Keeping your car’s air cooler (AC) clean is key not just for comfort, but for health and long life of the system too. How often and how you clean it depends on use, where you drive, and how old your car is.

Why Clean the AC Often?

Your car’s AC can get full of dust, dirt, wet, mold, and germs, especially in parts like the cold core and air filter. These bad things can make your car smell bad, cut how well it cools, and even bring health risks by spreading bad air inside. When it’s wet, mold grows fast, more so in the dark, tight spots of the cold core.

Also, dirty or stuck filters can mess with sensor numbers, making the system work badly or show errors. So, clean AC helps both the air and the car’s system work right.

When to Clean:

1. Yearly Basic Care:

Experts say to clean and check the AC once a year. Change or clean the air filter, suck up dust from vents, and use AC sprays. This stops germ growth and keeps the air and flow at its best.

2. Change Air Filter:

Change or clean the air filter every 10,000 to 15,000 miles, or each year, depending on where you drive. In dusty places, do it more often. This filter grabs dust and bits from outside before they get in the cabin and AC.

3. Deep Clean by Pros:

Every 3 to 5 years, get a deep, pro clean. Professionals take apart and wash the core parts inside like the cold core and the warm part. This process removes mold, mildew, and accumulated grime that cannot be reached by routine cleaning. They use specialized tools and disinfectants to sanitize the system and put new cold air stuff in, making it cool better and last longer.

More Tips:

- Spray the warm part with high-pressure water every few months to clear dust and debris and work well, and make time between deep cleans longer.

- Put new cold air stuff in every 2 to 3 years to keep it cool and not break the compressor.

- Always look for leaks, odd sounds, or bad smells to fix problems fast.

How to Clean Step-by-Step

Cleaning your car’s AC has many steps to make sure it’s done right:

1. Get ready: Park in a ventilated area, open doors, and get your tools like AC wash, vacuum with a brush, cloths, gloves, and spray.

2. Air Filter: Find and take out the air filter. Clean it soft or put in a new one. This keeps the air clean.

3. Vents and Areas: Use a vacuum with a brush to get dust from vents and areas around. Then wipe with a safe cleaner to get rid of any left dirt.

4. Use AC Wash: Spray the AC wash into the air inlets, found near the front window or under the hood. Let it work deep into the system for 10-15 minutes to fight germs and mold.

5. Run the AC: Start the car, turn the AC to high cool and fan. Let it blow for a while to spread the wash in the system, cleaning out bad stuff and smells.

6. Condenser Cleaning: When possible, have the condenser sprayed with high-pressure water to remove trapped debris. This can often be done at a car wash or during professional servicing.

7. Pro Help: For a deep wash, get a pro to dismantle and clean the evaporator and condenser cores. This gets out hard mold and dirt, and makes the air and system work better.