“I was dilated 2 cm…one in each eye!”

That was when a headache started. It took all afternoon and evening for my eyes to return to normal. Four days later, I was looking for anything that could be prolonging it. I cleaned the house and washed all of my bedding. The only thing left was the box fan my husband insists he needs or he can’t sleep.

“Two cuts and one tetanus shot later…”

How to Clean a Box Fan, (Lessons I learned the hard way!)

Wear rubber gloves: It doesn’t matter how careful you are, that exposed metal is going to cut you. Wearing cotton glove liners under the rubber gloves is an added layer of protection.
After unplugging, remove both front and back screens: The fan blades attract dust like a magnet.
Put screws in a bowl: Those tiny things love to roll under furniture and disappear.
Use a dry paintbrush to remove dust from motor and wiring: Dad was an electrician. He made sure we knew never to use water on electrical parts.
Vacuum up as much dust and lint from the surfaces: If you try to just wipe it off you will find yourself with muddy blades.
Use strong soap, like TSP: I used a mild cleanser because I didn’t want to wear gloves, see #1. I had to wipe the blades off several times.
Start all the screws on one side before tightening: Top right, Bottom left, Right side, Left side, Bottom right, Top left.
Tighten screws in reverse order: There is nothing more frustrating than having 5 screws tightened only to find the 6th screw will not go in.
Let dry for several hours: I cleaned mine early in the morning, see #4.
Vacuum dust and lint from your work area: The job is not done until you clean-up.