Ceiling fans, skirting boards and high dust: clean top to bottom
Ceiling fans, cornices, skirting boards and door frames collect dust all summer. Here is how to clean a Spanish home from the top down, safely.
· 2 min read
Why high surfaces matter after the summer
Ceiling fans and air conditioning run for months on the Costa del Sol, and they move a lot of air through the house. Fine dust, pollen and the odd layer of Saharan sand settle on the blades, cornices, tops of doors and picture rails, where nobody looks until the light hits them.
Autumn is a good moment to deal with it. The fans are about to rest, windows open less, and a clean start to the cooler months means less dust falling onto freshly cleaned floors and furniture.
Always work from the top down
Dust falls, so start at the highest point and finish with the floor. If you clean the floor first and then shake out a fan or wipe a cornice, you simply do the floor twice.
Open a window for a few minutes, lay an old sheet or towel under the fan or furniture, and keep a bucket of clean water and a few microfibre cloths nearby. Dry or lightly damp microfibre traps dust instead of pushing it around.
Cleaning ceiling fans safely
Switch the fan off at the wall and wait until the blades stop completely. Use a stable step ladder, never a chair, and ask someone to hold it if the ceilings are high, as they often are in villas.
Wipe each blade from the base outwards with a damp microfibre cloth, or slip an old pillowcase over the blade and pull it back so the dust stays inside. Do not soak the motor housing, and avoid sprays that leave a sticky film that attracts dust faster.
Skirting boards, door frames and cornices
Skirting boards gather dust, pet hair and scuffs from mops. Vacuum along them with a soft brush first, then wipe with a cloth wrung out well in water with a few drops of mild detergent. Painted and lacquered wood should never be left wet.
On cornices and door tops, a long-handled duster or a microfibre cloth on a pole reaches without climbing. Take extra care with delicate finishes such as gilded mouldings, decorative plaster or old wood: test a small hidden spot first, or dust gently and dry.
A realistic routine, and when to ask for help
For most homes, a high-dust round every two or three months is enough, and before and after the summer season is a sensible rhythm. In a holiday rental, include fans and door tops in the deep clean between seasons rather than the quick turnover.
If you have double-height ceilings, long staircases or a villa with many fans, this is work worth handing over. Lavanda can include high dusting in a deep clean, working top to bottom with the right equipment, so you only need to tell us what matters most in your home.
