How To Clean Ceiling Fans: Cleaning and Safety Tips From the Experts
Cleaning a ceiling fan is one of those things you don’t really think about. It’s just up there doing its job, cooling the room and circulating air.
But then one day you turn it off — maybe because the moving air is bothering your eyes or the weather is turning cooler. And you look up to see built-up dust and cobwebs covering the edges of the blades.
So what’s the solution? Should you just put on a sweater and turn it on again so you can’t see the dirt and debris?
Nah, you should clean it! This might seem like a difficult task, but if you keep up with it as part of your semi-regular maintenance, it’s not really a big deal.
Keep reading for our best tips on how to clean your ceiling fan.
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Don’t Neglect Ceiling Fans During Your Cleaning
Although it’s not necessary to dust your ceiling fans every time you clean, you shouldn’t totally neglect them. The dirt on ceiling fans is usually a buildup of cobwebs and dust particles, which we know is a buildup of human skin cells and other biological debris.
So instead of flinging that stuff around the room constantly when the fan is on, it’s best to add cleaning your ceiling fans to your household routine. If you wait too long, ceiling fan dust goes from a soft, easily removable mess to a sticky, unpleasant goo that has consolidated with grease or moisture.
How Often Should You Clean Ceiling Fans?
If you’re someone who is really worried about dust or susceptible to allergens, you may want to clean your ceiling fans as often as once per month. For the rest of us, cleaning three to four times per year should suffice.
Even cleaning your ceiling fans once a year will keep them from getting to that next level of mess. Just make sure you don’t totally ignore them!
Cleaning ceiling fans is not part of the basic cleaning services at Tidy Up Portland!, but we do include them when you schedule a deep clean.
How To Clean a Ceiling Fan in 5 Simple Steps
If you have the right supplies and know the correct methods to safely clean a ceiling fan, it shouldn’t be hard to do — especially if you keep up with it regularly.
#1: Gather Your Supplies
The supplies you’ll need to clean your ceiling fan blades may include:
Duster with handle (use one with an extension for easier access)
A rag
All-purpose cleaner or specialty cleaner for wood, etc.
Step stool
You may want to cover the furniture or flooring below with old sheets or a tarp so they don’t get covered in the dust you’re removing. You should also make sure the fan is off and the blades have stopped moving completely.
#2: Dust Ceiling Blades
If there’s light dust on the blades, just wiping them off should be sufficient. And here’s a great tip for how to clean a ceiling fan without getting dust everywhere — if you can easily reach the blades, cover them with an old pillowcase and slide it down to collect the dust as you go. When you’re finished, you can shake the pillowcase off outside and wash it in your machine.
While you’re up there, give the outside of the motor and light fixture (if it has one) a once-over with your duster as well.
Make sure you stand off at an angle and not directly underneath the fan as you clean. This is not only for safety reasons but also to ensure that you can see what you’re doing.
#3: Conduct a Wet Cleaning
If there’s a sticky build-up of dust and you need to do a more detailed clean, that’s when you’ll need to come in with your rag and all-purpose cleaner. Always make sure you dry dust first to avoid turning everything into a paste and smearing it around, as this will just make the task more difficult.
If you can’t easily reach the ceiling fan blades, avoid this part of the cleaning for safety reasons.
#4: Avoid Cleaning Light Bulbs
Although it’s good to dust the outside of a light fixture, you should never intentionally clean light bulbs while they’re screwed in. That’s because the bulbs can easily be damaged or even explode.
If your light bulbs are looking particularly dusty, you can always remove them when they’re turned off and completely cooled and then wipe them with a dry microfiber cloth.
#5: Avoid Removing Ceiling Fan Blades
It is not necessary to remove ceiling fan blades to get them clean, so we don’t recommend it and will not perform this service ourselves. Not only is it unnecessary, but it can also become a liability if the blades aren’t put back on properly.
Speaking of which, if your ceiling fan is looking wobbly or appears to have loose blades, we will not clean it until it’s fixed, as this can also be dangerous.
How To Clean High Ceiling Fans
If you have extra-high ceilings and it’s hard to get to your fans, we don’t recommend standing on a ladder to clean them for safety reasons. At Tidy Up Portland!, we have a policy of only climbing a maximum of two steps on a step stool to keep all of our cleaners safe and avoid any accidents.
Extendable dusters like this one come in 2-3 foot lengths and can telescope as high as 8 or 9 feet. Make sure you have a light touch when using these so the weight of the duster doesn’t pull on the ceiling fan.
Extra Considerations When Cleaning Ceiling Fans
If you’re cleaning a ceiling fan on the second floor that is open to the first floor below, make sure to use extra precautions. If you’re near a banister or railing, don’t lean out or stand on a step stool. Always make sure you’re standing on a sturdy, stable surface. These preventive measures will help you avoid a fall.
Make sure the duster extensions are completely locked in place and that you have a firm grip on the handle. If you drop this while you’re dusting, you could damage the fan or anything the duster hits on the way down. Make sure you’re well-balanced since the bigger extension poles can be heavy and could cause unsteadiness.
Keep Your Ceiling Fans Clean With Tidy Up Portland!
Cleaning a ceiling fan is completely doable, but if you’re like most people, it’s not exactly a task you relish.
That’s where Tidy Up Portland! comes in. You can look forward to cleaning day when someone else is taking care of everything for you!
Our team of friendly and professional Portland house cleaners will make sure your home is clean and fresh from top to bottom. If you need your ceiling fans cleaned or any other semi-regular services, contact us to discuss our deep cleaning rates and availability.
Leave the cleaning of your ceiling fans — and everything else — to us. Contact us today to book an appointment.
