If you go to great lengths to keep your home clean and free from allergens but you still wake up with a stuffy nose and have frequent allergy systems it may be time to consider having your air ducts cleaned. The air in your home circulates through the ducts, so it's possible for pet hair, dust, and other particulates to accumulate in them. The ducts might even have mold growing inside that could be a potential allergy threat. Here are some tips for keeping your ducts clean to improve the air quality in your home.

Inspect Your Vents And HVAC For Dust Buildup

One way to tell if your ducts need to be cleaned is to look for evidence of dust buildup in the rest of your HVAC system. Look at the coils and the filter to see if they have dust accumulation. Some dust and debris is to be expected and that's why you need to change your filter regularly. However, if there seems to be a lot of dust or if you see dust inside the registers and dust bunnies clinging to vents, it's a good sign your entire system needs to be cleaned. When you remove the register plate to look inside the ducts, you may see mold, dirt, and dust. Keep in mind the air that blows into the room passes over all this debris and that could be why your allergies are triggered so often and why your home and HVAC seem to accumulate dust so quickly.

Hire A Professional To Clean Your Ducts

Air duct cleaning isn't a DIY job when you have allergies. The cleaning process must be done right or the allergens will get stirred up and make conditions worse. To keep this from happening, the cleaning company attaches a big vacuum hose to the air duct system so any debris that is knocked loose will get sucked outside rather than float into the room. Professionals use specialized equipment to clean the ducts without harming your HVAC system. The equipment usually includes a powerful vacuum along with an air scrubber that knocks debris off the walls of the ducts. If your ducts are contaminated with mold or rodent droppings, they may also need to be sanitized. The goal is to clean your ducts without spreading dust and contaminants around your home.

Consider Annual Duct Cleaning

Most people won't need their ducts cleaned very often, but when you have allergies, you may want to consider doing it annually. After you have the ducts cleaned once, you'll be able to tell the effect the cleaning had on your allergies. If you experience fewer symptoms, it could be well worth it to clean your air ducts annually just so you can breathe more easily in your home. Plus, you'll enjoy additional benefits as well. Clean ducts might help your home smell fresher and have less dust accumulation. Clean ducts might even help your HVAC system work more efficiently.