Said It Here

How do you clean a fan when the screws are stuck?

Stuck screws prevent the removal of covers and vent slats, trapping heavy dust that vacuums cannot reach. This makes it impossible to fully disassemble and clean the inside of the fan.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Using compressed air
  2. 2
    Considering spray cleaners
  3. 3
    Trying to use a vacuum cleaner
  4. 4
    Attempting to loosen dust with a brush
  5. 5
    Pulling down the cover and washing it in the sink with soap

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/CleaningTips2 people · September 2026

“The vent slats on this bathroom fan/light are full of dust that I am struggling to clean. I tried cleaning the vents with a vacuum, but the suction doesn’t quite reach the dust inside effectively.”source ↗

“Do I need to remove the vent cover from the ceiling, and if so, how?”source ↗

chiefmoondoggiesmom · r/CleaningTips · 11 upvotes

“The screws won’t come off no matter what I try, but I want to be able to clean inside.”source ↗

Legitimate_Lychee376 · r/CleaningTips · 2 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised