A little hint from the NON homemaker.
By Loverbear
@Loverbear (4918)
United States
April 19, 2012 7:00pm CST
The hint...CHECK BEFORE YOU TURN ON THE CEILING FAN!!! Otherwise the results can be awe inspiring! 
Tomorrow I am going to town to run some errands. One of the scheduled errands is to drop off the recyclable paper off at the recycling center. It has been getting warmer and warmer here and I have been using my desk top fans (Today or Saturday I am going to uncover the swamp cooler so I can use that fan to cool the house). So, I went into the bedroom to sort out the unnecessary paper from my desk. It was warm there so I changed my shirt. That didn't help so... I flicked on the switch to the ceiling fan. Of course the fan didn't come on right away since I use it mostly for the light. I reached up and pulled the chain for the fan and started around the foot of the bed. Suddenly Willy, Khuay, Abby and I were enveloped in a "snow" storm. The four of us stood there in awe watching all the fluff flutter down around us. I learned that before you turn on the fan check and make sure that you've dusted it!! I had to vacuum and dust the entire bedroom before I started sorting papers. I also spent the ten minutes that I used to dust the bedroom sneezing from the dust and fluff. Then I had to dust the cats and dog because they got covered with the fluff from the fan.
Tomorrow I am going to town to run some errands. One of the scheduled errands is to drop off the recyclable paper off at the recycling center. It has been getting warmer and warmer here and I have been using my desk top fans (Today or Saturday I am going to uncover the swamp cooler so I can use that fan to cool the house). So, I went into the bedroom to sort out the unnecessary paper from my desk. It was warm there so I changed my shirt. That didn't help so... I flicked on the switch to the ceiling fan. Of course the fan didn't come on right away since I use it mostly for the light. I reached up and pulled the chain for the fan and started around the foot of the bed. Suddenly Willy, Khuay, Abby and I were enveloped in a "snow" storm. The four of us stood there in awe watching all the fluff flutter down around us. I learned that before you turn on the fan check and make sure that you've dusted it!! I had to vacuum and dust the entire bedroom before I started sorting papers. I also spent the ten minutes that I used to dust the bedroom sneezing from the dust and fluff. Then I had to dust the cats and dog because they got covered with the fluff from the fan.3 people like this
7 responses
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
20 Apr 12
So, you had yourself your own personal snowstorm huh?? Yes, a dusty fan would do that, and since my husband almost always has the fan running, I make sure it is dusted at least once a week..I am just glad it wasn't something horrible like a cat decided to use the fan paddle as a bed or something..
Yes, a dusty fan would do that, and since my husband almost always has the fan running, I make sure it is dusted at least once a week..I am just glad it wasn't something horrible like a cat decided to use the fan paddle as a bed or something..@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
20 Apr 12
I could see the cats getting the step ladder out to get up on the fan to sleep on it! Then too I could see them up there sleeping and my absentmindedly turning on the fan...WHEEEEEE! I am going to get a duster for the fans I should be using them more since they are more economical than running the cooler.
Then too I could see them up there sleeping and my absentmindedly turning on the fan...WHEEEEEE! I am going to get a duster for the fans I should be using them more since they are more economical than running the cooler.1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
20 Apr 12
Not only that, if you dusted before you turn the fan on, you can be sure there is no cat up there.. and yes, knowing your animals, I would not be surprised if one of them found a way up there, I'm just saying...
and yes, knowing your animals, I would not be surprised if one of them found a way up there, I'm just saying...
@momof3kids (1894)
• Singapore
20 Apr 12
hehehhe thats funny!!
In my case I am a homemaker and I used the ceiling fan everyday. It is my favourite appliance to keep cool in hot and humid Singapore.
Even though we use it this often, the ceiling fan gets dirty. When we (the kids and I) see 'worms' (I think this is dust mixed with humidity and forms into caterpillar shapes) falling from the ceiling, its time to clean the fan.
My conclusion: There is no way to avoid cleaning. Even if you use or not use the appliance...sigh!
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
20 Apr 12
I remember using the fan in Thailand. It was a necessity in the horrible humidity. I couldn't have survived without the ceiling fan!! I too had the deluge of "worms" from the dirt mixed with the moisture. I haven't had the time to do the fans because of schoolwork and also making the teddy bears and jewelry. I guess I'm going to have to make a weekly list of things to clean and put the fans at the top...not that they are my favorite thing to clean, but they rate higher than the toilet!
@GardenGerty (157546)
• United States
20 Apr 12
I use the ceiling fans year around to help circulate the heat, or the cool as the case may be. When I reverse it at the change of the seasons I do get this same snowfall effect. Not fun, especially in the dining room.
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
20 Apr 12
I'm that way with my fan in the kitchen, but I don't like running the one in the bedroom for some reason. It's obvious with all the fall out that came raining down on us this afternoon. I will probably try using it this summer because the heat is really affecting me this year. Of course I am taking several medications that say that I should avoid prolonged contact with the sun and avoid heat.
I will probably try using it this summer because the heat is really affecting me this year. Of course I am taking several medications that say that I should avoid prolonged contact with the sun and avoid heat.
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
20 Apr 12
Oops, that must have been funny and annoying at the same time. We only have two ceiling fans and they are both downstairs, my husband uses the one in the family room all the time even in the winter which drives me nuts because I am always cold and I have to pile blankets on to watch TV. The other is in the kitchen, we use it frequently as well so the dust does not build up that much, but I still have to clean them about once a week.
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
20 Apr 12
Have your husband reverse the fan in the winter. It will pull the heat down from the ceiling. I do that to get the heat from my wood burning stove to circulate through my home. It's a single level and the ceiling fan really helps spread the heat.
@yanzalong (18984)
• Indonesia
23 Apr 12
You are right. It is better to do it before turning on the fan. In the dry season, dust are flying around the room. Do you have mother-in-law's tongue plant inside the house to absorb the dust?
@SissyRose (235)
• United States
20 Apr 12
this made me laugh. I know that you probably wouldn't want to do this because most people don't care to vaccum but if you ever want to pull a prank on someone putting flour on the ceiling fans, and waiting till they turn it on and watch their faces is pretty funny. My daddy is a firefighter my entire life he has told me some of the awful pranks they play on eachother and this is one of them. I love it..so you never know maybe someone needs a laugh,, there ya go
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
20 Apr 12
I did something like that to my boyfriend a year ago Easter. I managed to sneak in his house and hide all his candy. It was hot that day so he turned on the fan, which held one of his candy bars. It went sailing across the house and landed in the kitchen sink. I laughed like an idiot when he told me about that.
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
21 Apr 12
That is too funny! I've had that happen to me as well. My cats were NOT impressed with all the fuzzy stuff coming down on them. What made it worse is that the dust has an oily texture to it so it stuck to everything. It was a pain to clean up. I went out and bought a long handled duster and made sure from then on out to clean the fans at least once every couple of weeks.
