How to Clean a Car A/C Filter (Cabin Filter)

The air conditioner filter, also known as the cabin filter, is one of the most overlooked and neglected filters in a vehicle. This is mainly because of their more popular and critical cousins such as the oil filter, air filter, and fuel filter.

However, if the cabin filter is not regularly cleaned or replaced, it can make your driving experience extremely unpleasant. A dirty air conditioner filter will not only hinder the HVAC system in your car, but it will also become a breeding ground for different germs and bacteria which will release an unpleasant musky odor.

The air conditioner filter may not be included in the key components of a vehicle but its importance is still that of one.

Reading this may have induced thoughts of cleaning the A/C filter in your mind and it is a fairly simple job. But if you don’t know how to do it properly, then you can end up with the expense of buying a new filter if you damage the current one during the cleaning process.

Here’s how to properly clean your car’s cabin or air conditioner filter.

How to Clean a Cabin Filter

In order to clean the cabin filter in your car, you will first need to remove it from your vehicle. The position of the filter can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer or model to model, so be sure to check the manual of your car to find where it’s located.

It is usually placed behind the glove box or underneath your dashboard in most cars but check the owner’s manual or online to confirm. Its shape and size may vary depending on the vehicle, but the general shape of the air conditioner filter is similar to the air filter in your engine but smaller. Typically it’s a rectangular or square frame with a woven fabric filter inside it.

After locating the cabin filter (some vehicles have more than one), gently pull it out of its mount and place it on the ground or on a work table. You will need an air compressor or another source of compressed air.

Gently hold the cabin filter and blow the air through it. Make sure to blow the air through every slot of the filter so that any dust hiding in any corner of the filter is flushed out. After thoroughly blowing the air through the filter, spray it with a spray such as FAB-1 or K&N Filter Refresher.

After spraying it, let it dry for a few minutes and gently place it back into the mount you took it out of. Startup the vehicle and turn on the HVAC system so it’s blow air out of the vents. After a few seconds, you should notice a big difference in air freshness.