Challenge 16 Inch Pedestal Fan - Chrome

Product Information

Spray the air into the blades of the fan; the nozzle should reach between the grills so you don't have to take it all apart. This will effectively remove all the dust and dirt that is hiding inside your fan. You could even use a hairdryer if you don't want to buy a can of compressed air.

Dip a soft cloth into the warm soapy water and squeeze out the excess water,' says Felix Wilson, Cleaning Expert, Unclutterer. 'Wipe each blade carefully, and use a soft brush to clean the hard-to-reach areas.' You’re never guaranteed a scorching summer in the UK, but when the heat hits, the best fans will keep you cool, calm and collected. Indeed, a good blast of air from a decent fan can keep things bearable and help you get some shuteye when the mercury is rising. Here we’ve rounded up the best fans on the market so that you can find the perfect desk fan for your office, tower fan for your lounge, or whisper-quiet fan to help you sleep at night. Fans aren’t generally that expensive to run – even the most powerful models we’ve tested use around 40W when running at maximum speed. However, the most energy-efficient models we’ve tested consume under 20W at full blast and less than 5W at their lowest speed, which could make a difference to your bills if you’re running the fan all summer long. You can also keep your costs low by using any timer features, which can be set to shut the fan off after a set period. We’ve even seen some fans that can regulate their speed according to the ambient temperature, or that have a sleep setting where the fan slows down gradually over the course of the night.It’s a similar story with pedestal fans, which are basically more powerful desk fans on a stand that are designed to cool a larger area. You can usually adjust the height, pivot and oscillation to control airflow, but they tend to be bulkier than tower fans so you’ll need to make sure you have enough space – both for use and for storage. Tower fans don't need a lot of maintenance,' says Andrew Bramley, Cleaning Expert, Pure Freedom. He recommends vacuuming the exterior with the brush attachment to remove the initial layer of dust, paying particular attention to the vents as this is where the dust build up will be. You will need a can of compressed air and blow it into the vent to release clogged dust or dirt,' says Andrew. 'Finally use a duster to remove any remaining dirt off the fan.' Then give the stand a wipe down with a microfibre cloth. Do this every three to four weeks, or more if you're using the fan daily. Floor fans are larger, more powerful and are designed to fill a bigger space. As they’re designed to be used at a distance, they might offer more angles, a wider oscillation range and a remote control. This is handy if you want to turn the fan up or down from the bed or even just pause it while you take a phone call. Otherwise, they’re very similar to desk fans and have the same kind of features – in fact, there’s plenty of overlap between the two.

Key specs – Dimensions: 77.3 x 28.8 x 29.3cm; Weight: 5.1kg; Oscillation angle: 90 degrees (horizontal), 60 degrees (vertical) Cord length: 1.6m; Warranty: 2yrs; Power: 20W

While it’s one of the taller tower fans we’ve tested, it’s worth making room for Levoit’s 36-inch Tower Fan. Look beyond the two-part plastic base and it’s a well-built unit with no hint of wobble, with stylish and straightforward touch controls on the top panel. It also has some useful advanced features, including an Auto mode that adjusts the speed according to the room temperature, and a Sleep mode that will do its best to keep you cool while staying quiet. There’s also a Turbo mode for some extra speed, plus a simple one to 12-hour off timer.However, what we like most about this tower fan is that it offers an efficient and economical way to cool a larger area. It pushes through air at speeds of up to 3.2m/sec at the highest of its five speed settings, or 3.3m/sec in Turbo mode. True, it’s a little loud when maxed out, at 44.4 to 45.2dB, but on its next to lowest setting you can still hit speeds of 2.1m/sec, with the noise reduced to around 32dB. On its lower settings it uses only around 20W as well. Throw in the competitive price, and you have a great tower fan for bigger rooms. For how to clean a fan without blades, you just need to get a damp cloth and give it a good wipe down. It's just like cleaning any of your appliances, like the best kettles.