{"id":219,"date":"2016-03-21T12:54:14","date_gmt":"2016-03-21T12:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/?p=219"},"modified":"2021-03-12T15:10:52","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T15:10:52","slug":"cleaning-your-light-fittings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/2016\/03\/cleaning-your-light-fittings\/","title":{"rendered":"Cleaning Your Light Fittings"},"content":{"rendered":"

KEEPING YOUR LIGHT FITTINGS LOOKING AS GOOD AS NEW<\/p>\n

Most light fittings come with instructions on how to fit them but not many have any information on how to keep them looking as good as new. Dirty light fittings not only look nasty but will reduce your light levels and waste energy. The slow build-up of dust and dirt on light bulbs can reduce their light output by up to 30% and if you add greasy, bug ridden shades you have a built in dimmer switch whether you want it or not.<\/p>\n

Cleaning light fittings and bulbs regularly is the key to keeping them looking like new. It may sound obvious but please ensure that the light is switched off and the bulbs have cooled down before doing any cleaning and if you are removing any of the parts for cleaning it would be wise to disconnect your electricity supply first. The good news is that the majority of light fittings can be cleaned simply and easily without the use of expensive cleaning products. In fact, the use of abrasive and chemical cleaning products is not recommended for light fittings as they can cause the special finishes and lacquers to tarnish.<\/p>\n

\"AUSTEN<\/a>

AUSTEN bathroom wall light<\/p><\/div>\n

CLEANING LIGHT BULBS<\/p>\n

Most of the newer energy efficient and LED bulbs now last much longer so are bound to get dirty and will need to be cleaned. Turn off the light and wait for the bulbs to cool down before carefully removing from the lamp holders. A thorough wipe with a dry cloth is the best way to get rid of dust and dirt. If necessary, you can wipe over with a slightly damp cloth and dry immediately – but be very careful not to get the metal parts wet.\u00a0The smaller halogen capsule bulbs are made of quartz and should not be touched with your fingers as the oils from your hands can damage the bulbs. Simply clean these gently with a lint free cloth.<\/p>\n

HOW TO CLEAN GLASS SHADES<\/p>\n

Glass shades should be removed from your light fitting when they have cooled down completely. Clean in warm water with a little washing up liquid and rinse in clean warm water. Allow the shades to dry completely before putting them back on your light fitting. Do not be tempted to put shades in the dishwasher.<\/p>\n

If you have textured or Scavo glass shades, try cleaning with a soft cloth using only very light pressure. If this does not do the job soak in warm soapy water for 5 minutes and then rinse thoroughly and allow to dry before re-fitting.<\/p>\n

\"CHICAGO<\/a>

CHICAGO Tiffany Wall Light<\/p><\/div>\n

CLEANING METAL LIGHT FITTINGS<\/p>\n

The brass, metal or painted frames of light fittings should only need a regular dusting with a feather duster or soft brush to keep them looking good. Brass fittings are often coated with a lacquer to stop tarnishing so do not use any abrasive cleaning products. If your brass fittings are not coated they will develop an attractive rich antique patina over time. If your fitting has become really grubby you can wipe over with a lint free cloth soaked in a solution of water and a few drops of washing up liquid \u2013 wring the cloth out so it is slightly damp and wipe over the metal surfaces and then buff with a dry lint free cloth.<\/p>\n

CLEANING TIFFANY GLASS SHADES<\/p>\n

Use a clean soft cloth to wipe over Tiffany art glass shades and do not use any cleaning products especially those that contain ammonia as this can cause the solder to tarnish leaving a white film. If this does happen a light coating of lemon oil on the solder should do the trick.<\/p>\n

\"Fabric<\/a>

Fabric Shade<\/p><\/div>\n

LOOKING AFTER FABRIC LAMP SHADES<\/p>\n

By far the best way to keep lamp shades clean is to dust them each week. Once dirt builds up it is more difficult to remove especially from the more delicate fabric shades. To keep fabric shades looking like new use a light feather duster once a week to prevent dust from permanently settling on your shade \u2013 or, even better, use the upholstery nozzle of your vacuum cleaner to lightly vacuum your shade. If your shade is ruched or pleated, you can use a soft artist\u2019s paintbrush to get into all those awkward places. Even a hairdryer on a low gentle heat can blow away any suborn dust. Lint rollers work well on smooth lamp shades without any pleats and other embellishments.<\/p>\n

But what, I hear you cry, do you do if your shade has been overlooked and is in a rather mucky state? The first thing to say is that some fabrics are more delicate that others \u2013 silk for example is more delicate than cotton and if you have an expensive silk shade, your shade has sentimental value, or you are in any doubt at all you may wish to consider having your shade cleaned professionally. If you want to have a go at cleaning your shade at home and are prepared to take the risk you<\/p>\n

can use the soap and water bath method. Before embarking on this method it is always advisable to patch test a small unseen area first to check for colour fastness. This is particularly important if<\/p>\n

\"ANTLER<\/a>

ANTLER Stag Ceiling Pendant<\/p><\/div>\n

your shade has a pattern or print or if it is dark in colour. Darker coloured shades are more likely to run and if this happens when you patch test do not use this method. Not all shades are suitable for the bathtub treatment \u2013 if your shade has glued-on trimmings or is glued to the frame it could cause fraying – so please think carefully before taking the plunge as this method is not suitable for every shade.<\/p>\n

If you feel you have nothing to lose, fill your bathtub with enough cool water to fully cover the shade when it is laid on its side and add a small amount of very mild detergent. Lower your shade into the water on its side and gently turn it round allowing the water to lift the dirt. Do not rub the shade. If the water gets very dirty repeat the process again using fresh water and detergent. Finally rinse the shade in cold water using the same method. Then drain the bath and leave the shade to dry in an upright position.<\/p>\n

Any stubborn marks on shades that are not suitable for the water bath method can be spot cleaned using a bowl of cool water with a small amount of diluted detergent added. Using a lint free cloth wrung out well to dab the shade concentrating on one colour at a time to avoid colour run. You are not saturating the shade here and you will need to wait for each colour to dry before starting on the next \u2013 a hairdryer can be used to speed up the drying process.<\/p>\n

IS IT TIME TO BUY A NEW SHADE?<\/p>\n

However careful as we may be fabric shades will not last forever and maybe the time has come to consider replacing your old shade for a new one? The great news is that there are a lot of shades out there and Bespoke Lights has a fantastic collection of shades in a wide range of colours and styles to fit the smallest of table lamps<\/a> or wall lights<\/a> right up to larger shades suitable for standard floor lamps<\/a>.<\/p>\n

CLEANING CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS<\/a><\/p>\n

Our next blog will be dealing with the cleaning of crystal chandeliers<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KEEPING YOUR LIGHT FITTINGS LOOKING AS GOOD AS NEWMost light fittings come with instructions on how to fit them but not many have any information on how to keep them looking as good as new. Dirty light fittings not only look nasty but will reduce your light levels and waste energy. The slow build-up of dust and dirt on light bulbs can reduce their light output by up to 30% and if you add greasy, bug ridden shades you have a built in dimmer switch whether you want it or not. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[57,54,53,55,56],"class_list":["post-219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-look-after-light-fittings","tag-after-care","tag-clean-your-light-fittings","tag-how-to","tag-how-to-clean-lights","tag-maintenance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=219"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5234,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219\/revisions\/5234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokelights.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}