A dirty bathroom fan is great—if you’re a fan of mold, mildew, noise, and possibly a house fire. Luckily, a bathroom fan isn’t hard to keep clean. Here are the 7 steps I use to deep clean my bathroom fan.
By cleansing the cover, removing the fan, cleaning its housing and fins, and following the other steps in this article, you’ll be able to clean your bathroom fan in less than an hour.
Tools You’ll Need
You can’t go on a bathroom fan-cleaning adventure without securing a few supplies.
Here’s the list of tools and materials I use when cleaning my bathroom fan.
- Vacuum cleaner (with crevice attachment and brush attachment)
- Cleaning brush
- Refrigerator coil brush or sink brush
- Microfiber cloth or wipes
- Q-tip
- Dish soap
- Screwdriver
- Compressed air
- Plastic pry
- Flashlight or portable lamp
Safety First
Your bathroom fan is an electrical appliance, so it’s important to exercise caution before, during, and after cleaning it. If not, you risk electrocuting yourself, starting a domestic fire, or even damaging the fan or any of its components (light bulb, Bluetooth speaker, etc.)
To keep these risks at bay:
- Turn off the fan’s power. Some bathroom fans have switches for turning them on and off. If your bathroom fan has no switch, opt for the next precaution.
- Turn off the power to the whole bathroom. Find your circuit breaker box and flip the corresponding switch. You may need a flashlight or lamp to see while you’re working.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Bathroom Fan
Step 1: Remove the Fan Cover
When I clean my bathroom fan, I begin by removing the cover or grille. This gives me access to the fan and its components. It also makes it possible for me to thoroughly clean every nook and cranny of the grille itself.
If Your Fan’s Model Doesn’t Have a Light Bulb
Your grille is likely to be spring-loaded. To remove it, place both hands on opposite sides of the cover and gently pull it down. This will loosen it from the ceiling a little, but it won’t make it come off completely.
At this point, the spring-loaded metal clips holding the cover to the wall will become visible. The clips have two legs. Grab each leg with your fingers, pull them close together, and release. This should free the cover from the fastening.
If Your Fan Has a Light Bulb
Start by opening up the shield covering the light bulb. If there are tabs on each side of the shield, push them. If not, use a plastic pry to remove it.
Some models, especially older ones, may have a spring-loaded grille over the light bulb instead of a cover. In this case, follow the instructions in the previous section; pull down on the grille, push the clip legs together, and release.
After that:
- Take out the bulb, and underneath it, you’ll see the screw.
- Loosen and remove the screw with your screwdriver.
- Unplug the bulb holder.
- The fan cover is now free. Bring it down.
| Keep in Mind: The procedure for removing your grille may be different, depending on the type of bathroom fan you have. For me, it’s a spring-loaded variant. Seek out the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific model. |
Step 2: Wash the Fan Cover
I like to begin by using a brush to lightly scrub the front and back of the grille.
Afterward, I fill the sink with lukewarm water, add dish soap, and let the cover soak for a few minutes. This removes stubborn dirt and grime still attached to the cover.
Next, I remove the cover from the sink and scrub it with a brush. Once that’s done, I simply rinse the fan cover with lukewarm water and leave it to dry.
| Warning: If your cover has a bulb holder, don’t submerge it in water. Instead, begin cleaning with your vacuum, follow up with a brush, and conclude with a damp cloth. |
Step 3: Clean the Fan Without Removing It
While the cover is drying, my next task usually involves cleaning the bathroom fan without removing it from the ceiling. This is easier now that the grille is out of the way.
- Use the vacuum cleaner’s crevice attachment to suck up as much dirt as possible in and around the fan’s ‘squirrel cage’ or blade.
- Switch to the brush attachment to break up any stubborn build-up.
- Where your vacuum proves unhelpful, opt for a cleaning brush or refrigerator coil brush (for more flexibility).
- Repeat until the bathroom fan is dirt-free.
The idea is to get rid of as much dirt as possible. So, you can switch these steps as necessary. Just ensure you reduce the dirt, dust, and grime to the bare minimum.
Once you’ve done that, you can finish by wiping it down with a damp cloth.
| Note: No matter how tedious it gets, you must be gentle. If you’re too forceful, you may end up bending the fan’s blades or breaking its fins. Replacements aren’t cheap, and that’s if you even find them. In the worst case, you may need to get a new fan altogether. |
Step 4: Remove the Fan for Deep Cleaning
If you’ve gone through all the previous steps and your bathroom fan is not as clean as you’d like, or if you’re like me and you like to be thorough, you’ll need to bring it down for a more rigorous cleansing.
Some bathroom fans are secured with screws, while others are not. For the former, you’ll need to use your screwdriver to loosen all the screws. For the latter, you can just use your hands to pop out the fan from the housing.
Before bringing down the fan, I always make sure to unplug it from its housing.
Quick Tip: You’re going through all this trouble to clean your fan and prevent mold and mildew. To supplement your efforts to fight off moisture-related damage, consider reading our article on How to Prevent Mold in Your Bathroom.
Step 5: Clean the Fan’s Motor, Blade, and Fins
The method to use in cleaning your bathroom fan after bringing it out will depend on which fan design you’re working with.
- Is it a blade type?
- Or is it a ‘squirrel cage’ type?
Cleaning a Blade-Type Fan
Blade fans are the most common and easiest to clean. They feature several angled blades that rotate around a central axis.
First, lock in the crevice attachment and use your vacuum cleaner to suction the areas within and without the fan’s motor and blades. Then, use a lightly dampened microfiber cloth to wipe each blade and the fan’s motor. Leave it to dry.
Cleaning a Squirrel Cage Fan
This one is harder and messier to clean. Squirrel cage fans have a rotating drum inside with blades angled perpendicular to the rotating plane. The first step to cleaning a squirrel cage fan is to take it outside.
- I like to begin by vacuuming every inch of the fan’s motor and fins.
- Use compressed air to blow out debris.
- Use Q-tips to meticulously clean out any visible dirt that remains.
- Repeat the second and third steps until all dust is cleared off.
- Wipe with a damp cloth and leave to dry.
Step 6: Wipe Down the Housing
The cleaning isn’t over until all parts of your bathroom fan are dust-free. With the brush attachment, use your vacuum to remove dirt and debris. For corners that the vacuum can’t reach, opt for a refrigerator coil brush or sink brush.
Once that’s done, use a microfiber cloth to wipe it down and get rid of any remnants.
Step 7: Reassemble the Fan and Test it
Once the fan and its components are clean and completely dry, the next step is to put everything back together.
- Secure the fan to its housing.
- Plug the fan into the housing.
- If the bathroom fan has a light bulb, plug in the bulb holder.
- Secure the fan cover to the ceiling.
- Screw or fit the bulb into the lamp holder (if any).
- Cover the bulb with the shield.
- Toggle the bathroom fan’s switch and the circuit breaker.
- Fire up the fan.
| Final Note: The fan isn’t the only bathroom fixture that needs cleaning. To achieve an all-around hygienic bathing environment, read our article, “How to Clean Bathroom Fixtures.” |
FAQs About Cleaning a Bathroom Fan
You should clean your bathroom at least once every 6 months. With this timeframe, there won’t be too much dirt to clean out, and the process will be faster and easier.
Yes, you can clean your bathroom fan without removing the cover. All you have to do is scrub the external part of the grille with a cleaning brush or refrigerator coil brush. Alternatively, you could use the brush attachment with your vacuum and follow up with the crevice tool.
That said, this is only good for enhancing the outward appearance of your bathroom fan. If you want to reduce noise and improve the fan’s ability to prevent mold and mildew, you can’t avoid removing the grille.
Your bathroom fan should be on while you’re bathing and up to 60 minutes after you finish. This gives the fan ample time to remove moisture, steam, odor, and any other contaminants.
| Tip: To make things easier, get yourself a fan timer switch. |
Read More: How to Clean Your Bathtub
Main Image Credit: Shutterstock
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