by Patrick Sills

Created on: November 14, 2009   Last Updated: November 15, 2009

Ceiling fans are a nice feature in any house. They keep the air in a particular room circulating year around, and in the warm summer months, they can keep an area relatively cool without the expense of running the air-conditioner. But there is a downside to having one of these products. Just like a conventional fan, dust will collect quickly. Not only will this compromise the efficiency of the fan itself, but the collected grime will eventually spread to the surrounding ceiling as well. This can clearly be seen in a brightly lit room; especially if your ceiling happens to be white! If negelcted long enough, spiders can colonize near the motor or even on top of the ceiling fan and spin nasty webs. Thus, it is important to keep these appliances clean.

Most ceiling fans will be located above dining room tables or beds; while a few will not. Obviously, a problem arises when the fan is directly above any item of furniture, for the dust and crud will have a tendency to fall onto it while cleaning. To minimize this, one can place an old sheet or tarp onto the surface to catch it. A better alternative is to use a vacuum cleaner with an extension pipe and a skinny attachment. Keep in mind that since ceiling fans are usually located in high places, you'll probably have to stand on a chair or ladder to reach it. The vacuum cleaner will get the worst of the accumulated dust, and because it will be sucked up through the skinny attachment, very little; if any, of this grime will fall to whatever lies below.

Once the vacumming is finished, it's time to take the next step to ensure a thorough cleaning. Use any variety of spray cleaner; such as Simple Green or Fantastik and spray the individual blades, the area covering the motor, and the top of the entire unit. Even Windex will work, take several paper towels or a wet rag and wipe these places down.

Next, you will want to remove any stubborn dust bunnies that have collected within the vents of the motor. If this is ignored and allowed to simply build up, the life of the motor will greatly be shortened. To put it another way, replacing ceiling fans can be quite expensive! To clean this area out, use a discarded toothbrush or better yet; a detailing brush as found in just about any automotive department. Hold a bowl underneath the section you're cleaning to prevent the dust from falling to the floor or whatever lies beneath. Vacuum any remaining dust from the ceiling nearby, and you're finished.

By keeping up with these simple steps a couple of times each month, your house will not only look better, but it will result in a healthier living environment. Finally, your ceiling fan should last for many, many years.

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