How To Clean a Tower Fan

Total Time:15-30 minutes

Complexity:Beginner

Cost:$0 to $10

By Ally Childress

Family Handyman's Editorial Process

Updated on Jul. 26, 2024

Tower fan keeping you cool, but looking a little grimy? Clean it — it's easy!

Time

15-30 minutes

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

$0 to $10

Introduction

Tower fans provide cool breezes without the loud whir of standard box fans. Tower fans come with more options, too: quiet settings, remote controls and timers, to name a few.

Even with their sleek looks, tower fans get just as grimy as box fans. It's important to clean them periodically to keep dust and dirt from reducing air flow and blowing allergens and dust everywhere.

This project can be tackled two ways, depending on how dirty your fan is. A basic microfiber cloth wipe-down and vacuum or air duster on the vents works for most fans, especially if cracking yours open voids the warranty (check your user manual). For more in-depth cleaning, removing a few screws can get you access to the housing, but it's kind of dicey prying open the plastic — I thought I broke mine at one point!

If that doesn't scare you off, here's how I cleaned mine. (And yes, I did get it back together.)

Ally Childress for Family Handyman

Tools Required

Compressed air duster
Microfiber Cloth
Screwdrivers (style dependent on fan model)
Vacuum cleaner with brush attachment (or paintbrush)

Watch How To Clean a Tower Fan

Project step-by-step (5)

Step 1

Unplug fan

For safety reasons, never clean a fan while it’s plugged in.

Step 2

Remove from base

Flip the fan over or check the owner’s manual to determine how it sits on the base.
- This could be a PVC fitting, snap-on tabs or screws.
Remove the fan from its base.
Lay the fan on protected table to access to all sides or disassemble.

Step 3

Quick clean

With a compressed air duster, blow air into fan to loosen dust inside.
- Never shake or tilt compressed air to avoid harming internal electronics (or you).

Air Compressor cleaning a fan — Ally Childress for Family Handyman

Vacuum vents with a brush attachment to remove dust inside the fan.
- If your vacuum lacks a brush attachment, a paintbrush works well to loosen dust on vents.

Tower Fan and Paintbrush — Ally Childress for Family Handyman

Dampen a microfiber cloth and wipe down the outside of fan, including vents, the control panel and base.
Slide a well-wrung-out cloth into the vent slats to remove stubborn grime.

using a Microfiber cloth to clean a fan — Ally Childress for Family Handyman

Step 4

Deep clean

Verify your fan is meant to be opened if you’re worried about the warranty or damage.
Remove the screws the holding housing together. These are likely Phillips or Torx-head screws.

Unscrewing the fan — Ally Childress for Family Handyman

Use a small, flat screwdriver to pry open the housing along seams.
- This may mar the plastic, so decide if that bothers you or is worth it.
Use a vacuum, brush or compressed air on vents, fan blades and internal electronics.
Wipe down the inside of the housing with a microfiber cloth.
Put it back together and wipe down the exterior per the “Quick clean” step above.

Step 5

Finish

Allow the fan to sit for a few minutes to dry, especially if you used a damp microfiber cloth inside.
Plug it in and turn it on.

Author

Ally Childress

Ally Childress writes practical, informed stories and how-to guides for Family Handyman and Reader’s Digest. An experienced electrician, Ally's beat naturally includes electrical and construction topics. She also tackles cleaning, gardening, technology, bugs and anything else you can throw at her. She has a knack for finding just the right subjec...