As fall advances, you are going to have less of a need to use your window air conditioning unit. Once you are done with your window air conditioning unit for the year, you need to prepare it for winter storage.
#1 Remove The Unit
The first thing you should do is remove your window air conditioning unit from the window. You don't want to leave the unit in your window over the winter. Doing so will expose your window air conditioning unit to the elements throughout the winter. Although you can put a cover over your window air conditioning unit instead of removing it, the best way to protect your AC unit is by removing it. A cover could blow off or water and snow could seep around the cover and into your AC unit during the winter.
To remove your window air conditioning unit, you are going to want to enlist someone to hold onto the unit while you remove the support brackets you put in place to stabilize the unit. If you added wood or plastic to the sides to ensure that your window AC unit fit snuggly in the window, remove those as well.
#2 Clean The Outside Of The Unit
Once you have removed your window air conditioning unit from the window, place it somewhere where you can clean it, such as a workshop bench or table. Use a wet sponge or damp cloth to wipe down the exterior of the unit. You can use dish soap to help you remove any build up on the outside of your unit.
Make sure to also wipe down the windowsill that your unit was sitting on. The windowsill your unit was sitting on most likely accumulated a lot of dirt on it over the past year. Cleaning it off will help prepare your windowsill for next spring when you put your window AC unit back in place.
#3 Clean The Components Of The Unit
Now you need to clean the important components on your window air conditioning unit. Remove the air filter from the unit. Use a hose to clean the air filter and allow the filter to dry in the sun before putting it back into your window air conditioning unit.
Then, use a toothbrush to scrub away the dirt in the fins of the air conditioning unit. To get rid of the grim on the fins, use a water and vinegar solution.
Once your air conditioning unit has dried out, put a winter cover over your window AC unit and place it in storage somewhere dry, such as your garage or shed.
