If you own a ceiling fan, you certainly know the benefits that come from using them. A ceiling fan is a useful tool year-round, as it can help cool the room in the summer, saving on expensive air conditioning costs. It also helps to rotate the warm air in the winter, saving on heating bills as well.
Ceiling fans today have been made more energy-efficient and quiet than ever before. The money-saving benefits, coupled with the lifetime guarantees that many of them come with, make ceiling fans a smart investment for every homeowner.
However, part of enjoying a ceiling fan is keeping it clean. When the fan isn’t on, dust accumulates on the blades, so when you turn it on again, in addition to moving around the air, the fan is also moving around the dust as well. This is not good for allergy sufferers or anyone who likes to keep a clean home.
Fortunately, keeping your ceiling fan clean is not as difficult as it may look, regardless of how high up it is. The following are some tips for keeping ceiling fans clean:
Before cleaning, make sure the fan is off. This may sound like a no-brainer, but many people try sticking a duster up while the fan is going with the hopes that it will easily sweep away all of the dust. However, keeping the ceiling fan off can injure you and damage the blades.
Get a step ladder or sturdy chair to stand on. Make sure it is tall enough that you can see the blades without straining or stretching. Once you are on the ladder, turn the blades (carefully, so as not to damage them or throw you off balance) until you can easily reach them.
As far as cleaning the blades goes, you have a number of options. You can use a paper towel, a rag, a duster, or a special tool designed specifically for cleaning ceiling fans. If you use paper towels or rags, you can use an all-purpose cleaner on it, or you can just use a damp cloth. It’s best to check the manufacturer of your fan to see what they recommend for cleaning. Often, the warranty is void if you clean it in a way other than what is recommended and damage or discoloration occurs.
Keep turning the blades until they are all clean. As a general rule, your fans should be thoroughly cleaned this way about once every two months, minimum. If your home is more prone to dust build-up, or if you have allergy sufferers in your home and want it to be as dust-free as possible, you may want to clean it more often.
Day-to-day maintenance of your fan can be a quick dusting with a special duster designed specifically for higher or hard-to-reach places. A good duster to use for this is an ostrich-feather duster. These are preferable because the dust sticks to the feathers themselves instead of being spread or pushed throughout the room. You can find specialized dusters for ceiling fans in hardware stores.
Ceiling fans are a great way to move air-both cool and hot-around your rooms and can save you a great deal on your heating and cooling bills. Keep your fans clean and in good working order by following these tips.
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