Quick Answer: Switch the fan off (at the isolating switch if it has one) and let any heat lamps cool. Vacuum the grille with a brush attachment, then wipe it with a damp cloth, or take off a clip-on grille and wash it if your user guide allows. Keep water away from the motor and wiring, refit the grille dry, and leave anything behind the grille to a licensed electrician.
Before you start: find your user guide
Fans differ, and the makers' instructions differ too. IXL says its Tastic fascia can be wiped with a damp cloth and glass cleaner, Martec allows water or a neutral detergent, and HPM says its fan should only be cleaned with a damp cloth, with no cleaning agents or solvents. Search your fan's brand and model number with the words “user guide”, and follow it where it differs from this guide. The model is usually printed inside the grille or on the box.
What you'll need
- A stable step ladder.
- A vacuum with a soft brush attachment.
- A microfibre cloth, a bowl of warm water and, if your guide allows it, a little dishwashing liquid.
- A dry cloth or towel.
How to clean a bathroom exhaust fan, step by step
Step 1: Switch it off and let it cool
Turn the fan and light off at the wall. If your fan is hard-wired with an isolating switch, switch that off too: Martec says to shut off the power before cleaning or maintenance, and IXL's guide, for lamp changes, says to switch off at the isolating switch for extra safety. With a heat-lamp unit, IXL says to let all lamps cool before cleaning, and allows at least 5 minutes for a lamp to cool.
Step 2: Vacuum the grille
With the brush attachment, vacuum the grille slots from below. This lifts most of the grey fluff without loosening anything. Martec suggests vacuuming the blades with a brush attachment as well; do that only where you can reach them through the opening or with the grille off, without touching wiring.
Step 3: Remove and wash the grille, if your fan allows it
Many grilles unclip or pull down on spring clips; some are held by a screw. Take it off only the way your user guide shows. A removable plastic grille can be washed in warm soapy water, or in the dishwasher where the maker says so (IXL says its Easy Duct surrounds are dishwasher safe). A grille that houses lights, or won't come off easily, stays up: wipe it in place.
Step 4: Wipe, don't wet
Wipe what you can see with a damp, well-wrung cloth. Martec's manual asks you to make sure the motor and other electrical parts can't touch the water. Never spray cleaner up into the fan, and never use a wet cloth near the lamp sockets.
Step 5: Dry, refit and test
Dry the grille completely, clip it back on, restore the power and run the fan. It should sound even and pull a tissue held to the grille.
How often to clean an exhaust fan
Makers don't agree. Martec suggests at least once every six months; IXL's Tastic guide says the unit should be checked and cleaned every two years. A quick vacuum of the grille once a month, as in our bathroom cleaning checklist, keeps dust from building up, and a fan in a bathroom that stays damp, or near a dusty ceiling space, needs it more often.
Why a clean fan matters
A bathroom fan's job is to take the steam out before it settles as condensation, which is what mould grows on. Victoria's Better Health Channel advises reducing condensation by “using exhaust fans or opening windows in the bathroom … when showering”. A clogged grille moves less air, so moisture lingers longer.
In new homes, the National Construction Code's Housing Provisions (Part 10.8, clause 10.8.2) set a minimum exhaust rate of 25 L/s for a bathroom, require the fan to discharge to outdoor air, and, where the fan is interlocked with the light switch, require it to keep running for 10 minutes after the light goes off. These rules apply to new building work, not existing bathrooms, but the 10 minutes is a useful habit: run the fan through the shower and until the mirror clears.
When to call an electrician
Cleaning the grille and wiping what you can reach is a household job. Anything involving the wiring, the motor, the housing or the lamp holders is not: the NSW Government says wiring work must be done by a licensed electrician, and Energy Safe Victoria says unqualified electrical work is dangerous and illegal. Call one if the fan:
- hums, rattles or runs slowly after cleaning,
- smells of burning, or trips the power,
- has water, rust or mould inside the housing, or
- doesn't clear the steam even when clean, which can mean a blocked or disconnected duct.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why does my bathroom exhaust fan get so dusty?
It pulls air, and the dust and lint in it, from the whole room through one small grille, so the dust collects there. Damp air from the shower helps it stick.
Q: Can I clean inside the fan without taking it apart?
Only what you can reach with a vacuum brush once the grille is off, with the power off. Don't take the motor or housing apart; that's an electrician's job.
Q: There's mould on the fan grille. What do I do?
Take the grille down and wash it, then look at why the bathroom stays damp: a fan that isn't run long enough, or isn't moving enough air. For mould on the ceiling around it, see How to Remove Mould from Ceilings and Walls.
Sources & References
- IXL, Tastic Luminate user guide (2019): turn off and let lamps cool; damp cloth and glass cleaner; isolating switch; check and clean every two years.
- IXL, Easy Duct user guide: surrounds dishwasher safe; wiring by a registered electrician; isolating switch.
- Martec, Flow manual and How to maintain your exhaust fan: shut off power; water or neutral detergent, kept off electrical parts; every six months.
- HPM, EF150SQWE instructions (via ManualsLib): damp cloth only; switch off before removing the grille.
- Australian Building Codes Board, NCC 2022 Housing Provisions, Part 10.8 Condensation management: clause 10.8.2 exhaust rate, discharge and 10-minute run-on (the same text is in NCC 2025).
- Better Health Channel (Victoria), Mould and your health: exhaust fans and condensation.
- NSW Government, Electrical safety in the home, and Energy Safe Victoria, Don't do it yourself: electrical work needs a licensed electrician.
