Mold spores travel through the air, so it’s not uncommon for mold to grow inside of your furnace and air ducts, especially since these areas provide ideal conditions for mold, like moisture, heat, and moving air. If your home begins to develop a musty smell, or you begin to experience allergic symptoms, or you see a strange growth outside of your furnace or air vents, mold could be present.

Dangers of Mold in Your Furnace

Your furnace circulates air in your home through air ducts, so if your furnace contains mold the spores can easily spread. As we previously mentioned, the spores can cause health issues, like allergic reactions and asthma—as well as aggravate existing allergic and asthmatic conditions—for individuals within your household.

4 Steps to Removing Mold Around Your Furnace and Air Vents

Check Your Furnace and Air Vents

Inspect the spaces around your furnace and air vents for any indications of mold. Mold may look green, black, grey, white, or brown and can be slimy or have a fuzzy appearance. If you spot mold, here’s what you can do.

Turn Off Your Furnace

If you find mold around your air vents, turn off your furnace to stop the potential circulation of the spores, which could further endanger you and your family.

Use a Household Solution to Clean Small Areas

If the mold you find around your air vents or furnace appears to be confined within a certain area, you may be able to clean it yourself using a mix of water, baking soda, bleach, and dish detergent. Combine the ingredients into a spray bottle and soak the impacted area. With gloved hands, eye goggles, and a face mask, scrub away the mold using a hard-bristle brush, or a rag.

Dispose of the Cleaning Materials

It’s best to throw away the cloth you used to clean the mold. However, if you plan to reuse it, be sure to clean it separately from other items using hot water and bleach. Clean your hard-bristle brush using bleach.

Reach Out to a Pro 

You can take these steps to clean visible mold outside of your furnace and around air vents, but when it comes to ensuring that your furnace system is mold-free it’s best to leave the job to professionals. Our mold remediation experts here at Exact Recon will tackle the problem to make sure the air inside of your home is safe for you and your family.