How to Clean Your Ceiling Fan

While it may not be noticeable at first glance, ceiling fans are the perfect dust traps. They are constantly moving the air in the room and everything along with it. Over time dust, dirt, and other particles clump together to form a thick and sickening layer on top of your ceiling fan blades. This guide will show you how to keep your ceiling fan and fan blades clean with four simple steps in under 20 minutes.

Why Do You Need to Clean Your Fans?

Some of you may be thinking: a little dust never hurt anybody, so what is the big deal?  

While some dust may not seem concerning, the dust does not remain entirely on your ceiling fan. Every time you run your ceiling fan, the dust on top of the blades spreads throughout the room, into the air you breathe, and eventually your lungs. If you have family members who suffer from respiratory diseases or allergies, unhealthy air quality can severely impact their health. To keep clean and healthy air flowing throughout your home, follow the steps below!

Gathering Your Materials

Before you begin, collect the following materials:

  • A step ladder
  • A cleaning rag
  • A cleaning solution of your choice, preferably without harsh chemicals that may damage your ceiling fan finish
  • A large sheet or plastic cover

IMPORTANT: To avoid serious injury, turn off your ceiling fan before getting near it.  

How to Clean a Ceiling Fan

  1. Prepare Your Area

Because your ceiling fan hangs above everything in your space, you must begin by preparing the surrounding area. If possible, move any furniture or items out of the way to avoid contaminating them with dust. If you cannot physically remove a piece of furniture out of the way, take your large sheet or plastic and cover anything directly below your ceiling fan to protect it from falling dust.

  1. Cleaning the Blades

After you have prepared your area, it is best to begin the cleaning process with the ceiling fan blades.

  • Grab your cleaning solution and pour some onto your cleaning rag until it is slightly damp.
  • Using your step ladder, get near your ceiling fan blades. *Make sure your fan is off and the blades are not moving.
  • Place your cleaning rag at the base of the blade, the edge closest to the motor hub, and wipe downwards towards the tip of the fan blade. *Be careful not to put too much pressure when wiping, as this can cause an imbalance in the blade pitch.
  • Repeat these steps until you have wiped down each of the blades.
  • After you’ve wiped down the surface of the blades, you may want to rinse your cleaning rag.
  • Go back to your ceiling fan and wipe down all of the hardware that connects the ceiling fan blades.

  1. Cleaning the Motor Hub

Now it’s time to move on to your ceiling fan’s motor hub and adjacent components.

  • Take a different cleaning rag that is completely dry and clean.
  • Gently wipe off any dust from the motor hub and surrounding hardware.

*Be careful not to get any liquid inside the motor hub, as this can cause damage to your ceiling fan motor.

  1. Cleaning the Light Cover

We have saved the trickiest step for last: cleaning the ceiling fan lighting component. This step will depend entirely on the model of your ceiling fan.

If you have a Smafan Smart ceiling fan with LED lighting:

  • Carefully remove the LED light cover by twisting it in a counter clock motion.
  • Using a dry cleaning rag, gently wipe down the light cover on the outside and inside.
  • Put the light cover back and twist it in a clockwise motion to secure it into place. *To avoid serious injury, secure the light cover properly.

If you have a different ceiling fan model or brand, refer to your instruction manual for directions on removing the light cover or lampshade without damaging any components.

Some Tips from the Smafan Professionals:

To make your life a little easier during future cleanings, we asked our team at Smafan to share their favorite ceiling fan cleaning hacks. Here are the top 5:

  1. Don’t Forget the Accessories:

    Make sure you also clean your ceiling fan accessories like your ceiling fan wall switch and remote control! We all know these devices can be germ magnets, so wipe them down with an anti-bacterial solution. This is also a great time to replace the batteries if needed.

  2. Try a Dust-Repelling Spray:

    Next time you wipe down your blades, use a dust-repelling spray afterward. You can find this at almost any store and it can help prevent a thick layer from forming on top of your fan blades.

  3. Switch the Fan Direction:

    If you have a traditional ceiling fan, this is a great time to adjust your ceiling fan direction; make sure it is in downdraft mode for the summer and updraft mode for the winter. If you have a Smafan Smart fan, switching directions is super simple using the Smart App or remote control!

  4. Try Using a Microfiber Cloth:

    When searching for the best cleaning rag, try one made of microfiber. Microfiber is a perfect material for trapping dust off of many surfaces.

  5. Try the Pillowcase Hack:

    If you want to avoid cleaning up the residual mess, try cleaning your fan blades using the pillowcase hack. Instead of wiping down the fan blades with a cleaning rag, you wipe them down with a pillowcase so that all the dust remains trapped inside.

*For additional maintenance tips, check out our helpful Maintenance Tips post!

Remember that consistency is crucial! When properly maintained, Smafan’s premium ceiling fans can deliver comfortable cooling and lighting for many years. Make sure to perform regular cleaning and maintenance to save time, effort, and money with Smafan.