The wire of an air conditioner should be unplugged for safety measures.

Remove the filter to expose the cooling coils. Some models require that the front cover or bezel be removed to allow full access to the coil which becomes visible only when the filter is removed.

Home Depot and many other home supply centers and hardware stores sell products expressly for this particular job. The cleaning agent (which is designed for cleaning the air conditioner) cleaners will help remove odors from deposits of dirt, mold, mildew, cigar & cigarette smoke, etc. from the coils. Use care to see that only the coils are covered with the cleaner.

Set the unit to cool and adjust the thermostat to coldest setting. Warm, humid air will condense when passing over the cold coils. The condensate will rinse the dirt and foam from the coils, and collect in the drip pan.

Cleaning the filter with plain water, a clean filter is a must. It is far easier and cheaper to remove and clean the filter every 15 hours (more or less depending of dust/dirt levels in the space) than to clean the air conditioner with a foaming cleanser or you can take the service from AC service Goleta, which can provide you with the best cleaning service.

The air conditioner has been neglected, it may require a second application to produce cold air and be free of odors. Wait until the coils are free from foam before re-applying. If the unit makes cool air but fails to make condensate to wash the coils, it may be due to low humidity. In low humidity conditions, it will take longer to rinse the coils.