Q. How do you clean a ceiling fan?
Linda Dumas
Aurora, Ohio

A. For ceiling fans that are reachable by stepladder, use a microfiber cloth to first wipe the fan’s motor housing, says Sonia Alexander Hill, a spokesperson for Merry Maids. Then use the same cloth to wipe off the dust and dirt from each blade. If you have a large amount of debris, you may want to use a can of compressed air to blow away the dust from the motor housing. Next, use a cloth and an all-purpose cleaner, such as Method’s Go Naked all-surface cleaner ($4, www.methodhome.com) to clean the blades thoroughly.

If your home has high ceilings and access to the fan is difficult, use extendable cleaning tools that are designed to clean hard-to-reach areas. Check out the Casabella Microfiber Ceiling Fan Duster ($20, www.casabella.com), which has a two-pronged head to clean both sides of the fan.

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