad on first glance, but a close examination will reveal lots of dust bunnies. I like to clean mine a minimum of yearly. Here's a step-by-step pictorial on cleaning this seldom-noticed home necessity.

Supplies needed:

• Vacuum cleaner (with a wand if the vent cover is on the ceiling)
• Screwdriver
• Stepladder (to reach vents that are on the ceiling)
• Some sort of safety glasses to prevent dust from falling into eyes (if vents are on the ceiling)
• Damp rag

Step One

Turn off the air conditioner/heat at the thermostat.

Step Two

Inspect the air return vent cover. Make sure none of the screws are loose.

Step Three

Using the vacuum cleaner, and the wand tool for vents on the ceiling, remove the loose dust from the cover.

Step Four

Using a screwdriver, remove the vent cover. Place the screws in a safe place for re-installing the cover.

Step Five

Inspect the inside of the air return vent. If needed, wipe down with a damp rag and let dry.

Step Six

Clean BOTH sides of the cover. My return vent cover is metal. I used a damp rag and a spritz of an all-natural cleaner to get the grime off of tough places. Do not use a paper towel, as the rough texture of the vent will just "eat" the paper. Depending on how dirty yours is, you can always wash it in hot water before wiping clean. Be sure to clean both sides! Let the cover dry completely before screwing it back over the vent.

I used a white rag on purpose to demonstrate exactly how gross these vent covers can get. Yuck, right! But, no worries, mine is white and clean now!

I hope this tutorial helps you get your Air Return Vent Covers nice and sparkly!

Did you know that Harris Teeter wants to help you out with your spring cleaning? They are having a fabulous Clean Spring sweepstakes with products, gift cards, coupons, and more up for grabs! Check out their Spring Cleaning tips and recipes, and enter their awesome sweepstakes, HERE!

How To Clean Your Return Air Vent

Source: https://ithappensinablink.com/how-to-clean-the-air-return-vent-cover/

Posted by: huckabeelitty1986.blogspot.com

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