Best way to clean ceiling fan blades without being showered with dust?

put a plastic garbage bag over the fan and then clean it - the dust will fall into the bag and you can then work around to the other blades.

Microfiber cloths wrapped around tongs. Held in place with rubber bands.

Throw an old pillow case over the blades to catch the dust.

Polish on cloth

Pillow case over blade and pull

they make special brushes just for this purpose. It's two brushes with a slot between, so you just slide the blade into the slot. It has along handle, so no standing on a step stool. If you have several ceiling fans, it's worth the small investment. Really makes the job easy. I got mine at Home Depot.

My fans also get stuck on greasy film so I use dawn with wet rag

I tear open a large garbage bag and tape the the corners to the ceiling with painter tape allowing it drape under the fan like an upside down parachute. All the dust and dirt falls into the plastic.

Damp cloth

wet a pillow case, place it over a blade and pull if off, bringing the dust with it. Repeat with other blades.

I mist old dryer sheets & wipe down the blades. It works like a charm. They don't even need to be wet, just barely damp.