While cleaning your home, no surface must be neglected. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Sometimes people just don’t want to go through the trouble of hard to reach spaces. Other people may not know how to clean neglected surfaces. Continue reading to see how to clean your bathroom exhaust fan.
Your bathroom exhaust fan is used for many reasons. One reason, in particular, is temperature regulation.
Another reason and more important reason for a bathroom exhaust fan is bacteria prevention.
Your bathroom is a breeding ground for mold and mildew. A dirty bathroom exhaust fan can actually contribute to the rapid spread of mold.
Speaking of mold, if you are trying to get rid of mold from your bathroom ceiling, click here to find out how!
Why Should I Clean My Bathroom Ceiling Exhaust Fan?
Anyways, according to Moldblogger.com, it is crucial to clean your bathroom exhaust fan for many reasons.
First off, cleaning your bathroom exhaust fan makes it much easier to clean the rest of your bathroom.
Due to the fact that you no longer have dirt and dust circulating around the room, there is not much buildup of dirt around the bathroom.
Second of all, having a clean bathroom exhaust fan provides significant odors in your household. As dirt and grime continue to build up, it starts to give off a foul odor. Who wants that? Grab some dish soap and essential oils, get to work!
Lastly, having a filthy bathroom exhaust fan can cause irreplaceable damage! Dust, dirt, and mildew buildup, and it affects the quality of your exhaust fan.
Replacing the fan or hiring someone else to clean your fan can cost tons of money! To prevent putting a dent in your wallet, just clean your bathroom exhaust fan regularly!
Get your products ready, roll up your sleeves, and get to cleaning!
Time
The entire process from removing your exhaust fan to screwing it back on your bathroom ceiling is pretty lengthy. There are multiple parts to the fan that needs to be cleaned thoroughly. If this is your first time, you may take a bit longer to adjust and get this task done correctly. Overall, you should expect to take around 90 min minutes to complete this chore.
Cost
Although it may take a little while to clean your bathroom exhaust fan, it does not cost much. All you need are some basic household necessities. Even if you don’t have the items on you at the moment, you can absolutely find these items in bulk size at the dollar store! All in all, you will be spending about $15 to clean your bathroom exhaust fan. Not bad at all!
Materials Needed to Clean Bathroom Exhaust Fan
- Warm water
- Scrub brush
- Mild dish detergent
- Microfiber cloth
When all is said and done, and your area is clean, where do you store your cleaning products? Some people have an entire area designated to their cleaning products while others store their products where they see fit. It starts with something as small and simple as cleaning products but then travels to hygiene products, hair products, blankets, and clothes. Before you know it, your entire house is cluttered chaos; you almost feel like you can’t breathe.
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Step 1: Get Ready, Get Prepped
Before you start cleaning your fan, you must turn off any electrical components before putting any soap and water near it.
This means turning off your breaker, if possible, as well as turning off the fan itself.
You can find your breaker in an area of your house that typically has low traffic, such as a basement or closet. It is a large metal box flushed into your wall.
After you have turned off all of the electrical components of your bathroom exhaust fan, is it time to remove the cover.
In order to do this, all you need to do is to gently pull down on the cover to expose the exhaust fan. Be sure not to pull down too hard to avoid breaking something. Next, squeeze the mounting wires and slide them straight out of the socket. This should ensure that you have entirely removed the cover from your bathroom exhaust fan.
Lastly, it is recommended that you cover up the fan motor to avoid it from getting wet while cleaning the blades.
Now you’re ready to start cleaning!
Tip: If there are no windows in your bathroom, be sure to have a flashlight on deck to avoid any hazards.
Step #2: Clean The Cover
You’ve just removed your bathroom exhaust fan cover, but do not put it down just yet. It’s time to clean that cover!
Ideally, your cover takes some of the most dirt due to the fact that it is the outer shield to the bathroom exhaust fan.
The easiest way to clean your bathroom exhaust fan cover is just to let it soak. Drop the cover into a tub of hot water mixed with soap. Mix one part mild dish detergent to two parts hot water.
Let the bathroom exhaust fan cover sit and soak while you’re cleaning the rest of your bathroom exhaust fan.
Once everything else is cleaned, pull the cover out of the tub and rub off any lingering residue with a microfiber cloth. I cannot stress this enough; let the bathroom exhaust fan cover dry entirely before you reassemble. It becomes a hazard if you reassemble anything while still wet!
Step #3: Brush Off The Blades
Next, you want to move on to the blades, ideally the core of your fan. The blades do accumulate a lot of dust, and they must be cleaned regularly.
For this step, you are most likely going to need a ladder. Be sure to keep yourself safe on the ladder. Ensure that you are always facing the ladder while you’re climbing it, keep your body in the center of the step and always maintain 3-point contact (one hand, two feet or two hands, one foot).
Once again, it is recommended that you remove the blades from the ceiling prior to cleaning. While removing the blades, be sure to wear gloves as the blades are sharp (despite their appearance) and can potentially cut you.
To do so, use a screwdriver that corresponds to the screws holding up your exhaust fan. Unscrew the fan from the ceiling, and that’s it!
Utilizing a scrub brush or microfiber cloth and your soap/ water mixture, gently scrub your blades in circular motions to ensure that you are reaching the entire surface.
If you cannot remove the fan from the ceiling, you can always use a vacuum attachment. All you need to do is vacuum the debris from the blades, and you’re done with cleaning your blades!
Step #4: Reassemble, Right!
At this point, you’ve completed cleaning your entire bathroom exhaust fan. It’s time to put the fan back together and get back to the rest of your day!
Basically, you’re going to work backward to put the pieces of your fan back together. First, you want to screw your blades back into the ceiling, next insert the mount wires, and lastly, put the cover back on your fan.
With just four simple steps, you can achieve a clean bathroom exhaust fan that looks as good as new!
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Frequently Asked Questions: How to Clean Bathroom Exhaust Fan
What can I do for any remaining stains?
You can use a lubricant like WD-40. This lubricant will break down any remaining dirt or dust that still may be lingering.
When is a good time to replace my bathroom ceiling exhaust fan?
Ideally, your fan should last you up to ten years with proper maintenance. If your fan has lasted that long, it is probably a good time to start looking for a new one as the quality will definitely start to decrease if it hasn’t already.
Are automatic bathroom exhaust fans worth it?
Absolutely! Automatic bathroom exhaust fans have humidity sensing which is something that other fans do not have.