Python EZ A/C Care Evaporator Coil Cleaner & Disinfectant – 18 oz

If your air conditioning smells musty for the first few minutes after it starts, the problem is almost never the air — it is the coil. The indoor evaporator coil runs wet all summer, and damp aluminum in the dark grows a film of mold, mildew and bacteria. Every time the blower comes on, the air you breathe is pulled straight through that film. Python is a foaming cleaner and disinfectant made for exactly that coil, and it is EPA registered for the job. Foam that stays on the coil It comes out as a thick white foam, so it grips a vertical coil face instead of running straight into the drain pan. That is the whole reason it works — an EPA disinfection claim only counts if the surface stays wet for the full ten minutes. No scrubbing, no rinsing You cannot get a brush between the fins of a coil, and there is nowhere to rinse one indoors. Spray it, leave it ten minutes, wipe what you can reach. It leaves no grit and no soap scum behind. One step, not two It cleans, disinfects and deodorizes in the same pass. You are not degreasing first and then disinfecting afterward with a second can. What it is registered to do This is an EPA-registered product, so what follows is what the label actually claims — not a general promise about germs. Disinfects against Legionella pneumophila — the organism that grows in standing water in cooling equipment Virucidal against herpes simplex types 1 and 2, and canine parvovirus Controls mold and mildew on hard, non-porous surfaces, and the odor that goes with them Cleans and deodorizes — cuts grease and grime without scrubbing EPA Reg. No. 44446-23. It does not carry a claim against every household germ, and we are not going to imply it does — if that is what you want, the Germ Away lower down this page is the one with the long kill list. Where it goes The label names these specifically: Window air conditioners and PTAC units — the through-the-wall boxes in hotel and motel rooms Mini-splits and ductless systems — the wall-mounted heads that are notorious for this smell Central cooling systems — the evaporator coil above the furnace, and the drain pan under it Car and RV air conditioning Refrigeration and freezer evaporator coils HVAC catch pans, where the water sits and the slime grows It is built for homes, nursing homes, schools, offices, hotels and motels, air conditioning services, and auto and RV repair shops. How to use it Turn the unit off and get to the indoor coil — on a window unit or a mini-split that means taking the front cover off. Clear the heavy dirt first. If there is a mat of dust and lint on the face of the coil, take it off before you spray. This is a disinfectant, not a shovel. Shake the can well. Hold it six to eight inches away and spray until the surface is covered in white foam. Leave it wet for ten full minutes. No scrubbing. This is the step everybody skips, and skipping it is why a coil still smells afterward. Wipe off with a clean cloth, mop or sponge. No rinsing needed. Do the drain pan too while you are in there — that is where the water sits and where a lot of the smell is actually coming from. To hold back mold and mildew on an already-clean hard surface — a pan, a wall, a floor — wet it completely and let it air dry rather than wiping. Repeat weekly, or whenever the growth comes back. Why it matters A dirty evaporator coil costs you twice. The film of mold and dirt insulates the aluminum, so the system has to run longer to cool the same room, and every minute it runs it is blowing air across that film and into your house. Cleaning the coil is one of the few maintenance jobs that makes the air better and the power bill smaller at the same time. Python or Germ Away? We sell both, they are both 18 oz foaming aerosols from the same manufacturer, and they both need ten minutes of wet contact time. Here is the honest difference. Python EZ A/C Care $16.99 For air conditioning Germ Away $14.99 What it is registered for Evaporator coils, catch pans and cooling equipment General hard surfaces — bathrooms, kitchens, locker rooms What it is claimed against Legionella, herpes simplex 1 and 2, canine parvovirus, mold and mildew All of those plus MRSA, staph, salmonella, pseudomonas, H1N1, HIV-1 and athlete’s foot fungus Tested through heavy soil Not a label claim Yes — efficacy tested in 5% blood serum Rinsing None — wipe and walk away Food-contact surfaces must be rinsed with drinking water Germ Away kills more things, and if you are buying one can for the whole building that is the one. Python is the one to reach for when the job is the air conditioning — it is the can whose label covers evaporator coils and catch pans, and using a product outside its registered use is not something we will recommend around equipment you breathe through. Read this before you spray The manufacturer’s safety sheet classifies the can as a flammable aerosol because of its propellant, so keep it away from heat, sparks, open flames and hot surfaces, do not spray it near an ignition source, and do not smoke while using it. Never pierce or burn the can, even when it is empty, keep it out of sunlight, and never let it get above 122°F — a car in summer passes that easily. The contents cause moderate eye irritation and are harmful if swallowed or absorbed through the skin: wear safety glasses, keep it off your skin and clothing, and wash with soap and water afterward. Turn the equipment off at the breaker before you spray anything into it, and let it dry before you switch it back on. This is not a food-contact sanitizer — keep it off shelves, racks and anything food sits on. Keep it out of reach of children. Specifications Size 18 oz net weight (20 oz can) Manufacturer part number QuestSpecialty 5470 (item 547000001-20AR) Type One-step foaming cleaner, disinfectant and deodorizer EPA registration EPA Reg. No. 44446-23 — Est. No. 44446-TX-1 Active ingredients Two quaternary ammonium compounds at 0.10% each Contact time 10 minutes wet, no scrubbing, no rinsing Form Water-based aerosol foam, white Scent Citrus with a moderate ammonia note pH 11.3 to 12.3 — alkaline Contains No phosphates, no acids, no abrasives Biodegradable Yes Propellant Hydrocarbon Shelf life 1 year or more; stable down to 32°F Safety rating HMIS Health 1, Flammability 0, Reactivity 1 — the can itself is a flammable aerosol Made by QuestSpecialty Corporation, Brenham, Texas — made in the USA Common questions My air conditioning smells like dirty socks for the first minute. Is this the fix? That is the classic sign of a fouled evaporator coil, and yes, this is what the product is for. Clean the coil and the drain pan, give it the full ten minutes, and let it dry before you run the unit. If the smell comes straight back, something else is holding it — a clogged drain line with standing water in it, or growth further inside the duct. Do I have to take the unit apart? You have to get to the indoor coil, which on a window unit or a mini-split means removing the front cover — usually a few clips or screws. On a central system the coil sits in the plenum above or beside the furnace, behind an access panel. If yours is sealed shut, that is an HVAC service call rather than a can of spray. Where does the foam go afterward? It breaks down and runs into the drain pan and out through the condensate line, which is exactly what that pan is for. Check the line is flowing before you start — if it is already blocked, you will find out the messy way. Can I use it on the outdoor unit? The outdoor condenser is a different job. It is mostly cottonwood, grass clippings and road dirt rather than biological growth, and it can be hosed down outside. Save this can for the indoor coil, where the mold actually is and where you cannot use a hose. Will it hurt the aluminum fins? It is alkaline and non-abrasive, formulated for this application, and it is not one of the acid coil cleaners sold for outdoor condensers. Follow the directions, keep it off painted cabinet finishes and electrical parts, and wipe rather than gouge — coil fins bend if you look at them wrong. How often should I do it? Once a year for most homes, at the start of cooling season, is plenty. Make it twice a year if you have pets, if the unit runs most of the year, or if the smell has come back before. Changing the furnace or return filter on time does more than anything else to keep the coil clean in the first place. Is it the same as the disinfectant I use on countertops? No. This one is registered for cooling equipment and has a shorter list of claims. The Germ Away is the general-purpose one, with MRSA, staph, salmonella and the rest on its label, and it is the better buy if you only want one can. Will it stop the smell in my car’s air conditioning? Car and RV air conditioning is on the label, and it is the same problem: a wet evaporator behind the dash. Getting at it is the hard part — on most cars it means going in through the blower or the cabin filter housing. If the smell is in the cabin air rather than the coil, an air freshener is the wrong tool but a much easier one. Goes well with Germ Away Foaming Germicidal Cleaner — the general-purpose disinfectant with the long kill list Vanilla and Spring Mist Dry Air Freshener — for the room once the coil is clean Air purifiers — for what is already in the air, and for a smell that keeps coming back Browse all of our cleaning supplies.