Whole-system duct and dryer vent check with before-and-after photos - you see exactly what came out of your vents
That "$99 whole-house special" is a bait ad - the real number appears once they are in your hallway, or the "clean" is a shop-vac at the register. We photograph the inside of your ducts before and after instead.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterAir Duct Cleaning Before & After in Alexandria, VA
We’ve never met a homeowner who could see inside their own ductwork. That’s why we bring the camera with us, and why we don’t leave until you’ve got the photo record in hand. What follows are real jobs from Alexandria homes, each with the before image that convinced the homeowner to book, and the after that proved the work happened inside the duct, not just around it.
Recent Transformations
Colonial-Style Home, Rosemont - Heavy Dust Accumulation in Supply Runs
The camera showed a consistent 2-inch blanket of gray dust and textile fiber packed along the floor of every supply run in this 1960s colonial. The homeowner had replaced the HVAC filter monthly for three years without improvement in air quality; the problem was downstream of the filter, in the ductwork itself. We used negative-pressure extraction with a Rotobrush contact vacuum to dislodge the packed layer, then sealed the access panels with metal-backed tape rated for duct application. The after photos showed bare galvanized steel at every turn. The homeowner’s written job record included 14 before-and-after image pairs, one per duct run.
Seminary Ridge Townhouse - Construction Debris from 2019 Renovation
This townhouse had been renovated in 2019, but the return plenum had never been cleaned. The camera revealed a half-inch layer of drywall compound dust and fiberglass insulation fragments settled at the base, stirred up every time the blower cycled on. The homeowner reported a persistent fine dust resettling on furniture within 48 hours of cleaning. We removed the debris using Nikro portable extraction equipment with HEPA filtration, then cleaned the blower wheel and evaporator coil as part of the full-system scope. The written price of $420 was agreed before we removed the first panel; the photo record showed the plenum floor clean enough to run a white glove across.
Duke Street Condo Building - Mold Staining in Flexible Duct
The flex duct serving the master bedroom in this third-floor unit showed dark streaking at every sag point, where condensation had collected against the fiberglass liner. We don’t guess at microbial contamination; we document it. The before photos showed the staining pattern, and we noted in the written scope that laboratory testing would be required for species identification if the homeowner wished. They opted for mechanical cleaning with Abatement Technologies brushing equipment followed by EPA-registered antimicrobial application to the interior surfaces. The after photos, taken 72 hours later after the treatment had fully dried, showed no remaining discoloration. The $380 scope included the cleaning, application, and a follow-up photo check at 30 days.
Beverley Hills Single-Family - Pet Dander and Hair in Return System
Three golden retrievers, twelve years of shedding, and a return grille located at floor level had combined to pack the first eight feet of return duct with compressed hair and dander. The homeowner’s allergist had suggested duct cleaning as part of a broader protocol. The camera showed a mat of hair so dense it had reduced the effective duct diameter by roughly 30 percent. We removed the grille, extracted the mat in sections to avoid pushing it deeper, and brushed the remaining residue with contact cleaning. The after photos showed the full 8-by-12-inch cross-section clear. The written price was $295 for the return system cleaning; the photo record was delivered by email before the crew left the driveway.
Old Town Historic Rowhouse - 90 Years of Layered Debris in Original Ductwork
The ductwork in this rowhouse was original to the 1934 construction: galvanized steel, riveted seams, and support hangers that had been painted over so many times they were essentially structural. Aggressive cleaning would have damaged the system. We scoped every run first with a camera on a flexible rod, then selected soft-bristle Rotobrush heads sized to the 6-by-10-inch rectangular ducts. The before photos showed a stratified layer: topmost, recent dust; middle, decades of paint and plaster residue; bottom, a fine grit we suspected was original construction debris never removed. We cleaned to bare metal without disturbing the seam integrity. The scope was $520, agreed in writing after the camera inspection and before any tool entered the duct. The photo record included images of each hanger and seam condition, so the homeowner had documentation of the system’s state beyond just cleanliness.
West End Split-Level - Blocked Dryer Vent Contributing to Duct Contamination
The dryer vent terminated through a second-story wall with a flapper-style cap that had jammed shut with lint cemented by humidity. The homeowner had been running three cycles to dry a load, and moisture was back-migrating into the laundry room’s supply register. We cleared the vent from the exterior using Nikro compressed-air whipping tools, then inspected the connected ductwork for moisture damage. The supply run serving the laundry room showed light mold spotting at the register end. We added duct sanitizing with a Honeywell fogging applicator to the scope, bringing the total to $340. The written price was delivered before work started; the photo record showed the vent cap flapper moving freely and the register interior clean. Haven Standard Clause 1, no exceptions.
Want Results Like These?
Every job we do in Alexandria follows the same sequence: camera inspection, written price you approve before we start, then the work with a photo record of every duct run delivered when we finish. If you’re seeing dust resettle too fast, smelling something off when the blower cycles, or just suspect your ducts have never been cleaned, call (240) 318-7712. Tomas Reyes or a member of our team will answer, schedule a camera inspection, and put a written number in your hand before any panel comes off. Estimates are free. The photo record is standard. And every job is backed by our 365-Day Done Right Promise, in writing, not as a policy subject to manager approval.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Alexandria, serving Alexandria since 2013.