Got Dirty Ducts? 4 Disgusting Thing You Didn’t Know Were In There

If your ducts are dirty, there’s a good chance they’re home to a variety of nasty critters and substances that can harm your health. Even though those organisms might never cross your mind, they’re probably making their way into your lungs on a daily basis. Curious what on earth could be lurking inside your dirty ductwork? Our Dust Doctors team dishes the dirt (ahem, dust) below. 

Mold Spores

Mold doesn’t just look nasty; it has the potential to cause serious health problems with repeated exposure. Where does this nasty fungus thrive? In dark, damp, dirty environments, which means your ducts are the perfect habitat for mold proliferation. And, unfortunately, if your ducts contain mold, each time your HVAC system kicks on, it distributes those spores throughout your home, leaving you no choice but to inhale them.

Dust Mites

We all know there’s dust in the average home’s ductwork—it’s everywhere in the average home. But do you know what’s living within that dust? No, we’re not talking about microscopic one-celled organisms here—we’re talking about tiny, multi-legged critters that are all but invisible to your naked eye. What are they? They’re dust mites, and if you have dust anywhere in your home (who doesn’t?), they’re living in it.

Experts estimate that about 20 million Americans live with dust mite allergies, but unfortunately, many people are completely unaware of what’s causing their sneezes and sniffles. But here’s the worst part of all: People aren’t necessarily allergic to the mites themselves; rather, they’re allergic to the little critters’ feces.

If you’ve been living with mysterious allergy symptoms that you just can’t seem to kick, these nasty little bugs might be your culprit. So how do you get rid of them? By minimizing the dust inside your home—professional duct cleaning is a great place to start.

Chemical Residue

It’s easy to assume the dust within your home is virtually harmless, but that’s a hazardous assumption to make. Dust contains far more than human skin, fabric particles, hair strands, and the like—it also contains dozens of toxic chemicals that have no place inside your lungs. According to researchers, 90% of dust samples from households across the United States contain up to 45 hazardous chemicals from five different chemical classes. These hazardous chemicals include:

●        Flame retardants

●        Phenols

●        Phthalates

●        Fluorinated chemicals

●        Chemical-based fragrances

Unfortunately, if there’s dust in your ductwork, your HVAC system continually circulates those chemicals into the air you and your family breathe. Fortunately, you can improve your indoor air quality and help your loved ones breathe easier with professional duct cleaning.

Pests

While most of the organisms living in your ducts aren’t visible to the naked eye, small pests can take up residence in your dirty ductwork, too. Think about it: critters love dark, dirty, damp environments, so if your ducts have never seen a cleaning, they’re the perfect home for living organisms like spiders, cockroaches, fleas, and even mice!

Keep in mind that these critters can often survive for very long periods without food and water. The sooner you have professional duct cleaning, the quicker you cut off their food sources and force them to look elsewhere for shelter and sustenance.

Ready to rid your ducts of health-harming dust and grime? Then it’s time to give our team at Dust Doctors a call! Our company mission is to help Twin Cities homeowners improve their indoor air quality and, consequently, their overall health, and we do that by providing the highest quality, most thorough duct cleaning services in the metro area. To learn more about why our duct cleaning process is a cut above the rest or to schedule your service appointment, give our team a call at 651- 319-9777 or connect with us online and we’ll be in touch. For your convenience, you can also feel free to request your free service quote online!