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The Secret To Cleaning A Ceiling Fan Without Making A Mess
I try to clean ceiling fan blades at least twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. But for the longest time, every time I cleaned our fan blades, most of the dust I dislodged ended up all over the place, no matter how careful I was. What a mess!
In spite of that mess (and how hard it can be to reach the fan to clean it), I do recognize that ceiling fans are a great way to keep your house comfortable — in both hot and cold weather — and save money on utilities. By flipping the small switch that changes the direction the blades rotate, a ceiling fan can push cooler air down into the room to help keep you cool, or pull it up toward the ceiling to keep you warm.
Regardless of the season, however, you don’t want your fan blades to be showering the room with dust as they spin! And you won’t have to once you know the best way to clean ceiling fans (and just as important, how to clean a ceiling fan without making a mess!)
Related: 11 Clever Cleaning Shortcuts That Will Save You So Much Time
Note: We got rid of our one ceiling fan when we installed new light fixtures in our living room, but luckily my friend Michell was kind enough to let us use her fan to take photos for this post. Her fan blades were already pretty clean, but rest assured that this cleaning hack works on even the dustiest blades!
How To Clean Ceiling Fan Blades The Easy Way
What You’ll Need
Related: I’ve Tried Lots Of Pillows, But This One Is The Best
Directions
When cleaning anything that runs on electricity, the first thing you should do is cut the power to it, and it’s no different with ceiling fans. Go to your circuit breaker panel, determine which circuit your ceiling fan is on, then flip that breaker to the OFF position.
Grab a pillowcase, as well as a ladder or step stool, if necessary, and slide the pillowcase over one of the blades. Use your hands to press the pillowcase against the top and bottom of the blade, then slide it toward the end of the blade.
As you slide the pillowcase, all the dust and dirt will come off the fan blade while staying inside the pillowcase, both cleaning the blade and containing the mess! After repeating this process with each fan blade, take the dusty pillowcase outside, shake the dust out, then toss it in the wash to clean it.
Finishing Touches
If the fan’s motor housing looks dusty too, use compressed air to clean it. (It’s a good idea to hold your pillowcase open around the motor housing as you do this to help reduce dust.)
If you want to go the extra mile and keep your fan blades dust-free longer, I recommend wiping your clean fan blades with a soft cloth and a dusting spray after removing the loose dust. (This is an optional step, but it’s quick and easy to tack onto the end of the cleaning process!)
The Takeaway
Using this method to clean your ceiling fan and ceiling fan blades is so easy and effective that it will make your head spin. The entire project only takes about five minutes from start to finish, so take a few minutes in the near future to get your fan cleaned up; you’ll be glad you did!
Related: 45 Of The Best Home Cleaning Hacks For Every Inch Of Your Home
Do you use your ceiling fans all year?
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