Appliances
How Do I Clean a Room Air Conditioner Filter?
If it seems like your room air conditioner is not cooling the room as well as it used to, the problem might be a dirty air filter. When the air filter becomes dirty, less air is able to flow through the unit. If less air is flowing into the unit, that means there is less cool, refreshing air coming out.
Let’s get cleaning!
The Solution in 5 Easy Steps:
Step 1: Remove the air filter from the unit. Each air conditioner is a little different, but the filter should be in the front grates of the unit. In the unit pictured here, the front of the air conditioner tilts forward. Some units might have a spot where the filter slides in from the top or side. If necessary, consult the manufacturer’s instruction manual or website to see how to remove the filter from your unit.
Step 2: Rinse the filter with water. Choose a faucet … any faucet! The easiest way to rinse a filter is with a hose, such as a handheld shower head in the bathroom or a kitchen sprayer in the sink. Always work systematically from left to right. Make sure you spray along the edges to get the stubborn dirt that accumulates in the corners.
Make sure you are spraying from the clean side so the dirt is pushed away from the filter. This makes the clean-up go even quicker.
Step 3: Gently brush away any stubborn lint. Inspect the filter to see if any dirt is clinging to the filter. If so, gently scrub it with your finger. Depending on the age of your filter, it can be fragile. If the filter feels as though it will rip, then do not attempt to remove dirt with your finger. Better to leave a trace amount of dirt than to poke a hole in your filter (rendering it useless).
Step 4: Allow the filter to air dry. Place the filter on a towel or drain board to dry. Do not use a towel to dry the filter because of potential damage from aggressive rubbing, as well as the risk of adding lint to both sides of the filter. Filters tend to dry in less than an hour.
Step 5: Place the filter back in the unit. Reverse the steps used to take the filter out of the air conditioner. Once the filter is back in place, you are ready to enjoy cool, clean air in your home!
Step 4: Allow the filter to air dry. Place the filter on a towel or drain board to dry. Do not use a towel to dry the filter because of potential damage from aggressive rubbing, as well as the risk of adding lint to both sides of the filter. Filters tend to dry in less than an hour.
Step 5: Place the filter back in the unit. Reverse the steps used to take the filter out of the air conditioner. Once the filter is back in place, you are ready to enjoy cool, clean air in your home!