How to clean a portable fan (Easy solution anyone can do)

Do you know how to clean a portable fan? Have you ever deep cleaned your office fans?

Portable fans have been a constant fixture both at work and home. Whilst they will mainly be used in the summer months, many of us run them throughout the year.

It is important that these fans are kept clean to maintain a hygienic workplace for all members of staff, as well as visitors.

For day to day cleaning, a vacuum externally using a vacuum with a brush attachment or a microfibre cloth will suffice. But periodically you will want to clean a portable far more deeply. Learn how to do that right here.

Safety first

Before you start to clean a portable fan, it is essential that safety is considered first. Always unplug the fan and wrap the cable before starting the deep cleaning process. If you were to start cleaning the fan and accidentally pressed a button with the protective cover removed, the result could be a serious injury.

Remove the front safety cover

Portable fans normally have a clip that you release to pop the front protective grill off. Some may have a small screw on each side. If this is the case, place the removed screws in a small bowl to keep them safe for when it is time to put the fan back together. To clean a portable fan well is great, but not if you can't put it back together!

Remove the fan centre cap

After you have carefully removed the safety grill from your fan, the next step in the process to clean a portable fan is to remove the centre cap. This is the round disc in the middle of the fan as you look at it, which holds the blades in place, as shown below.

Clean a portable fan

Remove the fan blades from the fan

After the centre cap has been removed from your fan, the next step to clean a portable fan is to remove the blades from the fan. These will normally simply pull off, however some may have a small holding screw. If this is the case, be sure to put the screw somewhere safe.

Remove rear grill safety cover

Once the fan blades are removed, the last part of the fan to remove is the rear safety grill. Again this should slide off, but may have a small holding screw.

Vacuum all parts of the fan

Vacuum all parts of the fan that have been dismantled to remove any debris and dust build up, using a brush attachment. If your vacuum doesn't have a brush attachment, then use a microfibre cloth. This will attract and catch any dust when wiping. Don't forget the vacuum the main stand unit of the fan also.

Fill a large bowl, sink or even the bath!

To clean the fan blades, protective grills and centre caps, they need to be submerged in warm water, mixed with washing up liquid. Fully submerging the fan blades will ensure a deep clean is completed of every part of the fan, ensuring an effective cleaning process.

Dry the components and reassemble

Make sure that you rinse and dry all parts of the fan completely before reassembling the fan, ensuring there is no moisture that makes its way into the motor of the fan. Keeping those screws in a safe place earlier will make this process quick and simple when it comes to this stage.

We hope this guide on how to clean a portable fan has been useful, and you will now build deeper cleaning of your fan into your workplace cleaning schedule.

The best option to keep a clean fan and workplace is to hire the services of a good commercial cleaning company. Click here to learn more about Green Fox Cleaning, and how we can help improve the appearance of your business with ours.