The first time I cleaned a ceiling fan, I wiped the top of a blade with a damp rag and a gray avalanche landed on my head, my bed, and my coffee. I basically had to clean the whole room twice.

Then someone showed me the pillowcase trick and I felt like an idiot for not thinking of it.

The pillowcase method

Take an old pillowcase and slide it over one blade like a sleeve. Grip the fabric around the blade and pull it toward you. The dust collects inside the case instead of falling on the floor.

Repeat on each blade, then take the case outside and shake it out. Toss it in the wash and you are done.

For the greasy, sticky kind of dust

Kitchen fans build up a grimy film that a dry pillowcase will not touch. For those, spray the inside of the case lightly with a mix of warm water and a drop of dish soap, then wipe each blade. The cloth traps the grime the same way.

A few things I learned along the way:

• Work top to bottom, and cover anything below with a sheet if the dust is heavy.
• Clean the pull chain and light fixture while you are up there.
• Do this every couple of months and it stops being a big job.

It is a five minute chore now. No shower afterward required, which is more than I can say for the old way.