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Spring Cleaning

Take it From the Top: Tips & Tricks for Cleaning Ceiling Fans and Fixtures

Written by

Taryn Williford
Taryn Williford
Taryn is a writer, editor, content strategist, and homebody from Atlanta. I might have helped you declutter your apartment through the magic of a well-paced email newsletter. Or maybe you know me from The Pickle Factory Loft on Instagram.
updated Apr 30, 2019
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(Image credit: Minette Hand)

I have to fess up: our end goal, with this spring cleaning plan, isn’t a totally spotless home, top to bottom. We’re all here to tackle our seasonal cleaning slowly—20 minutes at a time—over the course of 20 days. So, you know, life is going to happen in between. That’s why I try to remind you not to fuss over the papers on your desk or the dirty towels in the bathroom—we’re setting our focus on those one-in-a-while sorts of deep cleaning tasks to get our homes in exceptionally serviceable shape for the season ahead. Don’t sweat the little stuff; you’ll get to that in time with your regular routine.

With that said (er—typed?), the very next push in our plan is a quintessential spring cleaning task, I think. One of those things you never think to do until cleaning season rolls around.

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(Image credit: Ashley Poskin)

TODAY’S 20-MINUTE TASK

Clean Your Ceiling Fans and Light Fixtures

As all fans and light fixtures are not created equal, I have to leave this one up to you— and trust that you know what needs to get done in this department. But I do have some tips and tricks that might make the job easier:

  • Before you start, leave a big towel or drop cloth on the ground (or the furniture) below the fixture to catch anything that falls. Easy cleanup!
  • To clear dust from ceiling fan blades, use a pillowcase. Carefully use the pillowcase to cover each blade of the fan, then grip down and slide the pillowcase off to trap any collected dust inside. When you’re through, take the pillowcase outside, turn it inside out, and shake the dust off. You can launder the pillowcase right after. (Here’s a video that can demonstrate how it’s done.)
  • You can remove glass globes and covers and get them sparkling clean by leaving them in a bucket with denture tablets.
  • To dust around intricate parts of a beautifully detailed fixture, you can use a clean, dry paintbrush.

Here are some other resources you might find helpful:

Do you have any tips to share for getting light fixtures and fans clean?

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Cleaning
Spring Cleaning