Light Care 101: Simple Ways to Clean and Care for Your Light Fixtures
December 1, 2023
December 1, 2023
Cleaning and caring for ceiling lights, wall lights, chandeliers, and other fixtures throughout the home is the key to keeping them in good working condition. You should perform routine maintenance to keep these fixtures looking their best while adding color and excitement to your home. Failure to do so could lead to damaged bulbs, a collection of dust, and difficulty getting some of your favorite fixtures to work as they should.
Need to know how to start cleaning light fixtures in your home? Check out this comprehensive guide that proves light care isn't as difficult as it seems!
Before cleaning light fixtures in your home, remove the bulbs to any pieces you plan on wiping down with something damp. You don't want to get your bulbs wet! Most bulbs are relatively easy to remove by twisting them to the left-hand side. If the bulbs are already dull, you may want to dispose of them properly with plans of adding new lights in those spots when you've completed the step-by-step cleaning process.
Use a duster to reach even the most difficult spaces, carefully and efficiently removing dust from your ceiling lights, chandeliers, wall lights, and other fixtures in every room. Always start with dusting first, allowing the dirt and dust to drop to the floor, which you can clean when you've finished working on your lights. You can use a traditional duster or one of the disposable ones, whichever you prefer. If it’s been a while since you’ve dusted your lights, consider wearing a mask to protect your mouth and nose when dusting.
Once you've finished dusting, fill a small bucket with warm water and a drop or two of dish soap. Use your hand to mix the soap and water, creating light suds, before dipping a soft microfiber cloth into the water. If your cloth is dripping with water, squeeze out the excess before wiping down each side of your wall lights and other fixtures. Although you want to use some water, you don't want to soak your lights!
After wiping down the dirt, dust, and any residue left behind on different lighting components, check for damaged, broken, or missing pieces. For example, if you have a glass chandelier and notice a portion of the glass has a crack in it, you may want to get a crack repair kit or have that piece replaced before the damage gets any worse. Do a thorough inspection of every fixture in your home.
Take the time to ensure all parts of your ceiling lights are fully dry. If you have another microfiber cloth, use it without getting it wet in the water and soap mixture to remove any excess water from portions of the ceiling lights and other lighting elements in each room. A microfiber cloth is gentle yet effective and won't cause scratches or damage to your fixtures. Of course, you can wait for everything to air dry if you’re not in a rush to put your bulbs back into their spots.
Once everything is dry, grab new bulbs for each lighting fixture and install them. Make sure you're choosing the right bulbs for different places. For example, you may use brighter lights in rooms like the kitchen, dining room, and bathroom while using warmer, cozier lights in your living room, bedroom, and guest room. After you've installed the new, fresh lights, test them out to ensure everything is working as it should. If not, adjust the bulbs and tighten them into place. Sometimes, the bulbs are too loose and need to be tightened to work.
By following these simple steps to cleaning light fixtures in every room in the home, you can get the job done in one day while keeping your chandeliers and other lighting essentials looking their best and working as they should. Light care and maintenance may seem like just another chore you need to add to your to-do list, but this process is necessary if you want to maintain stunning light fixtures and keep rooms well-lit with either bright white or warm yellow hues.
Get in the habit of completing these light care tasks at least once a month. By making an effort to keep your fixtures clean, you can avoid costly damage and continue to keep every space in your home as illuminated as you'd like it.