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Dirty moldy window ac unit

Living in a home with no central air conditioning can be an issue for many people. Unfortunately, many northern homes did not come with central air. Homeowners are sometimes forced to install a window air conditioning unit so that they can cool their room or home.

In southern homes, window AC units are often used to reduce the amount of electricity used to keep electric bills down. Often, you can see a window AC unit simply to cool down a specific room, rather than a whole home. With the ac window unit comes necessary cleaning and maintenance.

How to clean window air conditioner mold? This requires a process that any homeowner can achieve by using chemicals, scrub brush, and vacuum.

Let’s take a look below at a detailed process to keeping you healthy and free of mold.

What Do I Need To Clean

Believe it or not, the recommended items needed to clean mold from your window ac unit are not extensive. The majority of the products are to protect your skin from being exposed to bleach or the mold itself as well as from breathing in the mold spores.

  • Plastic Gloves-needed to protect your hands from mold and chemicals, while you scrub.
  • Face Covering-needed to keep your face safe from exposure to the mold spores and keep you from inhaling them.
  • Plastic Bucket-necessary to mix a solution of water and chemicals to clean the mold spores off the window ac unit.
  • Wet/Dry Vac-used to vacuum dirt, dust, and debris from the window ac unit.
  • Screwdriver-necessary to unscrew the frame that holds the unit into the window.
  • Scrubbing Sponge-necessary to loosen the mold and mildew from the ac unit and its internal coils.
  • Commercial cleaner-spray onto the internal coils of the window ac unit.
  • Dish Soap-used to soak the grille and filter of the window ac unit.
  • Bleach-necessary to kill the mold and mildew spores.

How Can I Prevent Mold Growth

There are a few factors involved in preventing mold growth in your home. Let’s take a look at the list of how you can prevent mold growth.

  • Remove dust-by removing dust from the home, mold will not have any rich food source. Dust, dirt, pollen, and other organic materials are great at becoming starting points for mold growth. Removing them from the equation is key.
  • Fan mode-using the fan mode of the ac unity you will dry out the interior of the ac unit. This keeps the unit from becoming a moisturized zone that mold loves to grow on.
  • Clean the window-don’t forget that your window will need to be cleaned at least two times during the cooler months. Keeping the window sill and frame itself clean and free of dirt and debris will keep the mold from having a petri dish to grow on.

Remember, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends that to properly control mold from growing in and around your home, you will want to keep moisture at the lowest point possible.

Moldy window sill on air conditioning unit
Moldy window sill on air conditioning unit

How Much Does It Cost

Removing mold from your home or central air unit is very expensive. The cost range goes from $3,000 to $10,000 depending on the size of your home and the region that you live in. However, keep in mind that you are completing cleaning maintenance on your ac window unit.

This typically requires the cost of the supplies and cleaning materials that you will use to create a solution that can remove mold from the ac window unit. You’re probably looking at a cost range of $25 to $75 depending on the number of chemicals needed.

Other Recommended Maintenance

Since you are on the topic of cleaning mold from your window ac unit. Why don’t you also explore how to stop mold growth in your home? Understanding these processes is hugely important to your health and well-being.

Areas of mold growth can occur around the window frame or window sill as well. Making sure that the window is sealed properly is the key to this.

Having a window ac unit requires that the window remain partially open and is secured by an extender frame. Water can get in during rainstorms if this is not sealed correctly. Understanding how windows leak during a rainstorm is important information.

While you are at it with regards to understanding how to seal your bathroom shower windows and window ac unit from leaking water that could cause mold and mildew growth, you should explore the windows in your bathrooms.

If you have windows in your shower you need to ensure that they are waterproofed and not leaking. Reading up on this area at the same time you are figuring out how to clean the mold from your window ac unit is a great idea.

Window air conditioner mold on the filter
Window air conditioner mold on the filter

When Do I Call A Professional

Although cleaning mold off an ac window unit filter and screening might seem simple to you as a homeowner. You never can tell if the mold spores have traveled long distances and begun to grow in other places of your home.

Mold spores can travel and begin to affect your walls, windows, and other areas of the home. Calling out your local home inspection company is a great idea at this time. Having peace of mind that all mold is removed from the home is vital to your health.

Conclusion

When cleaning anything related to mold, you should always consult a professional first. It is highly recommended that anything dealing with mold, that you utilize a home inspection service as they can determine if the mold is growing in other areas of your home. Chances are that if the window ac unit has mold spores on it, those spores could travel to other areas of the home. Call Waypoint Property Inspection to inspect your home in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Orlando, Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and surrounding areas.