How to Clean a Bathroom Exhaust Vent Fan It’s very important to have an exhaust fan that’s vented to the outside in every bathroom in your home, and to run it whenever you shower or bathe and for 15-20 minutes afterward to remove excess moisture that can cause mold and mildew to form. An average sized bathroom vent fan that’s used one hour a day will exhaust over 2,000,000 cubic feet of air a year, or the equivalent of the air inside 1,000 homes. As air is drawn through the fan, dust builds up on the grille cover and the fan motor over time. Cleaning the cover and motor housing every six months to one year will remove most of the accumulated dust. Here’s how to clean your vent fan. To clean a bathroom vent fan: Turn the fan off at the switch or circuit breaker. Remove the cover by pulling down until the cover is several inches from the ceiling. Press the spring loaded wire clips, found on two sides of the cover, together then remove the clips from the slots in the fan housing.

Place the fan cover on a towel and use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a bristle brush dusting attachment to clean the cover and grille thoroughly both inside and out. Use the dusting attachment on the vacuum to clean inside the fan housing and around the motor. For hard to reach spots, use a crevice tool on the vacuum. Reinstall the fan cover by press the clips on the fan cover together, and slip them over the slots in the fan housing. Finally, push the fan cover up until it seats against the ceiling. How to Maintain a Bathroom Vent Fan (video) Bathroom Ventilation Fan Cleaning Tips (video) How to Replace a Bathroom Exhaust Vent Fan (video) Bathroom Vent Fan CFM Calculator (article) Outdoor Kitchen Appliances for Your Home What to Consider When Choosing a Roof for Your Home Creating a Path in Your Lawn or GardenEdit ArticleHow to Clean a Bathroom Fan The bathroom fan is the dustiest area of your bathroom. If it hasn't been cleaned in ages, it's just blowing dirty air around the bathroom.

The main use of this feature is to circulate air, not blow it around. If a bathroom fan is dirty, there could be a possibility that it's the key problem to a smelly bathroom. Surprisingly, cleaning a bathroom fan can reduce odors up to 80 percent and when having multiple people using the same bathroom, it needs a fan that works properly. If you're looking how to tackle that dusty, dirty mess, read on.Patio Furniture Umbrella Repair Turn off the power before touching or cleaning.Shower Curtain Rods And Hooks Spread 2-3 sheets of old newspaper underneath the fan, on the floor to catch dust when it comes down.Air Handling Unit Door Handles Attain a large enough stepladder and place it underneath where your fan is.

Cover your hair with a shower cap (or anything to cover your head) to prevent dust from getting in your hair. Get a bucket of soapy water, a dish rag, a dish towel and a duster. If your bathroom fan has a cover, remove it by either unscrewing it from the ceiling or sliding it off. Take the duster and swipe the fan vents and area well. Use the dry dish towel to get any excess dust and also to dry the vents and fan area. Put the fan cover back on and make sure to tighten any screws well if your cover requires it. Turn the fan on and smell the difference! It's best to clean the fan before you plan on cleaning the bathroom. It saves time, and you also don't want to clean your bathroom again. Make sure the fan is off when you are cleaning it. You do not want to electrocute yourself. If it automatically turns on when you switch on the light, you can usually turn it off by removing the cover of the fan and unplugging a fuse cord, which will turn the fan off until you plug it back in.

Extractor fans, also commonly referred to as exhaust fans, are usually installed in the ceiling to provide ventilation, especially in bathrooms that do not have windows. If you don't have one, you may consider installing one to allow heat and humidity to escape the bathroom when a hot shower is running, or to get rid of unpleasant odors. To keep your bathroom extractor fan working properly and to possibly reduce noise, clean it regularly with this guide. Turn off the electricity to your fan before cleaning it. Find your main electrical panel, circuit breaker, or fuse box, and turn off the circuit or remove the fuse that powers your bathroom. Warning: You should not continue to the following steps before turning off the bathroom fan’s electricity. Without turning it off, you could be electrocuted. Most bathroom extractor fans come equipped with a casing or cover. Remove this first, using a step ladder if it’s high up. If you have to overreach your arms, it’s best to use a ladder.

Use a screwdriver to remove the screws, holding the unit housing while you remove the cover. Pull down the cover carefully, and put it in a bucket or a safe place. Then, take the screws and place them on a piece of masking tape. Fold the tape over to create a pocket for the screws so that you don’t lose them, and place them in the same bucket or area you placed the cover. If you look up into the extractor fan, you should see the fan blade. Slide the fan blade assembly out completely. If the fan blade is held down with additional tabs or retainers, remove them first and also put them onto a piece of masking tape and into the same bucket so that you don’t lose these pieces. In another bucket, mix a solution of warm water and soap. Submerge the vent cover inside the bucket and, using a gentle cloth, rag, or sponge, wash the vent cover so that all debris is cleaned off. Pull out the vent cover from the soapy water solution, and rinse it with some warm water. Allow it to air dry on a paper towel or soft cloth.