How To Clean a Fan Without Taking It Apart: Tips and Tricks

Prolong the life of your oscillating, window or box fans by cleaning them without the hassle of taking them apart with these tips.

Dear Dollar Stretcher,
It’s getting warm, which means we’ve gotten our fans out. Do any of your readers have tips for cleaning all the dust and stuff from fans that don’t come apart? I can’t unscrew them and get inside, and the casing is just absolutely filthy.

I tried to clean my fans with cotton swabs and a toothbrush, and it got rid of some of the dust and gunk, but some of it just moved around and now it looks even worse. Thanks! I hate to spend money on new fans.
Mama J.

How Do You Clean a Fan Without Taking It Apart?

We asked our frugal readers how they clean window and oscillating fans so they do not need to be replaced as often. See if any of the cleaning tips below can help you prolong the life of any fans you have in your home.

Editor’s note: We have not tested these reader tips. What worked for someone else’s fan could possibly ruin yours. But most of these tips should not damage your fan if you use a gentle hand.

Safety First: Always start by unplugging your fan. Safety is paramount, and you don’t want any unexpected starts or shocks while cleaning.

Use a Leaf Blower

Provided you use this method religiously at the end of every fan season and the beginning of the next, I’ve found that standing your fan up in your garage, carport, or driveway and using your leaf blower to blow the dust out of it works very well indeed.

If you let the dust accumulate to the point where the dirt solidifies on the fan, the leaf blower’s capabilities will be limited. Even then, though, it will accomplish something.
Sharon

Editor’s note: Or try a hairdryer on a high, cool setting.

Try a Vacuum Cleaner Nozzle

I’ve used my vacuum cleaner nozzle to clean our fans, and it works pretty well. The best bet, however, is to prevent the problem next year.

If you’ve not saved the fan box (I rarely save boxes), cover the fan with a contractor’s plastic bag when you store it during the cold months. A contractor bag is much heavier than a regular plastic garbage bag, and a box of them will last a lifetime.
Rebecca in Johnson City, TN

Two Ideas for Cleaning Fans Without Taking Them Apart

1. If you have an air compressor, take the fan outside and blow it out.
2. Find a long, thin-handled paintbrush (like a crafts brush) and try that. Most of the time that helps.

I have four indoor cats who love sleeping in front of the fan. Invariably, their fur gets “pulled” into the fan blades. I have found both these methods very helpful.
Sue

Clean Fans With a Degreaser

If it was manufactured, it comes apart one way or another. Most of the plastic fans look as though they don’t come apart, but the trick is to follow the seam on the edges where it comes together. I usually use a thin knife or screwdriver tip and carefully pry it apart. Metal may be welded and, indeed, impossible to open. Look for tabs and such where it may come apart. Those who are mechanically inclined may be useful here. If you do break it, a simple repair may be to use a twist tie or wire in a similar color and tie it together.

The cleaning is fairly easy. Obviously, make sure it’s unplugged. Use a degreaser (ammonia water is good here) and apply to a rag, wringing it out until it’s nearly dry in order to avoid getting moisture into the works. If you do make such a mistake, leave the fan in the sunlight for a day or two to let it dry out. Wipe the fan gently, cleaning the rag off regularly. If you use ammonia, be sure to rinse the same way but with clear water. Do not attempt the motor. Put the casing back on. Personally, I like to tape a cotton ball saturated with a bit of scent on the fan screen facing out.

Don’t use dish detergent, as it tends to be a bit gummy after it dries. I don’t use dish detergent on the floors for the same reason.
LynAnne

Clean Fans With Hot Steaming Water

One of the best cleaning investments I made was to buy a small, handheld steam cleaner. Sure, I paid about $55 for it up-front, but I’ve saved a lot.

First of all, it cleans all those nasty, grimy places (like fans, screen windows, floor duct vents, around faucets in bathrooms, in the corners of bathroom floors, and even your gas grill) with hot steaming water.

Second, I no longer buy cleaning products because all I need is my steamer and a towel to mop up the grime and water residue. It’s made cleaning kind of fun!
Gayle

Clean Off the Loose Dust With Sand or Salt

Try laying the fan flat on a sheet (blades pointing up or down) and pouring some clean, dry sand or salt through the grills so that it brushes off the fan blades and then spills through to the sheet. It should clean off the loose dust.
Evelyn

An Air Compressor Cleans Fan

For cleaning fans, my husband takes them out to the garage and blows them off with the air compressor. It gets 90% of the gunk off and then I can wipe them clean.
Crystal

Clean and Dry Fan Outdoors

You could try laying the fan outside on the ground and putting a dinner plate over the motor area. Then, spray the fan with a cleaner like 409 or Clorox. Let it soak a few minutes to loosen up the grime. Then, using the jet setting on your hose, blast it clean. Let it sit out in the sun until it is totally dry and it should be fine.

It’s a good idea to oil the center of the motor (if it’s accessible) with a lightweight household oil like you use for old sewing machines and door hinges. The fan will last longer.
Shawna in Barberton, Ohio

Try Auto Cleaner on Fans

Take the fans outside on a clear, sunny day. Spray them well with GUNK® (found in the auto section of Walmart). Let it set for a few minutes then hose the fan down well. Allow the fan to sit in the sun until dried. Make sure it’s dry.

We do this each season.
Stang

Try Simple Soap and Water

I have cleaned electric fans with soap and water. I didn’t submerge them but sprayed soapy water on the dirty blades and the grills and reached in with a long-handled brush to scrub. I did this three years in a row. After that, the fan didn’t work, but I considered it worth the risk.
Joyce

A Time-Consuming Option for Cleaning Fans That Works Well

I used to have a fan that I cleaned with a damp rag and a butter knife. It took forever, but I got it pretty clean that way. I unplugged it first of course. For only dust, a Swiffer should work okay.
Lisa

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Reviewed April 2024