If you miss this step when using air conditioning in the summer, it’s really easy to get sick!

The high temperature continues this summer. After being outdoors for a while under the scorching sun, as soon as you get home, you immediately turn on the air conditioner with a "beep" sound to let the blissful cool breeze blow on your face.

Although air conditioners have successfully helped us "extend our lives", have you cleaned them before using them? How dirty is an air conditioner that has "slept" for a whole winter? How should you clean it? Learn now, don't wait until you get sick to regret it!

01

How dirty is the air conditioner?

If your air conditioner has been used for many years but has never been cleaned, then now you open the air conditioner cover and find its filter, it may look like this:

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When I touched it with my hand, I could feel a thick layer of dust. It would be hard not to get sick if I used such air conditioning for a long time.
If it is older, not only the filter but also the air outlet may be covered with dust.

The air conditioner has not been cleaned for a long time, and the air outlet and fins are covered with dust. This is a copyrighted image from the gallery. Reprinting and using this image may cause copyright disputes.

These dirties are not only made of dust, but also mixed with mites, bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms! This is because after the air conditioner has been used for a period of time, the tiny dust and microorganisms in the air will pass through the filter and enter the air conditioner, and adhere to the condensed water on the heat sink and gather on the heat sink. Not only that, the humid environment inside the air conditioner also provides good breeding conditions for these microorganisms.

Previously, the Indoor Environment and Health Branch of the Chinese Society of Environmental Sciences conducted a household survey on household air conditioners in Beijing and Shenzhen, and found that:
The total number of bacteria on the heat sinks of 88% of air conditioners exceeds the standard, and the bacterial content per square centimeter reaches 288~1200 CFU (CFU, colony-forming unit), which is more than 60 times that of a toilet!

We thought the toilet was dirty, but the air conditioner was even dirtier!

Hunan TV's "News Truth" program also went to a home, took samples from uncleaned air conditioners, toilets and rags, and cultured bacteria in the laboratory. The results showed that the bacterial content on the air conditioner heat sink was 60 times that in the toilet and 10 times that on the rag!

The program team also detected Staphylococcus aureus, Legionella and other molds on the air-conditioning radiator.

Image source: "Analysis of microbial species and temperature and humidity control in air conditioning systems"

After reading this, are you feeling a little scared about your air conditioner and want to shut it down and clean it immediately?

Next, let’s talk about how to clean the air conditioner.

02

How to clean the air conditioner yourself?

According to the "Smart Self-Cleaning Air Conditioner Industry White Paper" released by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association in 2017, more than 30% of users never clean their air conditioners.

Zeng Xiaopeng, director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reminds everyone: Air conditioners should be cleaned before use, central air conditioners should be regularly inspected, and professional disinfectants should be used to prevent some germs and mites accumulated in the air conditioners from causing respiratory infections. Therefore, before using the air conditioner every summer, remember: be sure to clean it before use!

If you haven't cleaned it yet, it's not too late to clean it now. Whether it's a wall-mounted, cabinet-type or central air conditioner, we can choose professional air conditioner cleaning to come to your home for cleaning. Among them, the central air conditioning system is more complicated, so it is recommended that you ask a professional master to come to your home for cleaning.

There are three parts of the air conditioner that need to be cleaned, namely: the air outlet, the filter and the fins (the heat sink mentioned earlier).

The air outlet is exposed outside, and it is very simple to clean. Just take a soft cloth, dip it in detergent, and gently wipe it clean. For places that cannot be reached, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to wipe them.

However, the filter and fins are installed inside the air conditioner, so to clean them, you need to disassemble the air conditioner. The disassembly and cleaning methods of wall-mounted air conditioners and cabinet air conditioners are different. Wall-mounted air conditioners are easier to disassemble and clean, and we can do it ourselves.

1. Wall-mounted air conditioner cleaning

1. Turn off the air conditioner and unplug the power cord;

2. Wear a mask;

3. Open the air conditioner cover upwards;

4. Carefully remove the filter;

5. Wash it under running clean water, or wipe it with a soft brush or soft cloth dipped in neutral detergent;

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6. If the filter is heavily dusted, soak it in water containing a neutral detergent for 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Wash the filter and dry it.

8. Use a foam cleaner specially made for air conditioners, spray it on the fins and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

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It should be noted that the fins are relatively fragile, and wiping them too hard may cause them to deform, so it is not recommended to wipe them with a rag. You can choose to buy a "fin brush" to sweep the dust off the fins.

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9. Put the filter back into the air conditioner.

10. Close the air conditioner cover downwards.

11. Plug in the power supply.

12. Start the air conditioning cooling mode, and the dirty water on the fins will be automatically discharged through the drain pipe.

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2. Floorstanding air conditioner

The cleaning steps for floor-standing air conditioners are the same as those for wall-mounted air conditioners. The difference between the two is that the way to remove the filter is different, and the position of the fins is different.

Although there are several styles of floor-standing air conditioners, each style requires you to use a screwdriver to unscrew the screws on both sides of the body cover before you can open the air conditioner cover and take out the filter.

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Different styles of cabinet air conditioners have different fin installation locations.

The fins of the grille-type air conditioner are near the air outlet baffle;

For sliding cover air conditioners, you need to start the power first, wait for the cover to slide down, and then turn off the power after the air is discharged normally. Look inside the air outlet baffle of the air conditioner to find the position of the fins.

3. How often is it best to clean?

In fact, when using the air conditioner, it is best to take out the filter and clean it every half a month, and wipe the air outlet clean every half a month.

Even if you want to save trouble, the filter should be cleaned at least twice a year, that is to say: clean it once before turning on the air conditioner for the first time each year, and clean it again when the air conditioner is no longer in use.

As for the fins, it is sufficient to clean them every 2 to 3 months of use of the air conditioner.

Now that you have learned how to clean your air conditioner by yourself, what are you waiting for? Give it a try right away!

Author: Zeng Xinyue, popular science creator

Reviewer: Xu Rongji, Professor of Beijing University of Civil Engineering