If you have an electric fan, it's tempting to just point it in your general direction and hope for the best, but if you're just moving the warm air around inside your home, you're really missing out.

High-end fans can move a large volume of air very quickly for maximum cooling effect, but even a cheap, low-powered fan can make a noticeable difference to the temperature indoors if you position it strategically — particularly at night when you're struggling to sleep in a stuffy bedroom.

Read on for three top tips for using your fan properly, and if you don't already own one, check out our guide to the best fans for our top picks, rated and recommended by our expert reviewers.

1. Know your fans

First of all, determine whether you have a fan or an air circulator. They look very similar, but they serve different purposes when it comes to keeping you cool.

Simply put, a fan blows a concentrated jet of air in your direction, which helps sweat evaporate and lowers your skin temperature. An air circulator, on the other hand, moves air around a large area in your home, and works best combined with some sort of cooling source, such as an air conditioning unit.

Meaco is one of the biggest names in air circulators, and its new Sefte Pro models are particularly good for keeping you comfortable at night. Our writer Becca Caddy recently reviewed the Meaco Sefte Pro 10in Table Air Circulator, and was very impressed by its whisper-quiet operation, and ability to run all night on a single charge. It even comes with a glow-in-the-dark remote so you can control it from bed. The pedestal version has its wireless receiver in the top so you don't have to sit up to aim the remote, and its mobile app lets you start running it while you're out, so you return to a cooler house.

If you want a fan (to use while working at your desk, for example), the Shark FlexBreeze gets our seal of approval. Again, it's extremely quiet, and it has a misting attachment that sprays a very fine cloud of water to enhance the cooling effect as it evaporates from your skin. You can also detach the head from its tall pedestal and use it as a desktop fan.

2. Position it properly

If you've chosen a fan rather than an air circulator (which is usually the less expensive option), you can boost its effectiveness at night by using negative pressure ventilation, which is a technique employed by firefighters to help clear smoke out of a room.

It might sound counterintuitive, but if you position your fan so it's facing an open window, rather than pointing into the room, it will draw in cool air from outside while pushing warm air out.

This method only really works to cool one room at a time, but it can be very effective. If you want to cool your bedroom, for example, close all windows and doors in your home except for the bedroom window, the bedroom door, and a window at the other end of the house from your bedroom.

Place your fan about 3-6 inches from the window, facing out of the room, turn it to its maximum setting, and switch it on. The fan will create negative pressure inside your house, and cause cold air to rush in through the opposite open window.

3. Keep it clean

Whether you're using a fan or an air circulator, it's important to keep it clean to keep it running efficiently and avoid spreading dirt around your home. It's easy to forget if your fan has been sitting on a shelf for months, but as the aircare experts at Dreo point out, it can make a big difference.

Fans and air circulators often come with removable grills to make cleaning easy. Switch off and unplug the fan, then look for the small screw or clips holding the grill together and undo them. Wipe the blades and grill with a damp cloth, allow them to dry, and then reassemble. You can also wipe the fan's housing with a dampened microfiber cloth, but don't get water anywhere near the motor. If you can see dust in air intakes, use a small brush to gently dislodge it.

If you're in any doubt about how to keep your fan clean, check the instruction manual and the manufacturer's website.

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Cat is TechRadar's Homes Editor, covering smart home tech, kitchen appliances, vacuums, haircare and more. She's been a tech journalist for 15 years, having worked on print magazines including PC Plus and PC Format, and is a Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) certified barista. Whether you want to invest in some smart lights, find your ideal hair styler, or pick the espresso machine of your dreams, she's the right person to help.