Air ducts are used in the home for distributing the air heated by furnaces or cooled by air conditioners to the entire house. These ducts tend to be made of metal and run along the floor joists which means that you can only see them when you are in the basement. Over time, these ducts collect dust and debris inside of them and as time goes on, the dust gets blown back into the air that you are breathing and living in. Just like chimneys, air ducts need a good cleaning every once in a while.

Cleaning your ducts will give you cleaner air which means better indoor air quality and it helps to get rid of molds, dust and allergens that tend to build up. Cleaner air helps to keep people from developing allergies to dust and pollen and it also helps to make it easier for asthmatics to breathe. Another advantage to cleaning your ducts is that it keeps the dust down in the house so that you don't need to dust nearly as often. Duct cleaning on a regular basis will also reduce energy costs and result in more airflow in the furnace system which means that you will get a better delivery of warm air. So now that we have determined why you need to clean your ducts, the only question is do you dare to clean them yourself or do you want to take the easy way out and get the professionals to do it for you?

There is one main advantage of cleaning your air ducts yourself which is that you save a whole lot of money that you would have spent on hiring a professional. If you do decide to clean them yourself, you want to make sure that you vacuum the vents as far as you can reach inside of them. Wipe the vent walls with a damp cloth and try and get as much dust and debris out of them as possible. Once you're done vacuuming and cleaning, make sure that you put the vents back on properly and secure them tightly so that nothing falls down them. Cleaning them yourself is much cheaper but there are some disadvantages as well.

As much fun as it is to get dirty and use your vacuum to clean your vents, they will never be as clean as if you were to get a professional to do them. Professionals have all the right equipment including longer hoses and disinfectants that they ensure goes through the entire duct system to eliminate mold, bacteria and dust mites. Another advantage to having a professional clean your vents is that they are able to do it quickly and easily and will be out of your house in no time.

So if you are able to financially, the best thing to do is to get your ducts cleaned professionally once a year at the beginning of the heating season and then do it yourself as maintenance ever two or three months until the next year when you get them in to clean them again. This way, you are able to rest easy knowing that it is done properly at least once in awhile and still be able to save money doing it yourself the rest of the times.