Welcome to another exciting blog as today we will go through Do’s and Don’ts on cleaning your ceiling lights. Surprising we haven’t covered this topic before but now, as Spring right at the corner, we thought to shed some light on this matter.
Firstly, let’s think or mostly question ourselves, where was the last time I have cleaned my ceiling light? Ages, ago right? Don’t worry as we will cover all tips and tricks to make them look shiny again.
Safety First
These tasks should happen in the morning hours of the day. We need to shut the main electrical switch from the panel to avoid a potential electric shock. We also need a ladder (preferably a steady one) to reach the height of our pendant light.
What do I need?
Well, obviously we need some stuff to start cleaning, don’t we?
Your musts are:
- Dusting Sheets
- Water in a spray bottle
- A cloth
- Screwdriver (if you need to de-assemble the light)
- A new replacement bulb
Let’s take it step by step as we go through all the cleaning and non cleaning steps.
Important Note and Step: DON’T be in a hurry
Honestly, no one is rushing you and if something does, then don’t start cleaning your pendant lights. Safety and proper cleaning needs time so give yourself the space and time to do it correctly.
Remove the shades if there are any
Carefully remove any shades if there are any and place them somewhere safely so you could clean them separately. A good idea is to place a blanket or a towel under the ceiling light in order to avoid anything that might drop.
Start cleaning the frame
After removing the shades, start slowly cleaning a frame using a cloth or whatever is appropriate for the material you have.
a) If its wood, then use a mix of water and dish soap. Dip your cloth (preferably soft) inside the liquid and wipe the entire place. Remember, DON’T use a wet cloth and don’t rinse it often.
b) If its glass and porcelain, which is the easiest material to clean, wipe it down with a lint free cloth. Your shades could be cleaned with warm water and a light dish soap. Be careful if your shades have paint on them. In that case, avoid anything with moisture for cleaning.
c) In a case of a crystal light, things might get tricky. Be extra delicate using am air canned spray. For deep cleaning, find something that specializes in crystal cleaning in your local store.
d) What about metal? Start by wiping your metal fixture with a clean lint free cloth. Then deep clean it with a metal or glass cleaner depending on how difficult the remaining smudges are to be cleaned. In case of a vintage or an antique, try wipe them off using a water or a standard cleaner.
e) Fabric and paper lighting pendants are the most commonly used and the easiest one to clean. You could use an air canned spray and gently wipe the dust off. Most of the fabric shades cannot handle a damp clean so avoid that if you are not sure its ok to be used in your case.
f) Acrylic and plastic are much like glass, which means they are ease to be cleaned. Wipe the surface with a cloth and use a damp one to remove stubborn smudges. Avoid washing acrylic shades as there will be water spots on the material.
Clean the bulb or replace it
As easy as it sounds. Spray it with water and wipe it with a cloth. Or as mentioned, just replace it.
DON’T forget to reassemble your light if needed
Pretty easy right? It it’s a wood pendant light, be gentle putting the pieces back together
Conclusion
It all comes down to what your pendant light is made of. Be extra cautious to crystal lighting. The most important thing you need to keep from this blog today is that you need time, time to deassemble, clean and reassemble the light.
Again, DON’T rush things, take your time put some music and enjoy!