How to Clean a Crystal Chandelier
A crystal chandelier is a stunning and memorable feature of any room refracting light in a myriad of colours to add a touch of sparkle to your life. However when the crystals become dusty and dirty much of the beauty and elegance is lost. It is crucial to keep your crystal sparkling clear and bright. Don’t let these words of warning put you off buying a chandelier though, because maintaining these lights is actually quite easy and you won’t have to work too hard or too often.
Regular Dusting
You can prevent most of the build-up of dust on the crystals by regularly giving your chandelier a quick dust over. You should do this every two to three weeks by passing a feather or lambswool duster over both the fitting and all of the crystals. Always use this type of lint free duster otherwise you will be depositing more debris onto the crystal. If you leave it too long between cleans, dust and debris will accumulate and eventually any moisture in the air will cause the deposits to solidify.
Cleaning
Once or twice each year it is necessary to perform a more comprehensive clean of the crystal. How you do this will depend on whether or not you can remove the crystal from the fitting. Even if the crystals are not removable or if you don’t have the time to take them all down and then replace them, you can still opt to clean them in situ.
Removable Crystals
Before taking down the crystals take note of where they are all positioned on the fitting as it will be necessary to reassemble the light when you have finished cleaning. If the arrangement is complicated take a photograph of the light before you start. If necessary you can use this picture later as a guide.
Place a towel underneath the light to provide a soft landing for any crystal that you drop or accidently dislodge during the removal process. Turn off the light before you start and then find yourself something stable to stand on so you can take down the crystals and carefully place them on a soft surface. Move around the light rather that rotating the fitting whilst you are doing this as the rotation of the light could weaken the fixing and cause the light to fall.
When all of the crystals are safely down it is time to clean them. Your cleaning solution should be a proprietary crystal cleaning fluid or glass cleaner. If you don’t have either of these then soapy water is fine. Never use any other form of detergent as it may contain ammonia which will damage both the crystal and the metallic finish of the fitting.
You will need a pair of cotton gloves or two lint free cloths. Wet either one of your cotton gloves or one of the cloths with the cleaning fluid and then use it to gently wipe each crystal in turn. Dry each crystal immediately after washing by using the other glove or cloth and then lay it out ready to be returned to the fitting.
When all of the crystals are clean reassemble the light using your photograph as a guide if necessary. Once again do try to avoid rotating or pulling down on the fitting when you are replacing the crystals.
Cleaning in Situ
If the crystal elements of the light cannot be removed or you do not have the time to take them down then you can clean them in situ. Turn the light off before you start. Once again place a towel under the light in case you do accidently dislodge anything as you clean and stand on something stable whilst you work.
Either wear a pair of white cotton gloves or use two lint free cloths. Your detergent should again be either a crystal or glass cleaner or soapy water. Clean each crystal in turn by wetting one glove or cloth and using it to gently wipe the stones. Dry each piece immediately with the other glove or another cloth. Never spray the crystals or the fitting as you may damage the metallic finish and it is never a good idea to spray an electrical fitting for safety reasons!
You will now have a beautiful chandelier which sparkles as if it were brand new! Once you are used to cleaning your lights it will become a quick and easy procedure that you only need to perform every six months or so to keep your crystal looking at its best. If you are considering investing in crystal lighting then visit our collection for some fabulous lighting options.