Air Duct Sanitizing in Los Gatos, CA

Does sanitizing actually do anything?

Only after the dust is gone. Antimicrobial fog settles on whatever is already in the duct. Spray a loaded trunk line and you coat the debris. Sanitizing is a last step, not a substitute. Rodent droppings and nesting material come out by hand and vacuum. Nobody sprays over that.

Surface matters more than product. Bare galvanized sheet metal in 1950s-70s attic trunks wipes and treats well. Flex duct from the 1980s-2000s has a thin inner liner. A sagging belly full of grit needs replacement, not fogging. Fiberglass wrap that has broken down will not sanitize clean. On pre-1975 plenums, suspect tape gets left alone and tested first.

Find the moisture, or the growth returns. Crawlspace supply runs under raised foundations sweat through wet winters. That is common in foothill and creek-adjacent homes. Disconnected boots pull attic air and insulation fiber back inside. Seal and reconnect, then treat.

We use products labeled for HVAC surfaces and ventilate the house afterward. Pets and sensitive occupants stay out during the application. Fine ash after a smoke season is particulate, so sanitizer alone will not clear that odor. Most homes here sit on a three to five year cycle. Remodel dust, pets, or rodents shorten it.