With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimating that most people spend between 60 and 90 percent of their time indoors, the need for fresh, clean air is very clear. Understanding the need and meeting it, however, can be two very different things.

Fortunately, there are many things people can do to enjoy fresher and healthier air inside their homes: from developing a good cleaning routine to using air purifiers, from ventilating a house to replacing vacuum filters. One very important task not to be overlooked is the air conditioning and heating system cleaning.

Concealed behind your walls and mostly ignored, your air ducts serve as vital pathways that deliver warm and cool air throughout your home during the year. While they may be unseen, your air ducts are working nearly year round, whenever you have your air conditioner or heater running. Attached to your HVAC system, air ducts transfer the air from these systems throughout your home. What many homeowners don’t realize, though, is that your air ducts, in nearly constant use, continually accumulate dust, grime, debris, pet dander and allergens throughout the year. In fact, according to National Air Duct Cleaners Association the average American home produces 40 pounds of dust per year!