What are the best ways to clean your ceiling fans — and how often should you clean them?

Dust is an irritating fact of life. It's everywhere and gathers on everything in our homes — ceiling fans are no exception, despite the fact they spend a good proportion of their existence in motion.

In addition to being unsightly, large build-ups of dust can also trigger asthma and allergy symptoms and affect the appliance's performance.

But what are the best methods for cleaning a ceiling fan – and how often should you clean it?

Protect your airways

Some research in the United States estimates about a third of indoor dust comes from sources inside our homes, but studies have also shown household dust can contain a variety of nasties, including trace metals, microplastics, antibiotic-resistant genes and even radioactive elements.

For this reason, sustainable cleaning expert Krissy Ballinger, from Boorloo/Perth, says you should always wear a face mask — and ideally, one with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter — when cleaning dust-covered surfaces such as ceiling fans.

"There are also chemicals from cleaning products, heavy metals, bacteria, viruses — even pesticides and herbicides in dust — and you're going to find all that [when cleaning].

"So, I would wear a mask to protect your airways."

Firstly, remove loose dust

Before wiping down the fan blades, Ms Ballinger advises using a stepladder and vacuum to remove any loose dust from the fan's surfaces.

"Vacuum it up first, as best you can," she says. "Otherwise [you're] just going to spread the dirt further, turn it into mud and it's going to be harder to clean."

It's also a good idea to place a sheet underneath the fan to protect surfaces such as beds and lounges from any dust that is dislodged.

"Because most of our bedroom fans sit right on top of the bed [and] it will be messy work."

Wiping down

You don't need to use any fancy cleaning products to wipe the remaining dust from the fan blades; a mixture of warm, soapy water and a regular household cloth will do the job.

"I would use something like Castile soap — it's a natural, olive oil-based soap and it's available everywhere these days," Ms Ballinger says.

"But a little bit of dishwashing soap is fine for your average person who may not want to go out and buy Castile soap, and just wipe it down with a cloth until it's clean.

"It's that easy — it doesn't have to be complicated."

If you do opt for a cleaning spray, apply the product and wipe the damp surface off with a dry cloth. You can also make your own cleaning spray by blending white vinegar and water.

"I use something called citrus cleaning spray, which I make by soaking orange and lemon peels in vinegar and straining it, and I use that to clean everything," Ms Ballinger says.

Other cleaning hacks

Some social media users swear by microfibre cloths for cleaning ceiling fans, and although Ms Ballinger agrees they can be an effective tool, she says they are not the most ecologically friendly approach due to the fibres being released into the water during washing.

Another fan-cleaning hack that has gained popularity on TikTok and Instagram is using an old pillowcase to cover your fan blades.

"The pillowcase trick is a good one because by putting a pillowcase over the arm of the ceiling fan, you're catching everything," Ms Ballinger says.

But she still advises vacuuming the surface first and says "the cotton on the pillowcase isn't going to be as effective as a cleaning cloth that has been wet, so you might still need to do that".

Keeping it clean

It might sound obvious, but the key to preventing dust build-up on your fans is giving it a thorough vacuum and wipe-down and making it part of your regular cleaning regimen.

"Get it clean, and then try to get up there every six weeks or so and give it another clean," Ms Ballinger says.

"We look for convenience; people want things to be quick and easy and if you could just stop dust from gathering in the first place, it wouldn't be a problem.

"But with dust, it's everywhere, and it's impossible to stop it from settling — it's got to settle somewhere and really, you just have to stay on top of it."