Hands up if you’re almost afraid to look up at your neglected ceiling fans as you know you’ll see months (ahhh, years) of caked-on dirt? 🙋🏻♀️🙈
Well, it’s okay, you’re not alone! After a recent request from the Australian Broadcasting Channel (ABC) for an interview on this (not-so-riveting 😆) topic, I thought I would write a helpful blog post on it. Link to article.
Why bother cleaning, especially ceiling fans?
Maintaining a clean home environment is crucial for promoting good air quality and preventing dust build-up, especially on often-overlooked areas like ceiling fans.
Not only does regular cleaning enhance air circulation, but it also contributes to a healthier living space by reducing allergens and pollutants.
Did you know that household dust particles contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and they are more prevalent indoors, with concentrations found to be up to ten times higher indoors than outdoors? What are VOCs? In Is Your Home Making You Sick? (a fab book by Peter Dingle) they are described as ‘a class of carbon-based chemicals, which evaporate easily at room temperature, giving off vapours that can be inhaled’. Sources include paint, carpeting, electrical appliances, furniture, adhesives, cleaning products and so on.
If that’s not reason enough to get cleaning, I don’t know what is!
Let’s clean those ceiling fans:
Step 1 – Safety first. I know it is probably obvious to most of you, but it has to be said – make sure the fan is off.
Step 2 – Often neglected during cleaning, but super essential: wear a mask. Protect your airways from inhaling those icky dust particles.
Step 3 – Protect the surfaces beneath the fan. A drop sheet over the bed or floor prevents you from spending as much time cleaning what’s under the fan as the fan itself.
Step 4 – Grab a step ladder and carefully get up there and vacuum those blades (a brush attachment is handy here).
❗️Speaking of vacuums, be sure to use one with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, if possible, to effectively capture dust particles. They are highly efficient at trapping tiny airborne particles, including dust, pollen, pet dander, mould spores, and even bacteria and viruses.
Step 5 – Once the loose dust is removed, use a natural cleaning solution like a bucket of soapy water (castile soap works great here, just a little squirt) or my Citrus Cleaning Spray. Using a cleaning cloth, wipe down the fan blades and housing.
Step 6 – If your blades feel sticky from the dust build-up, you might need to let the soapy water/vinegar solution sit on the blades for a few minutes before wiping. You might also find a touch of lemongrass essential oil will help remove any residual stickiness (just be careful with plastic blades as lemongrass is quite effective at almost melting plastic – so patch test if you’re unsure).
Step 7 – It’s all about the maintenance! I know, I know, easier said than done for most; however, making a habit of regularly dusting and cleaning your ceiling fans will prevent build-up in the first place, making for lighter work when you do get to the task.
So, there we have it. That’s not too hard, right? By keeping those ceiling fans clean, you are creating a healthier home environment for you and your family.
