Holtz Realty

Most people live months and years in homes doing their day to day chores of keeping their living spaces in a neat and tidy condition. We make sure the floors are scrubbed clean and the carpets vacuumed as well as windows washed and furniture dusted. We walk past items many times a day that are often real culprits for spreading dust and air borne particles throughout the home. How many of you have ever removed the grates that cover the heat vents and the return air vents? Likely most don’t because it is something of which we all become too accustomed. Out of sight is out of mind when it comes to something hidden. I’m far too familiar with what rests behind these grates. I have seen dust balls the size of a small foot in return air vents along with everything else that could possibly make its way through the openings in the grates or registers. I had an opportunity some time ago to help someone clean a vacant home that had been rented for a number of years. I took it upon myself to attack the grates and vents in the home. I spent hours upon hours getting them as clean as I could. What I couldn’t reach with extended arm, I ran a long vacuum hose even farther. I could only imagine what must have been traveling back and forth in those ducts and vents. If you can think of anything that would either fall through or get pushed through, is likely what I found there. It’s no wonder people catch colds and the flu during the winter when the furnaces are blowing all those dirt particles around every time the furnace kicks on. Changing furnace filters does help but it’s not as good as taking the time before winter arrives to clean out as many of your vents as possible. You may likely be surprised when you take the time to see what’s lurking behind your grates.