Our 12-Step Premium Air Duct Cleaning Process
Every house gets the same twelve steps, from floor mats at the door to the photos we email you at the end. Here is what each one does and why.
Arrival & Protection:
Our full-time, NADCA-certified technicians arrive on time with our powerful truck-mounted vacuum unit. We lay out corner guards and protective floor mats to ensure your home stays spotless and scratch-free.
Pre-Inspection & Photo Documentation:
We inspect your entire duct system, identifying areas of concern, and email you before-and-after photos so you can see exactly what’s done.
Vent Sealing for Suction Control:
All supply and return vents are sealed to create maximum negative pressure and prevent fine dust from re-entering your home.
Truck-Mounted Negative Pressure Setup:
We connect a high-powered vacuum hose to your main duct trunks, creating a negative air flow of up to 20,000 CFM, pulling dust out of the system and into our truck.
Supply Vent Cleaning:
Each supply vent is pressure-cleaned, forcing debris toward the vacuum source.
Return Vent Cleaning:
We repeat the process with all accessible return vents to ensure no buildup is left behind.
Main Trunk Cleaning with Triple-Action Tools:
We combine contact brushing, negative pressure suction, and compressed air to deep-clean the supply and return trunks — where up to 80% of the dust and contaminants collect.
Furnace J-Channel Cleaning:
We agitate and clean the junction channel connecting the duct system to your furnace.
Blower & Furnace Base Cleaning:
The air blower fan and furnace base are thoroughly pressure cleaned to improve system efficiency and airflow.
Sanitizing with Botanical Disinfectant:
We apply Benefect, a 100% natural, hospital-grade disinfectant, to eliminate germs, bacteria, and odors — without the use of harsh chemicals.
Sealing & System Reassembly:
Any access points created during the cleaning are sealed professionally to maintain the integrity of your system.
Post-Inspection & Photos:
A final inspection is performed, and post-cleaning photos are emailed to you — so you can feel confident in the quality of our work.
Before and after
What CNADCA certification means
The Canadian National Air Duct Cleaning Association certifies companies and their technicians and lists them in a public directory. Air Force Shield is certified company CA-00153. Certification covers the company, its technicians and its equipment; it is not a guarantee of any one job, which is why every cleaning here also carries the “Love it or don’t pay” guarantee and before-and-after photos.
Check our listing on cnadca.com · How to verify any duct cleaner · What it costs
Process questions
How long do the 12 steps take?
About 1.5 hours for a house with one furnace, depending on the number of vents and how much has built up. A condo, which follows its own shorter process, takes about 45 minutes.
Do you clean the furnace too?
Yes. Steps 8 and 9 are the furnace J-channel, the blower fan and the furnace base. A furnace tune-up or repair is HVAC work and isn't part of a duct cleaning.
What is Benefect?
A botanical disinfectant applied through the system in step 10 to deal with odours and bacteria. If you'd rather skip it, say so when you book.
Will I see the result?
Yes. We photograph the ducts before we start and after we finish, and email both sets to you.
What does 'certified' mean here?
Air Force Shield is a CNADCA-certified company, ID CA-00153. The Canadian National Air Duct Cleaning Association lists certified companies and their technicians; you can check our entry on their site.