Have you ever cleaned your window unit AC?

[Mopey]

Title says it all. Is it awful? Too messy for inside? Planning a bunch of apartment spruce up before this baby arrives and I think this is really necessary, especially since we had about five months of terrible brick work/construction last summer (shudder at the memory - a summer of darkness!). Watching youtube videos but can't figure out if we should attempt it ourselves or hire a handyman/get the other workers to do it....

TIA!!

[Smillow]

I do this every year (we store them in the basement over the winter). It is gross. I vacuum the coils as lightly as possible & I use Kirkland cleaning wipes dipped in vinegar & take the unit apart as much as I can with out breaking it. There is always tons of what I assume is mildew & dust. It might be a good idea to wear gloves & a mask, especially if you have allergies.

[mmommy]

I pop ours open outside, hose it down, spray it with vinegar, and let it dry in the sun. I do it every spring.