The lungs are self-cleaning. Until they are not. Here is what really helps.

The lungs have an internal cleaning mechanism called the mucociliary escalator.
These are hair-like structures called cilia that constantly clean the lungs by sweeping the
debris, pollutants, and mucus upward toward the throat, where it can be swallowed or
coughed out.
This mechanism is silent but brilliant.
Until smoking, pollution, infection, or food-induced inflammation slows it down or stops
it altogether.

The good news.
The good news is that the lungs are very forgiving.
In the right conditions, the lungs can start repairing themselves faster than any other
organ in the body.
In people who have smoked, the lungs can start repairing themselves in as quickly as
weeks after quitting.
The cilia start growing again.
The body wants to heal. It simply needs the blockage removed and the right support
added.

What actually works.

Deep breathing exercises are not fluff in wellness culture.
They are physical maintenance for the lungs.
Pursed lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing physically expand lung space that is
no longer reached by the shallow breathing patterns of modern society. Stagnant air in the lower lobes of the lungs for hours in immobile people creates the
perfect breeding ground for inflammation and infection.
Taking ten deep, purposeful breaths in the morning and evening has zero cost and can
do more than any supplement ever marketed.

Steam inhalation helps to clear mucus that has thickened and settled in the lungs.
At least, it will do so temporarily.
But that is all that is needed, and that is all that is required for the cilia to clear what the
steam loosens.
The addition of eucalyptus oil to the steam has cineole, a known anti-inflammatory and
mucolytic agent that is actually discussed in respiratory medical literature.

Anti-inflammatory foods can do much more for lung tissues than most people are aware
of.
Turmeric, ginger, leafy greens, berries, etc., can all help reduce the level of systemic
inflammation that can cause airway constriction and a corresponding increase in mucus
production.
Dairy products can actually increase mucus production in sensitive individuals.
Processed foods can initiate an inflammatory cascade that can damage lung tissue
integrity.

Exercise is still the single best lung cleaning method available without a prescription.
Cardiovascular exercise can cause lungs to ventilate completely.
Increase tidal volumes.
Remove stagnant air from the lower lung lobes.
Stimulate lymphatic drainage in lung tissues.
Twenty minutes of increased heart rate can do far more for lung health than any
supplement cocktail imaginable.

Hydration is probably one of the least thought about tools for lung health. Mucus that is thin can move.
Mucus that is thick stagnates.
The line between the two can be as simple as water.
Those who are chronically dehydrated have thick mucus that cilia are unable to budge
regardless of how hard they work.

Something that a friend suggested to me that I almost ignored entirely.

A video on foods that Civil War soldiers and World War field medics used when a wave of
respiratory infections rolled through and pharmaceuticals were depleted. Fermented products.
Herbal blends.
Foods that could protect lung tissues and calm an inflammatory response using only
what can be found on the planet.
Can be stored for decades.
No refrigeration required. Ingredients so common they are probably sitting in a pantry
across the country and completely ignored.

The simplicity of it all was what got me.
Old foods. Old recipes.
Old ingredients sitting in plain sight, something our grandparents understood and we
totally forgot.
Foods that quietly restore to us what modern air, stress, and eating have been taking
away from us.

Your lungs have been working without a single day off since the moment you were born.

Full story:
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-clean-my-lungs

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