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toni_ky

Greasy Ceiling Fan Blades

Toni_KY
21 years ago

What is the best way to clean ceiling fan blades that are extremely greasy?

I have been helping my parents clean a now-empty house. There is a white ceiling fan in the kitchen, and the side of the blades that faces the ceiling is nasty! The people who lived in the house weren't very clean people, and apparently everything they cooked, they cooked fried! You should've seen under the burners of the stove....Yick.

Regular Spic & Span type cleansers won't do it. A brillo pad won't do it. Time to haul out the heavy artillery!

Comments (21)

  • Daisy7
    21 years ago

    Toni, the site just below your post has the very BEST cleaner for this! I use it all the time for everything, esp those furry, greasy fans!

    I half the recipe so I can use clean solution all the time. No need to rinse. And cheap, too.

    Here is a link that might be useful: This Will Work!

  • mamoo_z5
    21 years ago

    Murphy's Oil soap removes oils good. Also the Blue bottle of Windex works great at removing oil build up.
    Straight alcohol on a rag will cut grease just fine. I have
    used all three on different cleaning jobs. Since your grease sounds bad you might need to use all three.

  • sheilajoyce_gw
    21 years ago

    Greased Lightening--I got it in a spray bottle at either the hardware store or K Mart.

  • mid_tn_mama
    21 years ago

    Add a few drops of grease acting dish detergent to a bucket of water (dawn?). Also, use a plastic scrubber.

  • cattknap
    21 years ago

    I second Daisy's recipe or Soft Scrub. Plain dish detergent will not work - believe me.
    Cathleen

  • Auntie_Karen
    20 years ago

    I have found that using a miracle cloth really helps clean those greasy areas like fan blades and the top of the refrigerator. I still don't understand it, but it seems to work. Also, scrubbin' bubbles.

  • downsouth
    20 years ago

    Thanks, Sheila. I was trying to think of the name of that cleaner and all I could think of was "white lightning". Sounds like a song about moonshine, LOL!

    That stuff is really good but I must warn you to be careful of what type of wood you put it on. I cleaned my cabinets with it and it took the white paint off in some parts.

    Another good cleaner for cutting grease is Mean Green (I buy it at Family Dollar but Wal-mart I believe sells it). It's not as strong as Greased Lightning. I rather buy something in a bottle that works than mix ammonia & all that other stuff. I just had a bad experience once of mixing ammonia and clorox. I was only 17 and nieve, but it nearly burned my eyes out!

  • faithab
    20 years ago

    I love my miracle cloths. All you need are a couple and a bit of water. Here's some info

    FINALLY!
    Our 'Complete Mop Sets' have arrived!
    Clean
    ANY Dirty, Dusty, Greasy, Grimy, Oily FLOOR with Water Only!
    The 'Complete Mop Set' includes: Telescoping Handle, Pivot Base, Blue Pad for Damp Mopping, White Fluffy Pad for Dusting
    So Simple and easy to use!
    Comes Complete with BOTH Mop Heads
    (F MOP F AND F MOP T)
    $25.00 for ONE 'Complete Mop Set'
    Plus Shipping $6.00
    http://www.the-cloth.com/mop.shtml

    http://www.solutionscatalog.com/emailcampaign/home.jsp?sourcecode=SLSL02Z&link=
    on page 5

  • carlanne
    19 years ago

    I watched the TV ads for this product many times. The man doing the ad says, "The only product I need in cleaning a house." Be very careful to read the directions! I have to admit I didn't, thinking it was an all purpose cleaner. I used it on the brushed copper colored laminate that I have as a back splash between my counters and cabinet and behind the stove. As soon as I sprayed it on, the finish turned white and although I wiped it off immediately my back splash is marred with white streaks. We have been in touch with the manufacturer, and we may get some satisfaction. However, I expect that we will need to get a new backsplash for over our range. It just looks terrible and dirty. This is a 2 year old major remodeled kitchen. Just be careful and read the label! That is advice I will follow in the future.

  • smom40
    19 years ago

    Ammonia water should do it. One thing I would say as someone that has two white wooden fan ceiling fans in her kitchen, is to be careful about abrasives. If those blades are painted and not metal, you can remove paint along with the dirt if you use too much elbow grease or anything too caustic. The fan edges are particularly susceptible to this. And they can stain from greasy dirt, even if you clean them well and often.

    I didn't remodel this kitchen this way, it was done three years before we bought this house. Now ten years later, those fan blades look like they need a paint job. WHY put a white fan in a kitchen, that's MY question?? ....sigh...

    So for me, some ammonia and water, and a green sponge will do it. Rinse well. Leaving any residue will attract dirt.

    Btw, inhaling the fumes from mixing ammonia and bleach can cause dangerously abnormal heart rhythms that can kill you.

  • Katy
    19 years ago

    If all else fails, I do believe you can change the fan blades (just the blades, not the housing). Good luck!

    Katy

  • alfromelkhorn_yahoo_com
    12 years ago

    I have a white ceiling fan in the kitchen and the layer of grease on the top surface really showed. I tried the suggestions here with little success. Out of desperation, I tried using a cotton cloth dampened with Odorless Mineral Spirits and it worked like a charm.

    BE CAREFUL not to use it on any silkscreened patterns on the blades though because it will remove them as well.

  • User
    8 years ago

    The best thing to clean off grease on a kitchen ceiling fan is Goo Gone. Goo Gone is great for lots of sticky thing. I swear by it. I tried the Murphy's Oil Soap like mamoo_z5 said. Didn't work, just wasted $4. for nothing.


  • patrickdriscollusa
    8 years ago

    don't screw around...remove three Philips screws, and take the fan blade into the sink and apply ammonia; this will cut thru grease caked on like dried syrup

  • suellenh
    8 years ago

    I would recommend putting an old plastic shower curtain or something on the floor before using any cleaner on the fan. Some blades are plastic, but any can be replaced if the suggested cleaners don't work. Sounds as if this greasy dirt will only come off in layers. If it's a drop down fan don't forget the top of the housing. I learned the hard way that kitchens without exhaust fans will trap greasy cooking steam, back when I could fry things! Good luck...

  • PRO
    Perfectlymaid4You
    8 years ago

    Use White vinegar

    Use a ceiling fan duster with a long
    or extendable handle. Place newspaper on the floor to help catch debris. Vacuum
    floor and you’re done!

    Use a step stool to reach the
    fan. Wipe each blade with white vinegar cleaner (the vinegar will cut through
    grime).

  • Eva Berlin
    6 years ago

    I have had a white kitchen fan located near the stove for quite a few years. I regularly clean the bottom side of the wooden blades with Windex or Murphy's, but only wipe the top side, so there was a really bad accumulation of grease. Today I removed the blades to clean the tops but none of the regular cleaners did the job. Then I tried an ammonia solution, but that didn't work either, until I added a lot more ammonia. That and a plastic scrubber resulted in a great job.


  • HU-344052068
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    WD-40 spray on leave on for 5 3 to 5 minutesWd-40 Great the

  • Jennifer S.
    4 years ago

    15 years of fan blade junk which I wouldn't have even thought of until we were working on our vaulted ceiling. I looked down and saw the tops of my fan blades and was shocked. They were black black. The best thing to use is Goof Off. I tried everything else mentioned above and none of it worked. I had some Goof Off in my laundry room and it took that sticky tarry black stuff right off my fan blades without any damage. I sprayed each blade and by the time I got back around to the first blade I was able to get the first layer off. I sprayed it again and worked on the next blade. The 2nd time around the rest just wiped right off and they looked brand new. Good Off works like magic. The only warning I would give is put a towel or cloth down underneath your fan on the floor. The Goof Off over-spray is very slippery and I almost wiped out on my tile floor.

  • David Engle
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Take a dry rag and brush off the excess dust and dirt. This way, you can easily clean off the loose top layer. Then use a cleaning agent like WD40. More Details Here