As it turns out, you've actually been using your ceiling fan wrong for years. Or so TikTok has taught me as of today. I grew up with one of these ceiling fans in my childhood bedroom, and when I informed my parents of this little life hack, they truly couldn't believe it. I'm still shocked, to be honest.
It's true: A ceiling fan needs to spin a certain direction for air to flow upwards. And, the opposite way means the air will be pushed down towards the floor. I mean, it sounds pretty obvious, right? Apparently not. We all know hot air rises, so switching your ceiling fan to counterclockwise means it's in. summer mode and will push cool air down, towards your body. Flick it to clockwise for winter mode — to pull the cool air up and push the warm air that's rising, down.
Here's what else to know about your beloved ceiling fan that you can't live without in the summer — and now the winter, thanks to this home hack.
You spin me right round
This clever hack means that you can switch the mode of your ceiling fan from winter to summer, based on where you live. This way, you needn't rule your ceiling fan as obsolete come the wintertime and colder weather. Simply enough, when the blades spin clockwise, your fan works hard to pull cold air towards its blades and away from you, and this will force the warm air that's trapped towards the ceiling, downwards. The other way around, in summer mode, the cold air gets pushed down, and the hot air trapped at the top of your room.
Switch it to:
Clockwise — for the winter
Counterclockwise — for the summer
How to switch yours? Each ceiling fan will have its own way of changing direction, so it is best to check the manual first. But, usually, there is a small switch that's situated near the blades. So, go ahead and switch your fan off, locate this switch and flick it the opposite way. Down is usually for winter, and up is for summer mode. You should notice the difference immediately once it's turned back on, and if it's now spinning clockwise, you shouldn't feel a blast of air from below. You will feel an air blast if it's counterclockwise, though.
Certain ceiling fans, mostly newer models, benefit from a remote control so that this change of direction can be made with ease. So, if you are looking to upgrade yours, this might be worth considering.
More ceiling fan hacks
There are more ceiling fan hacks where this one came from. Wondering how to clean your ceiling fan, without dirtying your entire bedroom? We know firsthand how bad the dust buildup can get, and if yours hasn't been touched for years, your air purifier will be screaming at you.
When it comes to cleaning your ceiling fan blades, you're going to want to grab an old pillowcase. Slide this pillowcase over each blade, holding it tight while you pull it away from the center of the fan. This way, any dust that's removed from the fan will fall into the pillowcase, instead of on your floor. After, just give your pillowcase a shake outdoors and then wash it as normal.
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