2 Ways to Clean a Round Oscillating Fan

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Keep your fan dust-free with or without taking it apart

Co-authored by Guy Peters and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: February 26, 2024 Fact Checked

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Disassembling & Deep Cleaning

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Quick Routine Cleaning

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Expert Q&A

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Warnings

If your round oscillating fan isn’t blowing as hard and you see buildup in the grills, then it’s time to clean it out. While you can quickly clean it with a vacuum or compressed air, disassembling the fan to clean it is really easy and only takes a few extra minutes. Keeping your fan clean helps it work at full power and prevents dust from blowing around your home, and we’ll walk you through the whole process. Keep reading for how to do weekly maintenance and perform a deeper clean so your continues to work properly.

How to Disassemble and Clean a Round Fan

Take apart your fan by removing the front grill cover, undoing the blade cap, removing the fan blades, and taking off the back grill cover.
Then, wipe the grill covers and blades with a clean cloth and all-purpose cleaner. Let the pieces dry completely before reassembling your fan.
Or, to quickly clean a fan without taking it apart, go over the fan with the brush attachment on a vacuum. Alternatively, spray between the grills with compressed air.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Disassembling & Deep Cleaning

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Before you start working, find the power switch on your fan and set it to the Off position. Then, unplug your fan from the outlet to ensure your fan doesn’t power on while you’re taking it apart and cleaning it.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Guy Peters
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 27 September 2021.}
2
Unclip or unscrew the front grill cover from your fan. Look around the outside rim of the fan’s grill for small latches or screws holding the pieces together. Use a screwdriver to loosen any screws you find.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Guy Peters
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 27 September 2021.} If there are latches or clips around the grill, then gently pry them open by hand or with your screwdriver. After that, the front grill will easily slide off of the fan.^{[3]
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- Check the instruction manual that came with your fan to find the proper way to disassemble the model you have.
- If you don’t see any screws or clips, avoid trying to take the fan apart because you could damage it.
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3
Loosen the blade cap to take the fan blades off the motor. The blade cap is the circular piece in the center of the fan that holds the blade assembly in place. Turn the blade cap clockwise by hand to loosen it from the fan, and set it aside. Then, simply pull the blades straight forward to remove it from the fan.^{[4]
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- Fan blades can potentially be sharp, so be careful when handling them.
Usually, there are a few screws or a mounting nut holding the back grill to the fan’s motor assembly. Use a screwdriver or a pair of pliers to loosen the screws or nut so you can take the back grill off.^{[5]
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5
Wipe the grill covers and fan blades with all-purpose cleaner or soapy water. Wet a soft, clean cloth with an all-purpose cleaner or dampen it with a mix of warm water and dish soap. Gently scrub the built-up dust and dirt on the grills and fan blades with the cloth to remove it completely. Once you clean off as much dust as you can, rinse the pieces off with another clean, damp cloth.^{[6]
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- Alternatively, put the fan pieces in your sink or tub and let them soak in the soapy water for a few minutes to loosen the stuck-on debris. Just don't get any of the electrical parts wet or submerge them in water.
- If you have trouble getting into the fan’s grills, use the bristles of a cleaning brush.
Wipe the pieces down with a dry towel and lay them out to dry for about 10 minutes. Make sure the grills and blades are completely dry so the moisture doesn’t damage any of the fan’s electronics.^{[7]
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Start by sliding the back grill onto the fan’s motor assembly, and tighten the screws or locking nut that hold it in place. Then, put on the fan’s blades and screw the blade cap counter-clockwise until it’s hand-tight. Finally, slide on the front grill and clip or screw it in place.^{[8]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Quick Routine Cleaning

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1
Turn off your fan whenever you’re cleaning it. Before you start working, put the switch or dial on your fan to the Off position and let it stop running. Then, unplug it to disconnect it from power.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Guy Peters
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 27 September 2021.}
- Give your fan a routine cleaning once a week to help keep it running properly.^{[10]
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2
Wipe the outside of your fan with a damp cloth. Wet a cloth with water and wring it out completely. Go over the outside of the fan with the cloth to pick up any loose dust that’s accumulated on the surface.^{[11]
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- Avoid using any abrasive cloths or cleaners on your fan because you could damage the fan’s components.
3
Go over the fan grills using a vacuum with a brush attachment. Put the brush attachment onto your vacuum’s hose, and turn on your vacuum. Guide the brush bristles in between the fan’s front grills to remove dust from the surface and suck it up. Once the front of the fan looks clean, then go over the back grill the same way.^{[12]
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- If you don’t have a brush attachment, then hold the vacuum against the fan grill with one hand. With your other hand, put the bristles of a paintbrush between the grills to break apart the dust.
4
Blow dust out from the fan grills with a hair dryer or compressed air. Position your hair dryer about 6 inches (15 cm) from the front of the fan grill. Turn it on the highest setting to blow loose dust off the grill and blades inside. Then, go to the back grill of the fan and blow the air the same way.^{[13]
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Research source} Or, hold a can of compressed air a few inches from the grill and spray it short bursts to quickly break apart the dust.^{[14]
X
Expert Source

Guy Peters
House Cleaning Professional

Expert Interview. 27 September 2021.}
- Avoid cleaning your fan in a room with carpeting because the dust could easily spread and get stuck in the floor. Instead, work in your kitchen, garage, or yard to stop the mess from spreading.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What is the easiest way to clean a fan?

Guy Peters
House Cleaning Professional
Guy Peters is the Owner of MOP STARS Cleaning Service, a complete house cleaning service for residential and commercial clients, based in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 2014, MOP STARS provides regular, move in/out, deep, and commercial cleaning services. Guy has a BA in Finance from the California State University - Sacramento and an MBA from Cornell University.

Guy Peters

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

A vacuum hose can be helpful! Depending on the strength of your vacuum, you may be able to clean the fan with the hose tool.

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Question

How do you take apart a stand up fan?

Guy Peters
House Cleaning Professional
Guy Peters is the Owner of MOP STARS Cleaning Service, a complete house cleaning service for residential and commercial clients, based in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 2014, MOP STARS provides regular, move in/out, deep, and commercial cleaning services. Guy has a BA in Finance from the California State University - Sacramento and an MBA from Cornell University.

Guy Peters

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Use a screwdriver to remove the grate around the fan. Then, wipe down the fan's blades individually.

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Warnings

Avoid using cleaning cloths that are soaking wet to clean the fan’s main body because you could damage the internal electronics.

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Always disconnect power before cleaning your oscillating fan.

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