How to Clean a Ceiling Fan: DIY Tips to Enhance Your Space
Light fixtures tend to collect more dust than most features in your office or home. However, nothing seems to collect dust quite like a ceiling fan. Over time, the blades become coated in dust. A ceiling fan with a light fixture should be dusted regularly to ensure beautiful illumination and a delightful stirring of air. If you've never cleaned a ceiling fan before, prepare for a surprise the first time you step up onto the ladder. The lint that builds up on fan blades has a unique quality that can be difficult to fully remove when routinely cleaning your ceiling fans.
Cleaning a ceiling fan, realistically, takes some forethought and a little elbow grease. For your business, office, or home, here are some tips to cleaning a ceiling fan and its light fixture.
Supplies
- Hooked brush with a long handle (Optional specialty tool)
- Washcloths
- Cleaning Solution
- Face Kerchief
- Drop cloths
- Pillowcase
Preparing to Clean Ceiling Fans
- Cover the Area Below
- Cover Your Nose and Mouth
- Set Your Step Ladder
- Turn Off the Fan and Light
Take proper precautions before you start cleaning a ceiling fan. That fixture could drop A LOT of dust on the environment below, so your first step is to lay down a drop cloth over furniture and electronics below the ceiling fan. Next, protect yourself with a kerchief or mask over your nose and mouth. Finally, set up your step ladder and turn off the fixture. Never clean an electronic device that is switched on.
Cleaning with a Hooked Brush
If you have the specialty hooked brush for cleaning ceiling fans, lay down your drop cloth and have fun. Simply hook the brush over each blade, set it down near the base and pull dust off toward the end of the blade with the hooked brush. Ceiling fan brushes and special cleaning tools can be found online and through commercial cleaning sources.
You can skip the step ladder and the damp cloth with this tool - but it works best as a maintenance cleaner. You may still want to go detail-clean the fan blades this first time, then use the hooked brush to sweep fresh dust of the blades every week or two.
Cleaning with a Hand Cloth
The most effective and commonly used way to clean a ceiling fan is with a slightly damp cloth. This will help you wipe away the gummy layers of dust that have built up on the cutting edge and blade surfaces. Be prepared to pull off whole dust-pets worth of dust globs from each fan blade for ceiling fans that have not been cleaned in a few months, or longer. If you laid down the drop cloth, it will be safe to drop this dust below as you clean.
First, wipe down the fuzzy front edge of each blade. Then wipe the top of the blade and the bottom to remove dust. Rinse or shake out your cloth as you go. Do this for each fan blade. Then thoroughly clean your cloth and detail-polish the surface, edge, and connective joint of each fan blade to remove the last layer of dust.
The Pillowcase Trick
Some people swear by the pillowcase trick for cleaning fan blades. Much like the hooked brush, this works best as a maintenance measure, but it does have a clever element. The pillowcase, in theory, will capture dropping dust and reduce your need for a drop cloth when cleaning a ceiling fan. Simply wrap the pillowcase over each fan blade long wise. Pull it tight over the top and sides of the fan blade and retract the pillowcase to wipe the dust into its depths. Shake out and repeat for each fan blade, then reverse to get the undersides.
You can use the same pillowcase for all the blades of your ceiling fan while also effectively protecting the floor if you did not put down a drop cloth. However, it is recommended to have at least two pillowcases to finish the cleaning of a typical 5-blade ceiling fan.
Polish the Base and Light Fixture (if applicable)
Lastly, use your cleaning cloth or glass cleaner and paper towels to finish polishing the fixture. You can use a bright, streak-free surface cleaner or even a metal finish polishing solution that buffs up the light fixture finish and makes your ceiling fan lights glow.
Clean the dust out of the glass light covers with your damp cloth. If necessary, take down the light covers and wash them in the sink, dry thoroughly, and then return the light covers over the bulbs in your ceiling fan fixture. Then you can brush off the base of the ceiling fan as well as the blades. This simple maneuver can make your ceiling fan light fixture look newer and even enhance your quality of light.
Cleaning a ceiling fan should be done carefully at least once a year. You can then use a specialty hooked brush or a pillowcase to keep your ceiling fans nice and clean throughout the year with just the occasional refresher.
If you are in the market for a new ceiling fan with, or without, lights to upgrade your home's interior lighting, fixture, and airflow design, Urban Ambiance is your ideal partner. On our website, you'll find a surprisingly wide selection of modern and classic ceiling fan designs. From futuristic sleek three-blade fans with a glowing center to classic bell-cover light bulbs below the fan blades, Urban Ambiance can help you choose your ideal selection.
Contact us today or explore our online store to find the right ceiling fan for your home - and dive into more blogs for useful and interesting tips.
