Best Way To Clean Your Ceiling

Best Way To Clean Your Ceiling Fans

By Jane K - 01 of Aug, 2021

Ceiling fans are both central design elements and functional components of your home’s main living spaces. To work their very best, though, ceiling fans must receive adequate maintenance over the course of their lifespan

The problem with ceiling fans is that they are always collecting dust. And even though you can’t always see it, you know it’s there. When you finally pull out the step stool and get around to dusting them, you end up showering the entire room in a dust storm.

From weekly dusting to more thorough cleaning throughout the year, here is how to make the most of this household fixture.

How Ceiling Fans Get Dirty

A ceiling fan is a wonderful fixture to have in your home. When you have fans, you can turn them on to circulate air in your home. You can also use them to cool the rooms in your home.

The downside to ceiling fans is that they tend to spread dust around your house. They also tend to accumulate dust when spinning or turned off.

A typical home contains a lot of different allergens, including dust mites, pollen, and mold. If you have pets, you might also have pet dander in your house.

When you run your ceiling fans, they spread these allergens throughout your home. If anyone in your house has allergies or respiratory problems, these allergens can trigger the symptoms.

The only way to avoid this is by deep cleaning your home regularly and cleaning your ceiling fans. If you don’t clean your home and your fans, your home might be dirty and may cause sicknesses.

Reasons to Clean Your Ceiling Fans

What is the importance of a clean ceiling fan, you might wonder? Well, having clean fans is vital for several reasons. Here are a few of the reasons:

To Stay Healthier

One of the main reasons to clean ceiling fans is to stay healthier. If you clean your fans regularly, your home will have fewer allergens in it. When your home has fewer allergens, your family stays healthier.

If anyone in your home suffers from allergy-related illnesses, cleaning your fans is a vital task to complete. Cleaning them will make a difference with the health of your family members.

To Keep Your Home Cleaner

Secondly, cleaning your ceiling fans is vital to have a cleaner house. If you only clean certain parts of your home each week, it might not be as clean as you think.

Cleaning the ceiling fans helps reduce the amount of dust you spread throughout your home.

To Make Your House Look Nicer

Finally, cleaning your ceiling fans is a smart idea to make your house look nicer. When ceiling fans are not running, you can see the dust they contain. When you see this dust, you probably won’t like the way it looks.

How to Clean a Ceiling Fan

Try Using a Pillowcase

The real trick is catching the dust on the blades and securing the mess before it falls. Traditional dusting, wiping, and washing techniques only seem to make matters worse. One Redditor has devised a clever alternative to trap residue in its tracks.

“To clean ceiling fans, put a pillowcase over the blades and then slide them off. It’ll pull the dust/debris back inside of the case,” says Kevin.

In lieu of using traditional implements like a handheld duster, an extended Swiffer, or wet wipes, a two-sided pillowcase hack might be the ultimate fix for trapping lingering debris. The only real con is having to wash the pillowcase afterward. That said, this savvy tip is a great way to make use of old and unused bedding that would otherwise get tossed in the trash.

Try Using the Vacuum

The ability to try cleaning a ceiling fan without a ladder is one that is prized by many. While the aforementioned method of using a duster is a good one, using a vacuum cleaner for the same purpose makes things easier than before.

Your vacuum cleaner needs to have the right brush attachment. This should preferably be a long flat one that can slide over surfaces easily. If not, even a circular one can make do.

Attach that brush to the extension rod of the vacuum cleaner and plug it into the nozzle. Make sure it is fit tight enough to not fall off during the cleaning process. If your rod is shorter in length, you might need a small stool or a chair to elevate yourself.

Start from one end of the blade and continue right to the end. Then trace it back to the starting point to pick up any leftover dust. Do this gently so that the vacuum can pick up the dust effectively.

Once you are done with all the blades, run the vacuum around the floor beneath the fan or surrounding furniture to pick up any dust particles that have fallen off.

Additional Tips

Make sure that the fan cannot be turned on by accident. Tape down the button in the off position and turn off the regulator as well for added precaution
Even after you know how to clean ceiling fans with vinegar and pillowcases, there are always chances that dust particles may fall down on the floor. Therefore, lay down a large bed sheet to cover the floor so that you can simply lift it up and carry it outside once you’re done.
Doubly ensure that your stool or ladder is firmly set on the floor. If possible, ask someone to hold it down while you’re cleaning the fan
Whether the fan is grimy or just has dry dust on it, you are going to be in close proximity to all of it. Therefore, it is necessary to keep yourself protected from accidentally inhaling it in. Make use of a scarf or a handkerchief to cover to nose, mouth and face. People with dust allergies should be extra careful and make use of a medical mask if necessary. Protect your eyes with zero glasses or safety goggles if needed.
In some high-speed fans, the blades can be thinner than usual, causing the edges to be sharp. These can end up cutting your fingers while you are cleaning them. Take extra care when running the cloth around the edges.