How to clean car air conditioning?

Air conditioning is a staple in hot weather. It’s hard to imagine driving a car in summer without a pleasant, cool air supply. However, it needs to be cleaned – how to do it yourself?

Nowadays in almost every car we have air conditioning. For many people it is even a staple, and the lack of an option to cool the vehicle may even prevail over the decision to buy it. On hot days it is difficult to imagine driving without a cool air supply. However, it is important to remember that air conditioning must be regularly de-fumigated and cleaned. Otherwise, it can be harmful.

Why clean the air conditioner?

When the air conditioner is running, moisture collects in the evaporator, one of its components. This, combined with dust, creates the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and fungi. As a result, in addition to a pleasant coolness, a not very nice smell comes out of the air conditioner – a sign of the presence of unwanted microorganisms. However, it should be borne in mind that not only the bad smell is a problem. Inhaling it can result in a worse mood, fatigue, runny nose, allergies and even respiratory disease.

How do you clean an air conditioner?

Air conditioning can be cleaned at most auto repair shops. However, this involves additional costs, and these many people would prefer to avoid. Fortunately, you can do everything yourself, you just need to know how to do it.

To begin with, you should take care of the cabin filter. In cars manufactured in Europe, it is located at the passenger-side windshield – on the outside of the vehicle. On the other hand, in “Japanese” cars it is usually located under the underside of the center console located by the passenger’s legs or just behind the passenger compartment. It is also rare that it is mounted not far from the pedals. The filter should be removed, the entire housing thoroughly cleaned and a new one inserted.

To disinfect the air conditioning usually use special foams and sprays that are sprayed into the air vents. They cost from a dozen to several tens of zlotys and can be purchased in markets and automotive stores. When buying them, read the labels carefully. It turns out that there are preparations on the market that do not remove bacteria, the source of the odor, but only mask it. However, experts agree that such cleaning is possible only for air conditioners that have a fairly simple structure.

Another method is special cans of disinfectants. They should be placed open near the air intake – the car must have the engine running. The air conditioning should then be set to closed circuit. Then open all the air vents to the maximum and leave the car for about 15-20 minutes (depending on the manufacturer). Then a substance is released that disinfects all the nooks and crannies. Note that after such a treatment it is necessary to thoroughly ventilate the entire car.

Another method is ozonation. It is enough to set up an ozonator in a car that has been cleaned of dust. It is important that the air conditioning is turned on while the device is running.

Air conditioning should be cleaned once a year.

main photo: unsplash.com/Philipp Katzenberger