You might be wondering why it is important to clean your fan. Fans are a popular appliance in many homes because they provide coolness, especially during hot weather. They are used every day so it is inevitable that they gather dirt. You might notice your fan with dirt around the edges. In this article, we will discuss why it is important to clean your fan and how dust can affect your home and health.
Why is it important to clean your fan? It is important to clean your fan because dust and dirt build-up can cause risk to your health and can also damage the fan. Once the fan is turned on, the dust will fly all over the room which can cause allergies. This is a health risk, especially for people who have asthma and other respiratory diseases. Aside from that, the dust gathered on the blades of the fan can be too heavy and cause it to spin slower. If the motor of the fan is covered in dust, it can overheat.
You might notice the fans in your home gathering dust even if you have just cleaned them a few days ago. This is because the blades of the fan are dust magnets. Cleaning a fan is easy, but it can take some effort in dismantling and assembly. If you have ceiling fans, they are more challenging to clean because they are out of reach and you need to stand on a chair or stool to clean them. However, cleaning the fans in your home is necessary to avoid health risks and to prolong the life of the appliance.
Why Do I Need to Clean My Fan?
Cleaning your fan will extend its life, improve its efficiency, reduce fire risk, provide better air quality and reduce electric costs. Make sure to regularly clean your fan especially if someone in your house has allergies or respiratory issues. A dirty fan will affect the quality of air inside the room and you may be breathing dust that can trigger illnesses. Let us delve more into these reasons below.
To Improve the Efficiency of the Fan
One of the reasons why you need to clean the fan is to improve its efficiency. A clean fan will perform efficiently because no dust and debris limit its performance. Dust can gather at the blades of the fan making it too heavy which puts a lot of pressure and stress on the appliance. Moreover, dust can get into the motor of the fan and causes a clog which can lead to damage.
To Extend the Life Span of the Fan
Another reason why you need to clean the fan is to extend its lifespan. A dirty fan will work harder which causes a lot of stress that can wear out its motor and shorten its lifespan. Cleaning your fan will make sure that it is working properly and efficiently.
To Prevent Expensive Maintenance and Repairs
By cleaning your fan, it will be properly and you can avoid expensive maintenance and repairs. Do not let your fans accumulate dust and dirt because it will end up putting a lot of stress on the fan and can overheat or overload. Aside from that, dust and dirt that gets stuck into the internal parts of the fan can be too hard to remove.
To Save Energy
A dirty and dusty fan will work harder so that it can move air throughout the room. As a result, it will consume more energy. At the end of the month, you might notice an increase in your energy bill. You can avoid this by cleaning your fan regularly.
To Provide Better Air Quality
If the fan is dusty and dirty, the dust and dirt will circulate into the air that you are breathing once it is turned on. If you have allergies or respiratory issues, this can trigger an attack. Moreover, if the fan is dirty, it can also serve as a breeding ground for bacteria, germs, and molds. Check your fans because you might be exposing your family to contaminated air.
To Prevent the Risk of Fire
A dirty fan can also trigger a fire. If there is too much dust and dirt that accumulates on the fan, it can be a fire hazard. The motor can overheat and cause a fire inside the room. You can also read this article that discusses what type of ceiling fan is most efficient. We have shared helpful information that you can refer to.
How Often Do I Need to Clean My Fan?
Generally, you need to clean your fan every two to three weeks. On the other hand, this will also depend on the type of fan that you use, how often you use it, the amount of dust gathered on the fan, and where you place the fan.
What is the Type of Fan That You Are Using?
You need to consider the type of fan that you are using. You might be using an oscillating fan or a ceiling fan. This will determine how often you need to clean it. For instance, if the fan is controlled by a switch, then cleaning it will be easy and does not need to be done often.
Are You Using the Fan Indoor or Outdoor?
Another thing that you need to consider is the location of the fan. Is it indoors or outdoors? Fans that are located outdoors accumulate more dust and dirt as compared to those who are located indoors. Because of this, you need to clean outdoor fans more often.
How Often Do You Use the Fan?
You also need to think about how often you are using the fan. If you are using it every day, then it will accumulate dust and dirt and should be clean regularly. On the other hand, if you are only using it during the summer season, then you need to clean it once a month and clean it again before storing it during the winter season.
What is the Amount of Dust Accumulated?
How often you need to clean the fan will also depend on the amount of dust that it accumulates. If you notice that the fan gathers dust quickly, then you need to clean it often. If you are always opening the windows of your house, dust can get in and can gather in the fan. You can close the windows to reduce dust accumulation. We have also shared this article titled, does dust affect a fan? You can check out the article for more tips and information.
✅ Video – How to Deep Clean a Dusty Standing Fan and Maintain It
Fix it Uncle shared the video below on YouTube. It discusses how to deep clean a dusty standing fan and maintain it. Cleaning a fan can be a bit challenging because it requires dismantling and assembling. On the other hand, you do not have to worry because, with just a few practices, you will find out that it is easy to do. Watch the video for more information.
Will The Efficiency of the Fan Improve if You Clean it Regularly?
The efficiency of the fan will improve if you clean it regularly. If the fan is dusty and dirty, it will not work to its fullest potential. Dust can gather in the edges of the blades which can make it a lot heavier and the fan will work harder to rotate. It will affect the speed of the fan. The dust can also be too heavy for the blades that it will start to whirl and move every time it is turned on. Aside from that, you might also notice noise coming from the fan.
Can I Use a Hose to Clean My Fan?
A hose can be used to clean the fan but you mustn’t get the motor or the housing of the fan wet. Make sure that the fan is unplugged when you clean it. If you use a hose, you need to be very careful. Take note that the fab operates with the use of electricity. When water gets into the motor and housing of the fan, it can ignite when plugged and turned on which can cause a fire. You can also read this article that discusses if fans circulate hot air. We have shared helpful information that you can refer to.
When is the Best Time to Clean Your Fan?
The best time to clean your fan is as soon as you notice that there are dirt and dust on the blades or the housing. On the other hand, this is not always followed because some would wait until the dust has accumulated in the fan before cleaning. Take note that fans do not only collect dust and dirt, but they can also be a breeding ground for fungi, mold, and bacteria that can be released into the air once the fan is turned on.
Do not wait for a long time before you clean the fan. The dust can also get into the motor of the fan and cause damage that can be expensive to repair. A dusty and dirty ceiling fan will not perform efficiently. The stress that the dust puts into the appliance can cause it to consume more energy which increases your energy bills. Make sure to clean your fans once or twice a month depending on how dusty and dirty it gets.
How Do You Clean Fans with Non-Traditional Blades?
Cleaning fans with non-traditional blades can be a bit challenging. If the blades of your fans are covered in fabric or are textured, you need to use a handheld vacuum attachment. This will effectively remove dust and debris from the non-blades. For hard-to-remove stains or grime, you can use a moist microfiber cloth or rag. You can also check out this article that discusses if retractable ceiling fans are worth it. We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed why it is important to clean your fan. We have found out that a dusty and dirty fan can cause health and property risks. It can trigger allergies, increase energy bills, and damage the fan. Make sure to clean your fan regularly to void expensive repairs and to make sure that your family is breathing clean air. Thank you for reading!