Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
eldemila

How Do You Easily Clean the A/C Grate/Vent on your Wall?

eldemila
14 years ago

I don't know what it's "technically" called, but I have two intake vents for my a/c. One is mounted on a hall wall, the other inside a closet. These "vents" have a ton of little square holes. The door comes down to remove the filter, but doesn't come off the frame to be able to take it outside to wash down.

How do you clean your vent that's like this? This morning I was sitting on the floor pushing a microfiber cloth through each little square with a pencil. There MUSt be an easier way!

Any ideas???

Comments (9)

  • dilly_dally
    14 years ago

    Vacuum the dust out.

    Then put down some plastic or newspaper on the floor and spray it with cleaner. Wipe.

    (There MUST be a way to get it off of the wall. It had to be installed at one time and it can be uninstalled. Not saying that that might not be more work than the above method.)

  • eldemila
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    They are both in a "frame". Would be difficult to remove and possibly damage the wall. The one in the closet has screws, but again, if removed, may cause some damage to the wood.

    I tried using my steam cleaner - didn't do much of anything. No way to just wipe, its not the kind that looks like blinds, these are hundreds of small squares not much bigger than your pinky finger in dimension.

    I can do the pencil trick, but it's a long drawn out process and will be harder in the closet vent due to the way it's situated.

    I'm thinking not many people have this type they're so old.

    Thanks!

  • jaybird
    14 years ago

    Debelli,
    I open mine, and fold it down so that is lying flat,(the top edge propped on a tin can) over a plastic table cloth. Then I spray it with Haggerty's chandelier cleaner and let it drip off onto the table cloth. It works pretty well if I do it regularly. If there is any build up, you are back to the little narrow bottle brush (pencil sized) and ammonia cleaner.

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • jannie
    14 years ago

    My AC vents are in the ceilings. I can't figure out how to remove them. I vacuum them once a year, as part of my spring cleaning.

  • piper101
    14 years ago

    If you can remove them from the wall, how about soaking them in the bathtub with your solution of choice and a tooth or nail brush? Other than that,,I vacuum these guys with my attachments. Good luck.

  • eldemila
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I guess it would be easier if/when these babies were new, if they had been cleaned as they should have, it probably wouldn't be such a huge task. Also, given I live in SOFLA, we use the a/c 11 1/2 months a year, these are sucking air flow constantly. With so many other things to clean, I just forget about them until one day...ewwwww!

    I would have thought the steam cleaner would have worked, but, nay nay. I'll try Jaybirds idea and probably try pipers toothbrush idea along with it.

    Those of you with floor registers, you'll have to give me tips on cleaning those next - I'll be moving north and they don't seem to have the a/c vents that we have done here!

    Thanks all!

  • brutuses
    14 years ago

    My vents are easily removed for cleaning so I don't know what to recommend for those that have to stay in place.

  • judiegal6
    14 years ago

    How about using pipe cleaners, you know those fuzzy ones you could pick up at a craft store. They are pretty cheap and you could just throw away when finished.

  • kon45
    14 years ago

    How about taking them off, if it damages something, just fix and replace with something that is easier to clean.