This post may contain affiliate links. These help support this website.
Today we are sharing the easiest ceiling fan cleaning hacks that not only save time, but keep you from making a huge mess with dust!
Over the last 17 years, I have been cleaning ceiling fans all different ways. I learned hacks reading magazines when I first got married because ceiling fan cleaning was the most annoying task for me.
After all these years, I have compiled my handiest ways to clean a ceiling fan to make your life easier. These have also been tested to be the quickest and most efficient ways to get those blades clean and keep them clean for longer.
The Easiest Ceiling Fan Cleaning Hacks
Why Does Ceiling Fan Cleaning Matter?
Believe it or not, cleaning your ceiling fan is more than just for looks. It is also very important for improving the air quality. Ceiling fans attract dust, dirt, and allergens like pollen and pet dander. When the fan is on, it blows this debris around the room, which can irritate allergies and make it harder to breathe. Regular cleaning removes this buildup and helps you breathe easier.
Secondly, keeping your ceiling fan clean also helps with efficiency. A layer of dust on the blades of your ceiling fan can make it less efficient. The motor has to work harder to overcome the drag caused by the dust, which can lead to higher energy bills. Keeping your fan clean allows it to function properly and circulate air more effectively.
It is crucial to clean your ceiling fans!
How Often Should You Clean Your Ceiling Fans?
How often you clean your ceiling fans will depend on how much you use them, if you have pets, and various other reasons. A good rule of thumb is to deep clean them twice per year like spring and fall.
If you use your ceiling fan year-round, it will naturally collect more dust and dirt than one used seasonally. Weekly dusting and a deeper clean every 1-2 months is recommended for frequently used fans.
If you or someone in your household suffers from allergies or if you have pets, then more frequent cleaning might be necessary to minimize allergens circulating in the air.
Regardless of a set schedule, if you notice dust visibly accumulated on the blades, it’s time for a cleaning.
The Best Ceiling Fan Cleaning Hacks
Okay, let’s get started on these awesome ceiling fan cleaning tips you will really benefit from.
Make this DIY ceiling fan cleaner: my favorite of the ceiling fan cleaning hacks
The first and handiest tip on this list is our DIY ceiling fan cleaner. I have tried over 10 different homemade cleaners for my ceiling fan over the last few years to see which one cleaned the best and the quickest. The cleaner that wins is one of our favorites.
You will notice this as our favorite and most popular homemade cleaner from the eBook.
The combination of dish soap and lemon infused rubbing alcohol not only made the blades clean and shiny, but it also works great for all other parts of the ceiling fan like the motor.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp dish soap
- 1 tbsp lemon infused rubbing alcohol
- 1 cup of water
- A few drops of lemon essential oil (optional)
- Spray bottle
Directions:
- Simply add the ingredients to a spray bottle, and give it a gentle shake before each use.
How To Use This On Ceiling Fans:
After you remove the larger dust accumilations (read tips below for the best way to do this), spray a microfiber cloth thoroughly with this homemade ceiling fan cleaning solution. Wipe down the blades, light bulbs, light fixtures, and motor area.
This DIY ceiling fan cleaner is not only quick at cleaning the entire ceiling fan and motor, but it will also keep the dust from accumulating for longer.
Is lemon infused rubbing alcohol necessary?
We love the lemon infused alcohol best for this homemade cleaner. It has a wonderful scent, so you don’t smell the rubbing alcohol as strongly. It also makes things have a bigger shine. You can read more about lemon infused rubbing alcohol here. If you don’t want to take the time to make it, just use regular 70% rubbing alcohol for this recipe.
The lemon essential oil is added for scent and extra shine, but it is definitely optional!
Use a Pillow Case To Remove Dust
The best and easiest way to remove heavy dust build up on a ceiling fan is with a pillow case! I read this tip in 2005 in a magazine my mom had. I thought wow, that sounds brilliant. I tried it on my ceiling fan and have done it since then. When you use a pillow case, it removes the dust and catches it so it doesn’t fall to the ground and make a big mess. You can see the inside of the pillow case in the photo above, all the dust is collected simply inside the pillow case and zero dust on the floor.
If you have really dirty ceiling fans, make sure to grab a few pillow cases. When the pillow case gets too dirty, it won’t get the dust off as well. You might end up needing two pillow cases for one fan, if it has a large amount of dust on the blades.
Use an Extendable Ceiling Fan Cleaner For Light Cleaning
I don’t like this tip as much when the blades are really dirty, but if you do this every few weeks, it keeps the dust away longer. I have this extendable ceiling fan cleaner and I can reach up to all my fans and quickly clean!
There are several types of extendable cleaning tools to use for your ceiling fan. The poly fiber type you see in the photo. I actually like this rigid texture for the blades when there isn’t as much dust. I recommend not use the extendable pole as long as it will go because it can pull on the blades depending on how high your fan is. I like to stand on a little step stool and make sure I have a good angle without having to pull too hard on the blades. My cute baby boy likes to “assist” me with this lol (picture below).
You can also go with a microfiber head on an extendable blade cleaner. The microfiber works different and it is smoother, so it catches all types of dust as well. They make many models that are handy to use. Here are some of my favorites.
What Method Works Quickest Without The Mess?
To me, the most successful ceiling fan cleaning hacks are ones that not only work quick, but also eliminate a large mess on your furniture or floor.
For dirty blades, always use the pillow case method first to catch all the dust. It is the quickest and most mess free tip! Follow up with the homemade ceiling fan cleaner in this post and you have a perfectly clean fan.
If you periodically clean blades with one of the extendable poles we mention, you can also have clean blades in just a few minutes! The key to using this tip is to make sure you are doing this when the dust is minimal and hasn’t piled up on the blades. Again, follow up with the DIY cleaner for the other parts of the fan and it will also be clean.
Follow on Facebook | Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Hometalk
I really need to find someone to clean my ceiling fans as I am no longer able to do it
It is definitely a harder task to do. I wasn’t able to do it several years myself after a bad knee surgery
I use this cleaner a few weeks ago, and it worked SO good! I have never had anything work that well. I love your tips!
Oh that’s great! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Did you know that Dawn dish soap is toxic.
The environmental working group has analyzed the ingredients in Dawn dish detergent and awarded it a D rating. This is the second-worst score possible and is classed as High Concern – Likely hazards to health or the environment.
The following ingredients were found to be of particular concern:
Methylisothiazolinone – This ingredient, which acts as a preservative is rated as having high concern for “acute aquatic toxicity” which, in simple terms, means it is hazardous to fish and marine life. (I am highly allergic to this. I was ill for over a year after exposure)
Pei-14 Peg-24/Ppg-16 Copolymer – Used in Dawn dish soap as a cleaning agent, but concerns around this chemical include links to cancer, organ effects, skin irritation, and damage to your vision.
Fragrances – There is concern that the term “fragrances” is an unspecified ingredient. It may have links to skin irritation and allergies, as well as being a further cause of acute aquatic toxicity.
Blue #1 – Used as a colorant, but has concerns regarding effects on the nervous system, skin irritation, and cancer.
Yellow #5 – Used as a colorant, but has concerns regarding general system and organ effects, and cancer.
https://theroundup.org/is-dawn-dish-soap-bad-for-the-environment/
We have several articles on our website about Dawn. As I mention often, I use Dawn in homemade cleaners because it works the best. I don’t use it on my dishes or anything. You are using about 1 tbsp per recipe…it has far superior cleaning power. So, most people use it in small portions to ensure the best results. You can substitute other concentrated dish soap, but as readers have said (and anyone else who tests cleaners), the cleaning power won’t be as strong. I have a degree in chemistry, so I am well aware of the ingredients.
On a side note, I take the environmental working groups data with a grain of salt as well due to their continued errors and discrepancies in information. EWG’s ratings are often based on subjective judgments about the potential health risks of ingredients, rather than purely scientific evidence, they may not always consider the context in which chemicals are used or the actual exposure levels that are likely, and the data they use can be limited or outdated, and their interpretation may not always align with the consensus of the scientific community. This comes from colleagues who are scientists, but also colleagues of mine who are holistic experts in eliminating toxins. This is why you should always use it as a resource, not something that makes or breaks your decisions on products 🙂