In the past we've talked about cleaning chandeliers with an umbrella, but this tip for taking care of your ceiling fans simply takes the cake. There's nothing we love more than a project that cleans up after itself without any fuss, muss, or chemical based products!
The fine folks over at Real Simple have suggested an easy, yet resourceful way to clean your ceiling fan. It's no secret that the tops of the blades, especially this time of year, are working overtime and laden with thick dust. Even though there are all sorts of commercial tools you can use to clean them, they suggest sliding a pillow case over each blade and wiping them clean.
The dust goes in the pillow case and can be repeated until all blades are clean. When you're done, take it outside and shake it to set those dust bunnies free once more! Read more at Real Simple.
Image: Flickr member taberandrew licensed for use by Creative Commons
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Try using wet Swiffer cleaning cloths - they work awesomely!
Or, perhaps more "green," a microfiber dusting cloth, which has similar dust "magnet" properties and can be washed and reused!
Um - Vacuum Cleaner brush attachment?
Dryer cloth? Or the ever-elusive damp paper towel?
The pillow case thing kind of gives me the heebie jeebies! I wouldn't want to rest my head on something used for cleaning. Or I'd have to set aside a pillow case specifically for fan-dusting. No thanks!
I agree amy good house--no way would I want those on my pillow after fan-dusting.
I second the microfiber dusting cloth. I pick these up for super cheap and have them all over the house for cleaning.
I think the point is that the dust that would be stirred up by a cloth gets trapped in the pillowcase. I have an extra one that will get some use this weekend for sure!
I love this idea, but would only use a pillowcase I had been planning on cutting up for rags.
This is great - am totally trying it this weekend!
This is a great idea! I tried this on my super dusty ceiling fans and had great success! I used dusting spray on the inside of the case & blogged about it here:
http://www.pinfluence.com/2011/10/10/simple-smart-clean-your-ceiling-fan-blades-with-a-pillowcase/
The Pillowcase is a GREAT idea! I am pretty sure you would not use a pillowcase that would go back into the linen closet....you would want to buy a pillowcase at the Goodwill and mark on it with permanent marker, that it is just for cleaning the ceiling fan.
I will definitely do this. I hate dusting them and stirring up the dust. Now I know why I have so many old pillow cases. I was just waiting on the tip! Thank You!
Oh, jeepers, it's just dust.
The pillow case you sleep on has your skin cells, drool, snot, and any facial or hair care products you use ground into it nightly. If a run through the washing machine can remove all that, it can remove any dust this procedure leaves on the pillow case. If you are really worried, run it through two wash cycles.
This method works well. And I haven't died from sleeping on the pillowcase after it was washed.
I would never reuse one of those pillow cases on my bed again. I have so many spares now that the children have grown and gone. The nice part is its all trapped inside. Take it out shake it and wash in hot water and bleach in washing machine. Fold and put away til next time
Wow. So where do you think dust comes from/is? It's your old skin cells and hair and stuff. It's likely to not have dust mites in it...they like warm and dark places like your pillow and mattress which you sleep on all the time. Just wash the case (sunlight and heat - either from the dryer or the hot wash cycle if you like to waste energy) would kill them anyway, although they are way more likely to inhabit the pillowcase your sleeping on over the course of time in between regular washes. Bleach is completely unnecessary. Truly, your normal cases and sheets have just as much ex-body material.