Why Should I Clean My Ceiling Fans?
Healthier house – When your ceiling fan blades are clean, there is less dust and debris being circulated throughout the air you breathe.
Save time – As you’ll see below, using an ostrich feather duster is the fastest way to clean your ceiling fan. Also, keeping fan blades clean reduces dust and dirt settling on furniture which means you can dust and vacuum a little less often!
Effective air circulation – A clean fan will maintain a more even air flow, which helps control the temperature of the room. For most ceiling fans, the blades should be moving in a clockwise direction for winter to help push the warmer air down. Switch to counter-clockwise in the spring to drive the warm air up.
Save Energy – A clean ceiling fan is more efficient, which saves energy.
How Do You Clean Ceiling Fans?
Cleaning Ceiling Fans Step 1 - Preparation
First, make sure you have a sturdy step stool or ladder that allows you to easily reach the fan. Of course, if you have an extended handle duster, you won’t need the stool! Next, get together any equipment or supplies needed so they’re easy to reach. If the fan is really dirty, spread a sheet or drop cloth underneath the fan, and set your step stool on top of it, for easy clean-up later. This step is recommended if you can see a build-up of grime along the edge of the fan blades. When you’ve finished cleaning your ceiling fan, you can gather up the sheet and easily shake off the dirt.
When cleaning ceiling fan blades, you have two options. You can clean them in place, or you can remove the blades for easier-to-reach cleaning.
If you clean the fan blades while still attached, be sure you don’t spray any cleaning solutions directly on the blades. Pro Tip: We clean the edges, then the tops, then the bottoms of each fan blade, as well as the body of the ceiling fan.
If you remove them, you can clean the blades over a sink and even rinse them off (depending on fan blade material) before drying and polishing.
Cleaning Ceiling Fans Step 2 – Clean and Dry
If there isn’t a lot of dust built up, an ostrich feather duster can work wonders. Note: This is almost the quickest way to clean ceiling fans. Taking 5 minutes each week or so eliminates the need to use the next cleaning method!
See our video blog on "How an Ostrich Keeps Your Home Dust Free" to see how to efficiently use a feather duster.
To clean a more ignored ceiling fan, we vacuum the blades first, then we reach for the microfiber cleaning cloths. Gently wash the fan blades using a cloth dipped in soap and water, with the excess liquid wrung out. Or, you can spray the cloth with a vinegar (25%) and water (75%) solution or a mild all-purpose cleaner.
Once the fan blades are clean, you’ll want to dry them with a soft lint-free cloth, paper towel, or microfiber cloth.
Cleaning Ceiling Fans Step 3 - Polishing
Follow-up with a microfiber cloth sprayed with furniture polish to make the fan blades shine.
For metal blades, wipe and buff with brass cleaner, olive oil, or baby oil to make them glow.
Always use a dry microfiber to buff off any residue... leaving an oily film on your blades will give the dust something to stick to! Pro Tip: Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil if using olive oil to lightly scent the room.
Cleaning Ceiling Fans Step 4 – Re-assemble and Clean-up
If you removed the fan blades, re-attach to the fan body, taking care to fasten securely.
Put away equipment and supplies used.
If you spread out a sheet or drop cloth, gather it up from the edges. Take it outside or to a trash can to shake off any dirt and debris that fell from the fan while you were cleaning.
If necessary, dust any furniture below the fan, and sweep or vacuum floor.
Cleaning Ceiling Fans – 4 Reasons, 1 to 4 Steps…
So now you actually have some reasons for why it’s important to clean your ceiling fans. In addition to helping keep your family healthier and more comfortable, you’ll also be saving time and energy!
BONUS – ONLY 1 Step! When you clean your ceiling fans fairly often, skip straight to Step 3 – just dust and polish at the same time! Note: This is the quickest way to clean ceiling fans!
And the EASIEST Way to Clean Ceiling Fans + Save More Time…
Call the cleaning crew at Caravel Cleaning Company! All of our cleaning services (deep cleans, move-in/move-out cleans, Vacation Rental Turnovers, and recurring house cleaning services) include cleaning your ceiling fans.
Call 805-804-5454 or Request a cleaning estimate online from the Cleaning Crew at Caravel Cleaning Company.
Watch for more house cleaning tips & tricks from the Cleaning Crew at Caravel Cleaning Company in Oxnard, CA. We can't wait to Help You Keep Your Home Shipshape!
House Cleaning Services and Vacation Rental (STR) Turnovers provided in: Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Somis