It is possible to clean your window air conditioner without removing it by first preparing the unit, then cleaning the dry dirt, and then a wet cleaning.
Keeping your air conditioner clean ensures that its components endure less stress and make your unit function more efficiently.
Since this process is so important, you can even follow the process of cleaning a window air conditioner without removing the entire unit from the window each time. This includes the preparation, dry dirt cleaning, and the wet cleaning steps.
How important is it to keep your air conditioner clean?
Your air conditioner is a machine, and just like any other machine, it needs to be well-maintained and cleaned in order for all its moving parts to work the way they were designed to.
It is imperative that you keep your air conditioner clean, as this reduces the strain on all of the components and improves your overall air quality.
Cleaning your air conditioner regularly can also help you save some money in the long term, as your unit will operate more efficiently.
How to clean window air conditioner without removing it
Although most air conditioner owners are aware of the fact that they need to clean their air conditioners regularly, this process can seem intimidating and confusing.
Furthermore, this frustration may be amplified if you have a window air conditioner that needs to be installed in a specific way to operate properly.
Fortunately, you can clean your window air conditioner without ever having to remove it from the window mount.
This cleaning goes beyond just the regular cleaning of the air filters and wiping down the exterior of the unit and will allow you to keep your window air conditioner in a good working condition.
The process to clean your window air conditioner thoroughly without removing it from the window mount can be summarised as follows:
| Process | Description |
| Step 1: Preparation | Unscrew any covers so that you can access the coils to start off with the cleaning process |
| Step 2: Dry cleaning | Clean the majority of the dry dust and build-up on the inside of the unit |
| Step 3: Wet cleaning | This is a more intensive cleaning of the inside of your air conditioner to make sure that all of the components are properly cleaned and ready to go until the next cleaning |
After this cleaning process has been completed, you need to make sure that all of the components dry completely before you can switch on and use the air conditioner again.
Preparation
Before you can actually start cleaning your window air conditioner, you need to prepare for the dry and wet cleaning steps.
To do this, you need to ensure that your air conditioner is turned off and unplugged from its power supply to avoid any shocks or damage to the electrical components during the cleaning process.
You then need to remove the air filters and the front cover of the window air conditioner to gain access to the coils. Also, you may need to unscrew a few screws to remove the front cover of the unit, and this is perfectly safe to do if the unit is unplugged.
You can leave this front cover and the air filter in a bin with lukewarm soapy water to soak while you clean the rest of the unit.
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The supplies you need are available for purchase on Amazon |
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Dry cleaning
Once you have removed the front cover of your air conditioner and you have access to the coils, your first step should be to remove any of the dust and debris that has built up over time with dry cleaning methods that do not require that you remove the unit from the window.
For this, you only need a toothbrush, which you can gently run over the coils and a rag to catch any of the falling debris, or a shop vac, for which you can purchase detailing accessories to help you to get to any of the smaller nooks and crannies.
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The supplies you need are available for purchase on Amazon |
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Wet cleaning
Once you have cleaned the majority of the dry dust and debris during the dry-cleaning stage, you can do a more thorough cleaning of your window air conditioner without removing it from the wall, by simply spraying the coils with a cleaner.
In this case, you can spray down the coils with a regular mould and mildew remover, a speciality coil cleaning product, or even bleach, but bleach is corrosive and could damage your coils over time.
You can then rinse the cleaner from the coils using a spray bottle filled with water and paper towels to soak up the excess fluid in the drip tray from the front of the unit.
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The supplies you need are available for purchase on Amazon |
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