There’s nothing more frustrating than accidentally touching a light or lampshade that hasn’t seen contact for a long time, and you end up with a face full of dust.
But there’s a very good way of avoiding this ever happening again. If you can’t remember the last time cleaning lights and lampshades was on your to-do list, then the chances are it’s time to give them a good clean.
Here we give you a how-to guide to cleaning lights, lampshades, and other fittings around your house to bring back the sparkle to your living areas.
Clean in Daylight
Make sure there’s as much daylight as possible in the room. That way, you’ll be able to see most of the dust and grime that’s gathering on your lamps. And, if you’re doing a deep clean, you can turn the lights off at the fusebox and take your hanging lights off to give them a good polish.
Room by Room or Fixture by Fixture?
There’s no right answer here. Though if you’re short on sunlight in the winter months, you may want to clean all your ceiling fixtures in one go so you can turn the mains back on. That way, you can still do some cleaning in the dark with your new lights back at maximum brightness.
But if you find yourself short of time, save the hassle and hire the professionals. You might find you’ve got more time to earn extra cash yourself doing what you do best!
Work Top-Down When Cleaning Lights
Like all good cleaning guides, we advise cleaning top-down. This means focusing on your ceiling fixtures first. Gravity is the enemy for cleaning as if you clean the wrong way round, you’ll find all that top-level dust sinks onto your desk lamp, and you’ll have to re-clean your furnishings below.
Grab Your Cloth: Spray and Buff Away
Firstly, you’ll want to grab a microfibre cloth and pick up all that dust. For stubborn stains (here’s your answer if you’re wondering how to clean fly poop off!), dampen it with warm water. Don’t use hot water as this can damage the shade.
With your dampened washcloth, carefully wipe around the edges of the lampshade to remove any dust and dirt that may have accumulated over time. In addition to using a washcloth in your cleaning process, you can also use a vacuum with a brush attachment for easier cleaning!
Once you’ve finished cleaning the outer shade, don’t forget to wipe the inside of it as well. Again, use a damp washcloth for this part of the process. Once you’ve finished wiping down the inside of the lampshade, hang it back up on your lamp and admire your cleaning efforts!
Find a Way That Works for You
You can use this same cleaning technique when cleaning light fixtures in rooms around your house to give them a shiny new look without having to worry about an expensive trip to the store.
Soon enough, your whole house will be gleaming, and you’ll be ready to invite friends and family around without worrying about anyone finding dust bunnies everywhere!
If time is precious however and you’d prefer a professional touch, contact us today for a quote and let your home shine once more!
