How to Clean a Box Fan

There's nothing like pulling a box fan out from winter storage and gagging at the thick layer of dust and dirt clinging to every part of the plastic frame. Regular cleaning means never having to go through the ordeal of getting an extremely filthy box fan into usable condition. Even just cleaning it once every season will help.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Rag
• Household all-purpose cleaner
• Screwdriver

1. Turn off the fan and unplug it. The last thing you need is to accidentally hit the knob while cleaning and turn the thing on.
2. Take off the box fan cover by unscrewing it from the rectangular housing.
3. Take the rag with a small amount of cleanser and patiently wipe in between every slat of the box fan cover. There will probably be dozens of these, since the plastic cover is engineered to accommodate air flow without letting fingers in. A quick jab into every slat of the fan should get most of the dirt out, but the more thorough, the better.
4. Disconnect the fan blade from the motor by removing circular mounts and/or unscrewing the blade.
5. Run the rag over all of the blade carefully, including both the front and the back of each blade, as well as any other parts that were exposed to dust.
6. Replace the fan blade and mounts, making sure they are tightly screwed on.
7. Put the cover back on.
8. Wipe off the fan housing.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you have enough materials to take care of the entire fan. Depending on the size of your rag and what's accumulated, you may find the rag is too dirty to effectively clean all areas. In this case, soak and rinse the rag, then wring it out and continue.

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