Ceiling fans provide a cool breeze to keep rooms cool and provide lovely aesthetic touches to living spaces, but what about all that dust? And how can you clean a greasy kitchen ceiling fan or fans attached to really high ceilings?
Ceiling fan dirt is more than just a cosmetic issue. It can cause issues such as noisy fan operation and possibly motor damage. Dust collection might exacerbate allergies or respiratory diseases in members of your home.
Do you want to add a light kit to a lightless ceiling fan? We also have expert advice to help you through the process.
The Most Effective Ceiling Fan Cleaning Methods
You are not alone if your fan appears to be accumulating dust at an alarming rate. Because of their lofty location in the room, ceiling fans are frequently covered with an unpleasant coating of dust. You might ask which is worse: dust in the air when you turn on the ceiling fan or dust falling from the ceiling when you clean the fan. It's a coin toss!
Cleaning fan blades without blowing dust all over the place is the ultimate cleaning challenge, while kitchen grease, high ceilings, and non-traditional blade types are other regular barriers.
Here are some of our favourite ceiling fan cleaning ideas and tricks:
Ceiling Fan Cleaning Fundamentals
- First and foremost, always turn off the ceiling fan before beginning any cleaning process. Make certain that the blades come to a complete halt. Then, to clean a classic ceiling fan, follow these steps:
- Clean the top and bottom of each fan blade at the same time with a pole duster that slides over the fan blade.
- To avoid warping or fracturing the blades, avoid applying too much pressure during cleaning.
- Climb a step ladder and clean the blades by hand with a lightly wet microfiber cloth for a thorough clean. To eliminate extra moisture, use a dry cloth.
- Wipe dirt from the motor housing and any pull chains with a clean cloth.
- Wipe down the clean blades with a microfiber cloth coated with an anti-static, dust-repellent solution, or go over each blade with an unused dryer sheet. Because the dust is less likely to stick to the blades, this extra step may help you to go longer between cleanings.
Want to avoid the regular dust storm that occurs when you clean the ceiling fan? Try the pillowcase trick! Wrap a clean pillowcase around the fan blades and pull it down the blade. This method allows you to remove dust while keeping it contained within the pillowcase, eliminating the need to worry about dust flooding the air in the room. When you're through cleaning the fan blades, take the pillowcase outdoors, flip it inside out, and shake the dust clumps off before dumping it in the wash.
Cleaning a Greasy Ceiling Fan
A kitchen ceiling fan attracts grease like a magnet. Grease and dust combine to form a filthy, adhesive-like residue on the blades that can be difficult to remove. In only a few steps, you can remove kitchen grease from a ceiling fan:
- To begin, wipe the blades with dry paper towels to remove any loose material.
- Remove the layer of sticky filth using a moist microfiber cloth.
- If necessary, repeat this process on each blade to eliminate the layers of grease buildup.
- If the muck is very stubborn, dab a microfiber cloth with a small amount of a degreasing household cleaner and scrape the blades.
- Repeat using a clean, dry towel until the blades are no longer sticky or greasy to the touch.
How to Clean a High Ceiling Fan
To reach the ceiling fan in extra-high ceilings, you'll need a tall ladder or an extension duster. Make your own extension duster by taping mop and broom handles together and taping a duster to one end. If you're using a tall ladder, enlist the help of a friend or family member who can keep the bottom of the ladder steady for you.
If your ladder allows you to securely reach the fan with your hands, the pillowcase approach is equally excellent for cleaning high ceiling fans.
