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How to Clean the Fan Blades on a Portable Fan

Irene A. Blake

A portable fan, as its name states, is a fan that you can move to various locations such as desk, window, tower, pedestal and handheld fans. Vent exhaust fans are an example of non-portable fans. The blades of a portable fan collect dust and debris over time reducing the efficiency of the fan and potentially posing a fire hazard. Most portable fan designs have simple fan grill and blades assembly securing hardware. As a result, accessing and cleaning the fan blades usually only requires the removal of the front grill, a vacuum and damp cloths.

  1. Turn off and unplug your portable fan.

  2. Unclip and/or unscrew the front grill of the fan. If your grill has securing clips along the grill edges that hold the front and back grill together, simply pull out the clips away from the edges. If the grill has a securing cap at the center of the grill or screws along the edges, simply unscrew and remove the cap by hand or unscrew and remove the screws with a screwdriver.

  3. Remove the grill from the fan. Vacuum it with a nozzle or brush tool and then set it aside.

  4. Slide the fan blades assembly from the fan motor shaft.

  5. Vacuum the blades with your attachment to remove as much debris as possible.

  6. Wipe the blades carefully with damp, lint-free cloths when finished to dislodge any remaining dirt or oils. Dry thoroughly with another cloth.

  7. Push the fan blades assembly back onto the motor shaft.

  8. Clip or screw the front grill back into place. Plug in and turn on your fan.