How to Clean and Care for Light Fixtures & Chandelier

How to Clean and Care for Light Fixtures & Chandelier

Cleaning light fixtures or your chandeliers can be a big challenge if you don’t know the right methods. Many homeowners wonder about how to clean glass chandelier. You may also be thinking about how to clean greasy kitchen pendant lights. With the right tools and techniques, cleaning and caring for light fixtures and chandeliers become a simple process.

The cleaning and caring process for light fixtures and chandeliers will vary depending on their material, structure, and design. For most light fixtures and chandeliers, using a gentle glass cleaner or soapy water with a microfiber washcloth will get rid of dirt and debris.

Both light fixtures and chandeliers come in different shapes, sizes, and designs. At the same time, many of them are made of metals, crystals, glasses, and so on. Cleaning different devices need different methods. For this reason, homeowners should have a proper understanding of the cleaning dos and don’ts before they begin. So, let’s get into it.

How Should You Clean and Care for Your Light Fixtures?

Caring for light fixtures needs to be done according to their parts. This will help you to have a general cleaning guideline for cleaning simple designs to complex ones. As a result, you will be able to take care of different light fixtures in your home with easy procedures. The cleaning and caring methods for your light fixtures are described as follows.

Lightbulbs

Before you start cleaning lightbulbs, make sure the power is off. Otherwise, there may be accidents or damage to the power supply. Similarly, many lightbulbs get very hot when they are on. Make sure the bulbs have cooled off before you start cleaning them. This will help you to prevent heat-related accidents from occurring.

Cleaning lightbulbs is quite a simple procedure. For the best results, take the bulb out of the light fixture. To get rid of the layer of dirt, use a damp cloth to gently wipe it clean. Make sure the bulb has no excess water and is completely dry before you fix it in the socket. If your lightbulb has a stubborn layer of debris, you should change the lightbulbs.

Lampshades

Lampshades can come in different designs and materials. They can be of glass, metal, or beaded material. Similarly, some may give full coverage, while others may be open or hollow. For a simple cleaning routine, you can use a feather duster or lint roller to get rid of dust and dirt in the lampshades. However, make sure that the power supply is off before you start dusting.

For more thorough cleaning, you can take off the lampshades from their fixtures. For glass lampshades, use a gentle glass cleaner or soapy water with a cotton cloth to wipe it gently. A similar process can be done for beaded and metal lampshades. For fabric lampshades, you can use water to clean and rinse them. To prevent damaging the lampshades, always scrub gently.

Cleaning white lapmshade with soft cloth

Metal Components

The metal components in light fixtures can be their frames, sockets, and additional designs. Cleaning these parts is important to make sure you are taking care of them properly. To clean the metal parts of the light fixture, use a soft cloth damped with a gentle soapy water solution. You can use a damp washcloth too if you want to avoid using soap or cleaning solutions.

It is important to note that often the metal components have a lacquered protecting coating over them. This is used to protect the metal finish and shine of the components. So, whenever you are cleaning the metals, avoid scrubbing them harshly. You should also avoid harsh chemicals and metal cleaners to clean these parts. Simply wiping will work sufficiently for them.

Seperating metal components of Chandelier

Greasy Kitchen Pendant Lights

So far, the cleaning method of light fixtures seemed simple as they did not have any stubborn grease in them. But the situation may be different when you are cleaning the pendant light fixtures of your kitchen. Over time, you will notice that they are greasy and full of debris. In such a situation, you may be wondering about how to clean greasy kitchen pendant lights.

Cleaning kitchen light fixtures may need more effort as they collect more grease and debris. In this case, you will need to use gentle liquid soap or glass cleaners. Using a cotton or microfiber cloth and the cleaning solution, rub off the dirt off the pendant lights. Make sure to clean the lampshades and frames separately. Avoid scrubbing harshly to prevent damaging the pendant lights.

How Should You Clean and Care for Your Chandeliers?

Chandeliers are different from your average light fixtures as they are more delicate. Most chandeliers have a complex hanging pattern and sensitive materials like crystal, glass, stones, beadings, etc. So, cleaning and taking care of them can be more sensitive in comparison. The simple ways to clean your chandeliers are explained here.

Glass On Method

Glass on method of cleaning is where you do not take the pieces of the chandelier off. That is, you clean the chandelier with all its pieces joined together. For this method, you will need to prepare a cleaning solution of four parts distilled water and one part of isopropyl alcohol. You will also need a damp lint-free cloth for cleaning the chandelier.

To clean the chandelier, gently spray a small amount of the solution on the cloth. Using that cloth wipe the glass or crystal parts of the chandelier carefully. Use another fresh cloth to dry that portion immediately. In this way, work your way through the entire chandelier. Make sure to wipe carefully around joints and beadings to prevent breaking them.

Large light bulb cleaning

Glass Off Method

Glass off method requires you to completely remove glass or crystal from the chandelier. That means you will need to take it off and deconstruct the chandelier. It is always best to use expert help in this process. Try taking pictures of the chandelier from different angles to easily join it again afterward.

The cleaning solution will be the same for this method. But you can also use gentle soapy water too. Using a lint-free cloth, wipe the pieces clean and dry them immediately with another cloth. Make sure you clean the frames carefully. When all the pieces are done with cleaning, you can put them back together and hang the chandelier.

Things To Be Careful About While Cleaning Light Fixtures and Chandeliers

The most important thing to be careful about while cleaning light fixtures and chandeliers is to keep the power off. It is also crucial to avoid rubbing or scrubbing the components too harshly. Avoid using ammonia-based cleaners as they can damage your devices.

Cleaning light fixtures and chandeliers can be challenging. But the task becomes more fruitful when you stay careful about certain factors. For starters, always keep the power off. Otherwise, there may be electric damage, circuit issues, and cause accidents in general.

Similarly, make sure you never scrub the light fixtures or chandeliers with abrasive elements like scouring powder, metal scrubbers, harsh chemicals, etc. These things will ruin your light fixtures, chandeliers, and the sensitive components in them.

To have the best results, always use gentle solutions. Using ammonia-based cleaners and harsh chemicals will ruin the protective finish of the metal frames. This will make your light fixtures and chandeliers look very dull and damaged.

Professional cleaning of designer Chandelier

Conclusion

From wondering about how to clean greasy kitchen pendant lights to your queries on how to clean glass chandelier, all can be done with these simple steps. So, now that you know about cleaning light fixtures and chandeliers, make sure to take good care of them. In this way, your light fixture and chandeliers will last a long time and give the best shine.

Emma WONG
Emma WONG

Emma WONG, lives in Hong Kong, I'm a blog author working in the lighting industry for the 15 years.
I have worked with a diverse range of clients, from architects and interior designers to homeowners and business owners. I'm committed to providing exceptional service and delivering solutions that meet the unique needs and goals of each client.

In addition to my love of home decoration, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling to new places, and trying out new recipes in the kitchen, photographing and enjoys capturing the beauty of natural and built environments through my lens. I'm excited to share my insights and ideas with you, and I hope you'll find my blog helpful and inspiring.

Thanks for stopping by!