Updated on June 5, 2024
Day 2: Clean Ceiling Fans and Light Fixtures. In just 31 days, get your home in tip-top shape. Working from the top down, today’s task is the fans and lights.
Welcome to day 2 of the 31 Days of Deep Cleaning Your Home series!
Clean Ceiling Fans and Light Fixtures
Today’s task is to clean ceiling fans and light fixtures.
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Supplies:
Clean Ceiling Fans
Remember, we work from the top to the bottom of each room.
To clean the ceiling fans, I typically use a damp microfiber cloth. Squeeze out as much water as possible.
If you have tough grime to remove, you can use a magic eraser or general-purpose cleaner. If you clean your fans twice a year, this task doesn’t take long.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Only our refinished ceiling fan in the main area of the house was really dirty. This is the one we use every day. The other four fans took me about 10 minutes total to clean.
Clean Light Fixtures
You may need to remove a few screws to pull the glass down for your light fixture. If there are no screws, you might need to unscrew the glass. It depends on each light fixture.
Wash the glass in the sink with warm, soapy water, dry it, and reinstall it.
For all the other fixtures, I use a damp microfiber cloth or a mixture of half water and vinegar to wash any glass that cannot be removed to wash in the sink.
Here is an embarrassing picture of my kitchen fixture. I don’t like this fixture, so I don’t usually clean it (silly, I know!).
BEFORE:
AFTER:
RELATED: Refinished Ceiling Fan
Clean Table and Floor Lamps
Lastly, don’t forget about your lamps. The light bulbs and shades can get very dirty.
To clean the shades, you can test a small spot with a barely damp microfiber cloth, dust it with your vacuum’s brush attachment, or use a lint roller to remove the dust. I have also had good luck using a lint roller.
Remember, if you feel overwhelmed or don’t have much time to devote to this task today, focus on your home’s dirtiest or most used rooms.
This post is part of the 31 Days of Deep Cleaning Your Home series. In just 31 days, you can get your home in tip-top shape.
This series includes deep cleaning lists, tips and tricks, ideas, and how-tos.
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bethnalgreencarpetcleaners says
I think that the microfiber cloths do amazing job as we talk about fan cleaning. Thanks a lot for the useful article and the useful tricks! Regards! Bethnal Green Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
Laura Silva says
Microfiber cloths really are the best!
maria smith says
I don’t know why I dread this job so much. It really doesn’t take too long to do a good deep cleaning on the fans. I think it’s that I don’t like working above my head.
Lauras Crafty Life says
It really doesn’t take that long at all! But man do they sure get dirty.
Shonda says
I’ll have to use my microfiber cloth on the lights. Good idea!
Lauras Crafty Life says
I love my microfiber cloths. I use them for everything. I am not a huge fan of chemicals to clean with, so I mainly use my microfiber cloths, water, vinegar and baking soda to clean just about everything! :)
Poppy (xperimentl) says
I recently tried out a tip that I saw where you use an old pillowcase to dust off your fans. You put it over your blade like a sleeve and swipe it, leaving the dust in the pillowcase instead of on your floor or furniture beneath it. I now have a designated flannel fan pillowcase.
Lauras Crafty Life says
That is a great tip! I have seen that somewhere before but have never tried it. Thanks for sharing! I will have to try that next time!
Kathy@DandelionsandDustBunnies says
It’s amazing how a little cleaning can make your lights look almost new again. I like to use my vacuum attachment when cleaning lamp shades. I can’t believe how dusty lights and fixtures get – now everything is brighter.