window air conditioner cleaning techniques, anyone do it yourself, or have a good cleaner...

[here we are]

I have searched thru the old threads, and there doesn't seem to be hardly any info on this. I have been going nuts smelling really offensive a/c air for a while, not knowing what to do. Finally i took it apart with screwdriver and attempted to wash. I called store i bought it from, and everyone else i could think of. The manufacturer say its irrepairable. It was all clogged with smelly sludge in drain pan, messing up everything including clean air passage thru the aluminum fins. I have watched people hosing off on youtube so i did it after i dry brushed off as much caked on dusty fuzz as i could. One guy said getting it wet, maybe assuming dead mold spores, would make it worse, so i did it for like 3 hrs with q tips. But the theres the inner side of the fins that are pretty unreachable being blocked by the fan. I could only get a small patch, toothbrushing it off. I want to hose it from the back trying to force it off but he tells me will clog and make it worse. Another guy says hes scaring me on purpose and i could use a coil cleaner from hardware store to dissolve whatever it is and that something like simple green isnt enough.And if i want the hvac cleaner he needs to do it himself. How safe are these cleaners? Will they rinse clean without leaving chemicals lingering? Or clogging? so i plan to keep cleaning every month during next season just to prevent this from happening ever again, we which is a pain carrying it downstairs, if i can ever figure this out. Then it has to be stored right with air circulation and away from darkness. Its so annoying seeing an area i cant get at to clean. What does everyone do about these things?

[Imakcerka]

We have one we used all summer.  You're talking about the metal slats that are close together behind the filter?  Warm soap and water.  You can also hose down the outside.  My husband takes it out puts it at an angle after washing it and uses a leaf blower to dry it and push anything left out.  We also use those cans of air "condensed air" along the slats if we're not going to clean it completely.  And yes they all get that smell.  It's actually pretty normal. 

[here we are]

Yes the metal slats/fins behind filter, which you can usually see easily from inside with unit still in window, the other bigger ones are what you would see if you looked at it from the outside, just the outer most back part of it. I took off all the framing so thats when you can see behind the (second) fan is the inside of outermost fins. This is the trouble area. I wonder if it had been neglected by me for a while and has been needing to be cleaned made it more clogged than someone who does more normal routine cleaning? It's like a birds nestlike wall of dusty stuff, that wont vacuum off even if you could reach it, its like you need direct friction, if it gets wet it sortof clings more to the fins flattening out maybe going in all the little spaces or turning to muddy stuff which you have to force out of the lip between the fins and fan. Maybe even if some gets inbetween fins, most will get flushed out? And it will still work fine? I am going to try compressed air, fun..

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The compressed air isnt budging anything, only if i brush it off first. And its feeling impossible to get all the tiny clusters. Probably mold . Is it too far gone to save? Should i try the heavy duty mold treatment? Anyone do it before? I can do it for 1/2 the price of a new one, which i dont need until next year anyway. I just want this done! It smells SO bad and i am afraid its spewed these clusters into my apt. Should i just junk it? Washing it off doesnt make the mold budge either. I already cleaned it before, less throughly but it got put back in the window by my roomate (who didnt smell it WTF!) and then it was off , getting exposed to humidity every night getting cooler, feeding the mold or whatever was stuck in there. I couldnt get it out of the window by myself and i kept saying it needed to go in the sunnier window, roomate wasnt concerned b/c it wasnt being used. That is another issue in itself. I am just so annoyed, b/c its like 5 times worse from the first time i tried. Xxxxxxgrrrrrrrrr.

[here we are]

Bumping...? For attention? I feel so desperate and stumped by what to. If only it were as simple as others have suggested. I cant stand feeling like this problem doesnt have a solution. Mold is scary.
. Maybe this is partially in the wrong thread catagory? My best to everyone, may all our multitasking paying off our hard work and efforts.

[here we are]

Bumping...? For attention? I feel so desperate and stumped by what to. If only it were as simple as others have suggested. I cant stand feeling like this problem doesnt have a solution. Mold is scary.
. Maybe this is partially in the wrong thread catagory? My best to everyone, may all our multitasking paying off our hard work and efforts.

[here we are]

Happyhappy mommy, or someone who moderates, could you move this to decluttering, organizing, simplifying? I think i belong over there & right now this moldy machine is feeling like a piece of clutter.

[Imakcerka]

Take it out of the window and hose it down. Stay away from the electrical parts on the top or side. Do you have a leaf blower?

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I have two and one hosed down fine, it didnt have the black / mold clusters. The other has the clusters and if i dont dry brush them off with friction first , getting wet seems to make worse, its like like the dead spores come to life before my eyes then after it dried out again from yesterday, those spots became black stain. I think its the stain from where the mold grows. The most disgusting is the fins have some spots where it looks like these clusters might, be making their way in the tiny slat cracks. So i think, maybe if i flush moldy residue water thru there it will "get stronger" like the little spots, its not just going to rinse off. I keep thinking bake it off in sun.. I dont have a, leaf blower, i used the fan setting to dry out my other one that way. Does yours have the stain/spots/mold? Is that why you say the smell is normal? What do u do, just wait until you smell it again, then wash again? Do u think running it with thosee stains in there is ok, like somehow it doesnt smell or be like breathing mold air? Uugg, i feel like i am going mad and make no sense.

[here we are]

Bumping my pathetic post. Now its at the stage of, do i find a place in my cluttered apt in hopes the mold will die off, and being paranoid it will stink or cause issues later..it cant go in a closet or dark place and needs ventilation to prevent this kind of problem, i didnt know that before. Why do i feel like the only one with a stinky air conditioner? Tell me yours smells! Where are the people who didnt know how to prevent theres from becoming gross like mine.? What do we do ? Its getting cold and i am sick of it being in the middle of my kitchen covered in garbage bags. Am i too paranoid it will contaminate the air with its moldy dust? Is it a hazard never to become safe and clean again?

[Imakcerka]

Uh... at this point you're too worried about it.  I would get rid of it and buy a new one next year from walmart for 100 bucks.  That will save you time worry and whatever else.