One of the unsung heroes of your bathroom is the exhaust fan. You probably don’t give it any thought throughout the day until you need to switch it on, so it’s hard to blame someone for having a dirty bathroom exhaust fan. Months and years of use will cause your fan to accumulate dust, so make sure you get yours cleaned regularly so it works more efficiently.
What does a bathroom exhaust fan do?
Let’s start by talking about why your bathroom has an exhaust fan. Bathrooms can fill up with odors and moist air quickly because of toilet and shower use, and also because of their small size. Exhaust fans push smelly and moist air out either through the side of your home or through a port on your roof, depending on the design of your home. The dust particles in the air will cling to the fan blades and the face of the fan itself as a result of all that air pushing.
How to Clean your Bathroom Exhaust Fan Cover
If you need a step ladder, wrangle one up. While you’re at it, get a handheld vacuum cleaner, some rags, isopropyl alcohol and some general purpose cleaner. You could also grab a small brush like a toothbrush, as you may find it useful.
Be sure your exhaust fan is turned OFF. If you can go the extra mile and shut off the entire electrical circuit your fan runs on, do that for extra safety. Most newer fans have plastic or aluminum covers you will need to take off first. The covers usually pull down, revealing some springy metal rods you can pinch together to let you pull the whole cover down. Clean the cover with soap and water. If you find the cover has a residue on it from air fresheners or some other source, you can wipe it down with isopropyl alcohol after scrubbing it with soap and water.
How to Clean your Bathroom Exhaust Fan Blades
Inside the cover you will find the fan itself. This may be where you find most of the dust hiding. Use a vacuum with a narrow attachment to get corners and small spaces, then go over everything with a bush attachment to agitate hidden dust and pull it away. Hand vacuums are often best for this, but a long hose on a shop vacuum or floor vacuum can also do the trick. If you don’t have a brush attachment, use a small cleaning brush or toothbrush to free up dust.
The blades themselves usually get coated in a layer of dust, so wipe the blades down with a damp cloth to make sure you pick up as much of the dirt as possible. Put the cover back on the fan, turn the circuit back on, and give it a test run to make sure it’s still working.
Contact Maui Pumping for all your Septic System Needs
Now that you’ve got one cleaning job done, think about how long it’s been since your septic tank has been pumped. If it’s been a few years, you should call Maui Pumping today and schedule an appointment.