We're in the dog days of summer, as the saying goes (although here in Burlington, Ontario, it's been pretty cool [thankfully]). My family back in Iowa and in Oklahoma are dealing with some pretty high temps. Sometimes the A/C just doesn't keep up without a little help from a fan. But did you know that if your fan blades are coated with dust and grime they won't move air as efficiently? The same is true if the wire or plastic protective shroud is laden with dust and grime. It's actually best practice to clean your fan(s) at the beginning of the cooling season, but sometimes I clean them more than once per season.

In the video below, I demonstrate how to disassemble and clean a household fan. I'll demonstrate on a Lasko pedestal fan; it's essentially all plastic except for the electric motor. You may have a different fan, but the concept is basically the same. Also, "while I'm in there," I will lubricate the fan blade drive shaft and bearings with some lube that is appropriate.