Why You Should Clean Your Ceiling Fan

With summer in full swing around the whole of Australia, your ceiling fan is set to get a lot of action. Whether it be humming through the night letting you sleep or cooling you down while watching tv, your ceiling fan will become your best friend. But with inaction for a prolonged period of time comes an accumulation of dust that will trigger allergies. Here’s how to avoid sneezing fits by cleaning your ceiling fan

Why clean your fan during summer?

If you have already turned on your fans and think the worst is over then you’re wrong. While the dust that has accumulated may have been spread, other allergens can still be spread. The rotation of the blades can suck up dust, dirt, pollen and other small particles. Furthermore, if your fan is located close to your kitchen, it may accumulate grease and oil that emanates when cooking food. This makes it the perfect environment to harbinger allergens.

Still not convinced? Interestingly, dust is the main culprit when it comes to a wobbly and slow fan! With the accumulation of dust, it is possible that the dust could affect the fan motor’s ability to function and put it under undue strain. 

In a situation where you are dealing with a high up appliance, a helping hand is always good to ensure your safety when cleaning.  A step ladder will also be imperative to this task, do not be tempted to climb your furniture in an attempt to clean it. While not always necessitated, a spare sheet to collect dust on the floor will add an extra layer of protection. With some of the dust being likely to be swept off the fan in the process of cleaning, the dust will spread across the floor and furniture under the fan. Also, whilst not our focus, glass cleaner is good to have in handy to clean the glass light globes.  

What do I need?

In a situation where you are dealing with a high up appliance, a helping hand is always good to ensure your safety when cleaning.  A step ladder will also be imperative to this task, do not be tempted to climb your furniture in an attempt to clean it. While not always necessitated, a spare sheet to collect dust on the floor will add an extra layer of protection. With some of the dust being likely to be swept off the fan in the process of cleaning, the dust will spread across the floor and furniture under the fan. Also, whilst not our focus, glass cleaner is good to have in handy to clean the glass light globes.  

In a situation where you are dealing with a high up appliance, a helping hand is always good to ensure your safety when cleaning.  A step ladder will also be imperative to this task, do not be tempted to climb your furniture in an attempt to clean it. While not always necessitated, a spare sheet to collect dust on the floor will add an extra layer of protection. With some of the dust being likely to be swept off the fan in the process of cleaning, the dust will spread across the floor and furniture under the fan. Also, whilst not our focus, glass cleaner is good to have in handy to clean the glass light globes.  

How do I clean my ceiling fan?

There are multiple ways to clean your ceiling fan but the one major overarching instruction is to do it in a way where you will not spread dust. If this step is not followed then you will not feel the benefits of your clean fan, as it will just disperse the allergens to the floor and will accelerate the process of the fan getting dirty again. Another vital thing is that you turn off the ceiling fan while you are cleaning. Not only will this reduce the spread of dust but it will also make it safer for you. 

The pillowcase method

If you have a pillowcase you don’t use anymore, this may be the perfect method to clean your fan without requiring a sheet. For this technique, you will have to get level with the fan’s blade, then cover the blade with the pillowcase. Applying pressure to the underside and top of the fans, slowly pull back until you reach the end of the blade, making sure to not let the opening sag and potentially spill out. Once this is done, empty the pillowcase into a bin or an outside area and repeat on the other fan blades. 

The cloth/duster method

Similar in execution to the pillowcase method, this too will require the step ladder. For this method protecting the floor from dust is one of the main objectives. This is where the aforementioned sheet will come in handy, catching any of the falling allergens. Rather than grasping the top and bottom of the fan, grip the sides and then pull the cloth. This will reduce the chance of dust spreading back into the air and onto the floor.

The vacuum method

This one is probably the most effective if done regularly. If you have a vacuum with an extendable arm, cordless vacuums preferably, with a dust attachment you can vacuum the dust from the sides of the blades. A sheet can be added to the floor for this method or you can use another vacuum attachment to clean the fallen dust. However, despite this method’s convenience, this is the least effective method if this is the fan’s first clean in a while. also, even if this is done regularly, you may still get a build-up of dust in hard to reach places. Furthermore, if you have not cleaned your fan over a long period of time, your vacuum may not be able to provide adequate suction to draw all the dust off the blades

Get someone to do it for you

Does all this seem like a faff that you’d prefer to avoid? Don’t have the time or tools necessary to complete this sort of activity? Well, you may be best getting a professional in to do the job instead. Here at Absolute Domestics, we make cleaning easy. Our cleaners are trained to give your home a clean that you’ll be thrilled to come home to. We work around your busy schedule to make the process easy and to allow you to come home to a clean house.