When we turn on the air conditioning, very little air is coming through the vents. It has not been cooling the house at all. It still will get up to about 80° on the hot days. Battery of the thermostat was checked already
How can I clean this kind of filter? Is it the reason why very little air is coming from the vents and the house is not getting cooler?
You don't clean it.
You replace it. There are some metal filters designed to be cleaned. But the type of filter you have is designed to be replaced.
These are standard items, available at any hardware store/home center and often in other stores as well (Walmart, Target, etc.). They are all largely the same, but the ones that filter more stuff (smaller particles) will tend to have more impact (even before they get dirty) on air flow.
After you replace it, if you still have air flow problems then ask a new question.
As that's a paper filter, you would generally just replace it. Make sure you buy the right size (that one is 20x25x1) and make sure you place it facing the right direction in the air duct. A clogged or damaged air filter can cause a reduction in airflow through the ducts, but if you're truly not getting any flow at all, or if the air is hot despite the AC being on, you may be having an issue with your AC unit as well.
You replace them with new ones, about every two or three months or sooner.
Seeing the condition of the cardboard around the filter, would check if that is the right size, should be a label near the housing or check the instructions. If instructions are missing search google with model and make.
To answer the question, yes that is the reason(or one of them) for lack of air movement. Might be time to have the unit checked over, think it has been a long time between maintenance.
