I've found myself looking at my fan so many times and thinking, "Look away and you won't notice!" But after a while I turn the fan on and small bits of dust start to fly all over. Then I can't ignore the madness anymore and have to get up on a ladder and clean them. This happened the other day and I knew I had to try this suggestion.
I got out an old pillowcase. Here's what happened:
1. You have to be completely careful about getting the pillowcase over the blade without pushing all the dust off the other way. I cinched it all up like you would your favorite pair of pantyhose (I know...you're thinking, "is she serious?!" Oxymoron of the century) and slid it all over the fan blade in one motion.
2. Then I kind of sat there because you're supposed to pull it all back into the case. But fan blades are wide and long and getting both sides and all the edges in one swoop is tricky! I ended up gripping it kind of like I would a Subway sandwich and pulled it all backwards.
3. The blade looked pretty good. But once wouldn't be sufficient, in my opinion. It suggested to continue on to the next blade until you were done with the whole fan. But the pillowcase was all dirty inside and now you can't really cinch it up like you did the first time. I felt like I needed a separate pillowcase for every blade! And who has five old pillowcases just laying around?! Not me!
4. Obviously at this point you would need to shake the pillowcase outside and then take it through the washer.
All in all, I didn't care for this method of cleaning a fan. I usually get out my vacuum and set it on something high (like a chair) so it can reach the fan. Then I vacuum all around the edges with the hose and get any other loose dust. Then I take a warm washrag and wipe them down, rinsing the rag after each blade. This gives me a chance to wipe down all the other areas of the fan that get dusty too. Then I turn it on and let it dry for a while. While it's drying, I use the vacuum to go over the floor below that probably has a decent amount of dust on it now. If you're feeling ambitious, you can mop the floor too and you'll be LOVING your clean ceiling and floor!
HELPFUL TIP: For small fans that sit on tabletops or stand on floors, you can take them outside and spray them off with the hose...really. Let them sit all night in a dry, warm place (the garage would be fine) and they should be completely dry by the next day. Turn the fan over a couple times just to make sure all the areas of the fan are dry and it's ready to use. Trust me...this works!
What's your favorite way to clean a fan? Also, don't forget to submit your favorite spring cleaning tips and cleaning questions to me here.
Happy Cleaning and have a great weekend!
The Queen
Ceiling fans are really essential furniture in the house, especially during the warm season. And just like any other furniture, it needs to be cleaned regularly too. I think using the pillowcase to clean the blades is wise since it'll tuck the dust in and not bother you that the floor would get all dirty as you wipe the dirt off of your fan. But for me, I always unscrew the blades and give it a good washing outside of the house. It's easier that way, and I can make sure that the cleaning is thorough. Staci Severns
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