This Clever TikTok Hack Will Make Cleaning Your Fan So Much Easier
Do you, like everyone else, have a disturbingly dusty ceiling fan at home that just never quite seems to get clean? There's just always some film of dirt, spiderwebs, lint, pet hair that somehow made its way up there, you name it, that just lingers, no matter how often you try to sweep it away. It's one of those places that steadily collects a layer of stubborn dust, and the cherry on top? It's a royal pain to completely clean, though you have to do it, says Home Depot.
Additionally, don't get us started on trying to turn the fan on to shake off some of that dust — chances are, that'll leave you sneezing (and inevitably hot, since there's no way you're leaving it on after the cloud of dust that comes with each turn of the fan). Flip the switch, put down the old school feather duster, and grab your phone — as is typical in 2021, TikTok may have the answer to your cleaning woes!
Swap your duster for something smarter
The worst part about using a feather duster to wipe down your ceiling fan is the fact that regardless of how careful you are, you're bound to send that very same dust flying all over everything down below (and, subsequently, in your face). Dusters are helpful for so many nooks and crannies around the home, but according to TikTok user and seasoned tidying pro @cleanthatup, there's a significantly easier option to dust your ceiling fans with: a pillowcase!
In a now viral video, the self-proclaimed "Clean Freak" demonstrates the simple hack. Grab a ladder or step stool and an old pillowcase, then step up and place each individual fan blade inside. All you have to do is wrap it tightly around and pull it off — the dust will stick in the pillowcase, and your fan will finally be dust free on not one, but both sides! Be sure to treat the pillowcase just like a rag, and don't mix it in with the laundry the next time you wash your actual sheets.
HuffPost takes it one step further and suggests spraying a mixture of water and white vinegar inside the pillowcase for an extra deep clean. This will remove any of the grime that may be stuck on the fan — which, admittedly, may be necessary after many months of ignoring this once-dreaded cleaning task.