Clean Those Fans!

Do you have ceiling fans in your home? I love mine! They are great to keep you cool, circulate the air, and they help lower energy bills. The question is: how do you clean them? Today was "Fan Cleaning Day" at my house, for all 10 ceiling fans. Here's my techniques and tips...

Tip:  Clean the ceiling fans just before you clean the floors!

For routine cleaning on most ceiling fans, you can use a Fannie Ceiling Fan Duster. The "Fannie" cleans both sides of the fan blades at the same time. The handle extends, making it easy to remove dust and dirt. 

Use a hand-held vacuum cleaner to clean the "Fannie" after each use.

You can also use a Swiffer Dusters Extender (360 degrees). The handle extends and bends so you can clean the top and bottom of the blades separately. It's also great for cleaning the lightbulbs and other sections of the fan. 

Sometimes a little dust remains on the ends of the bathroom fan blades. A baby wipe can quickly take care of this!

I use both Swiffer Duster and the Fannie to do my routine cleaning. The Swiffer is like a dirt magnet, so you never know what it will pick up!

Tiny dead, dried creature carcass - yuk!!

For tougher jobs like the kitchen fan which attracts grease, more work is needed! I routinely clean this fan with the Fannie and Swiffer. When more cleaning is needed, however, it is easier to remove the blades for more complete cleaning. My husband used his drill with screwdriver attachment for this part. 

Tip: Turn the lights off for this step.

When the blades are removed, the light looks a little bare!

This is a tough job, so put on the rubber gloves!

This part of the job gets a little messy, so I move to the bathtub. I use diluted Pinesol (see directions on bottle) to wash the blades. If that doesn't get all of the dirt off, you can use Pinesol full-strength and rinse immediately! 

Tip: Do not immerse the blades in water!!

Dry with a soft towel. 

Sparkling clean, and dry!

Here comes the tougher part - re-install the blades. Again, my husband used his drill with screwdriver attachment for this part. He removed one of the light-bulbs and glass globe to make this part of the job easier. 

Tip: Remember to again turn the lights off for this step.

Thanks for your help!

Now all 10 ceiling fans are clean and look great!