How to Clean a Ceiling Fan in a Few Easy Steps
The Spruce|By TAI MASSIMILIAN
Have you ever cleaned every inch of a room only to come back 10 minutes later and see a fine layer of dust settled everywhere? No, it’s not your ineffective cleaning skills—the most likely culprit? Your ceiling fan. Ceiling fans are a great, low-cost way to keep your home cool during the summer months, but if they are not cleaned regularly, they can ruin all your hard work.
Picture this: your room is pristine and smelling fresh right after a good deep clean. You believe you covered every inch, but then, you switch on your ceiling fan, and the dust monster returns. If you are cleaning an entire room but skipping the fan, you’re skipping the most important step. Switching your fan on without cleaning causes all that dust and dirt to be sprinkled throughout the room like the grossest snowstorm imaginable.
The good news? Cleaning your ceiling fan is easy and only takes a few steps. Read on for some tips on how to clean your ceiling fans so that they will be working efficiently, looking their best, and not ruining your clean home.
How Often Should You Clean Your Ceiling Fan?
In order to keep your ceiling fan looking great and working well, it’s best to give it a good thorough wipe down at least twice a month. You may want to increase the frequency if you live in a dusty area, if you frequently leave your windows open, or if your home seems to collect dust quickly.
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
1 microfiber cloth
1 step ladder
Materials
1 bottle all purpose cleaner
Instructions
1.) Grab Your Ladder
Unless you live in a home with very low ceilings, you’ll almost certainly need a step ladder to reach your ceiling fan. A step ladder will work in smaller rooms, while a more sizable ladder may be needed for taller ceilings.
TIP: Make sure you take all safety precautions when using a ladder—place it on a flat and even surface, avoid having people and pets walking around the room you’re using it in, and wear closed-toe shoes.
2.) Spray Your Microfiber Cloth With All-Purpose Cleaner
Before climbing your ladder, get your microfiber cloth and wet it. Wring it out so it is damp, but not dripping. Microfiber is the ideal material to use when cleaning your ceiling fans, as its small fibers actually trap dust and dirt instead of just pushing it off the surface (like most feather dusters do). Using microfiber to clean your ceiling fan will keep the dust from being pushed off of the fan and onto your furniture.
Give the microfiber 1-2 sprays of your favorite all-purpose cleaner. If you don’t have any, don’t fret—just water will do the trick too.
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3.) Climb the Ladder and Wipe
Make sure the fan is off, and using slow and steady motions, wipe each blade of the fan from the inside out, doing your best to avoid scooting any dust off of the blades and onto the floor. If you are careful and use microfiber, this shouldn’t be too difficult. Check your cloth as you clean, and rinse or refold it as needed to make sure you’re using a fresh cloth every time.
TIP: It is very important that you do not put any weight on the blades as you do this, or you may unbalance the fan.
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4.) Check Your Work Below
If you didn’t use a microfiber or your fans were extremely dusty, there might be some collateral damage to the floors below. Wait a minute, then check to see if any dust settled on your floor or furniture. If so, a quick vacuum should solve the problem.
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Tips to Keep Dust Off Your Ceiling Fans Longer
Keeping your home free of dust in general will prevent dust from collecting on your ceiling fans. Be sure to dust regularly and avoid having your windows open.
Purchase a HEPA filter for your vacuum cleaner, or better yet, a vacuum cleaner that comes with a HEPA included. Without a HEPA filter, fine dust, dirt and pet dander gets kicked back out of the vacuum and spread around the house. A HEPA filter catches these small particles and reduces the amount of dust in the home overall.
Run your ceiling fans more to avoid dust settling on top of them.