So I opened youtube and there was an intro on how to clean your air conditioner like a pro. ???? I clean leaves and debris from ours, make sure no one is building nests or webs and move on. But there is a spray container of 'fin clean' or something like that that I should have been using? I didn't know that I was supposed to WASH my air conditioner! The thing is 40 years old! I am afraid if I wash it, it will die and it will be my fault!
Cleaning an air conditioner is a task. So I avoided it. Mine was small, so I let it go too long and had to eventually replace it.
Actually, it just gets rid of the heat faster so your house gets cooler faster and the unit shuts off sooner. It's now running a mile rather than a marathon.