The Spring Cleaning Task You Shouldn't Skip If Your Home Is Always Dusty

Spring might be a time of renewal and energy for many, but for anyone who suffers from air quality-related allergies, the season can be trying. This includes a lot of people, since over a quarter of U.S. adults suffer from seasonal allergies according to the CDC. So it might be tempting to switch up your spring cleaning to a late fall cleaning when stirring up dust isn't quite as much of a trial. But one spring cleaning task you don't want to put off is cleaning your HVAC system's vents, registers, and filters.

Hunker spoke exclusively with Richie Drew, vice president of operations at One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, who filled us in on how broad the causes of indoor air quality problems can be. "Pet hair, dirty ducts, dirty filters, and even home design and layout can contribute to poor indoor air quality," Drew said. He explained that the way through is by keeping your HVAC in good repair, starting with the vents and registers, which he said the average person can clean themselves.

Keeping the properly rated air filters in your system clean also matters a lot. "A dirty or clogged filter may cause your HVAC system to work much harder and be less efficient," Drew explained. And modern homes rely on those filters for ridding indoor air of allergens. "Many homes built after the 1970s have been designed in a way that contributes to 'Tight Home Syndrome,' which means dirty and stale air is locked in your home. This contributes to indoor air pollution, which unfortunately can trigger asthma attacks and other health concerns," he said.

The components that usher heated and conditioned air to your home are obviously prone to catching much of the dust and particulate pollution that lands in our homes. This includes the HVAC's vents, registers, returns, and ductwork. When Hunker spoke exclusively with HVAC expert Richie Drew, he urged homeowners to keep their systems clean and bring in professionals for the more challenging bits. "Dusty vents can circulate allergens throughout your home. Homeowners will also want to clean their HVAC registers to eliminate the amount of dust and dirt being blown throughout their system and home," Drew said. He added that cleaning vents and registers (grilles that include an air flow-control damper) can be done easily by a homeowner armed with a flexible duster or a vacuum with a wand attachment.

Cleaning the ducts themselves can be trickier, since you probably won't reach deep into their recesses with your feather duster. "The worst accumulation of dust and allergens in your home may be in the places you can't see. Professional duct cleaning lets technicians reach deep into your ductwork with special vacuums and spray gentle disinfectants that can help keep your ducts cleaner for months to come," said Drew. This will result in cleaner air, and can also reduce airflow duct noise in some situations.

You probably already rely on your HVAC filters to keep your air clean, even if you don't think much about it. And you might have even been advised to switch the system to "on" so that air is filtered nonstop. When Hunker spoke exclusively with Richie Drew, he said that this strategy can work, but has drawbacks. "Running your fan continuously helps filter the air more effectively, but be aware it may impact your utility bills and increase wear and tear on your HVAC system." To reduce strain on the system from restricted airflow, it's important to swap our dirty filters or clean washable furnace filters regularly.

Make sure you get the correct replacement filter. "Choosing the right air filter is key to reducing allergens in your home," Drew said. He explained that air filters' effectiveness is captured in a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating, a 1-to-20 scale that describes how well filters remove particles from the air passing through them."For most homes, a filter rated between MERV 8 and 13 offers the best balance of air quality and system performance," Drew said. "Higher ratings capture smaller particles like pollen, dust, and mold, but filters above MERV 13 can restrict airflow and may not be suitable for all systems." 

Consult your owner's manual or an HVAC professional to find the right MERV rating for your system so that it can maximize your indoor air quality without unduly straining your HVAC. Whatever time of year you do your spring cleaning, you should replace your HVAC air filters year-round, Drew added.