How to Spring Clean Your Home’s Fans

Spring has sprung, and eager beavers anxiously awaiting its grand arrival are desperately in the mood to clean house so they can get out, about, and enjoying the warmer weather once summer is here.

One of the most important spring cleaning tasks, one that often gets overlooked, is cleaning your home’s fans. Not only will annual cleaning help your fans operate more efficiently, extending their usefulness by years; it will also help reduce the allergens and microbes your fans spread throughout your home. These tips will help you get your fans in ship shape this spring and beyond.

Whole House Fans
Always turn your whole house fan off before you begin working on it. Use a brush and/or vacuum on the screens where air intake and flow occurs to remove dust and debris that may interfere with the airflow and force your whole house fan to work harder than necessary.

Table, Floor, and Window Fans
Be safe rather than sorry by turning off and unplugging these types of fans before you begin cleaning them. Annual cleaning helps these fans operate more efficiently though if your fan blades seem to attract dust buildup, pet hair, etc. you may want to at least dust the blades more often. To clean the motor, consider blowing compressed air into the motor to get dust and other debris out and avoid clogging up the works.

For the blades you will first need to remove the covering on the front of your fan. Then take a damp cloth with your favorite household cleaner (vinegar also works wonders for this type of task) and wipe each blade individually. Once your blades are clean, wipe down the plastic parts surrounding the blades for good measure then replace the covering and you’re done!

Ceiling Fans
Some people prefer to be more thorough than others when cleaning ceiling fans, detailing them with the same degree of attention provided to automobile interiors by used car lots. If that is your preference, you’ll love this guide for spring cleaning your ceiling fan.

If you want something a little quicker and easier to accomplish, you can wipe the blades of your ceiling fan with a cloth that is very slightly damp with all-purpose cleaner then dry them completely before moving on to address the light fixtures on your fan. Remove the light fixtures or globes and allow them to cool completely before rinsing them with water and dishwashing liquid. Dawn works wonders to remove dust, debris, and unknown residues on your fixtures. Allow them to dry completely before re-attaching them to your ceiling fans.

Simple solutions often work best for these quick and easy tips and tactics for spring cleaning the fans in your home.