Clean and Shiny for the Holidays!

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Dinners, parties, company (judgmental in-laws?) in your near future? Time to get those crystal chandeliers and sconces sparkling and twinkling!

And, here is how:

Always work around your chandelier – don’t turn it! You don’t want to turn it out of the ceiling. Also, check your screw loop at the ceiling and make sure it is tight.

If the chandelier is over a table, move the table if you can. If not, spread a thick quilt or comforter over the table. Do the same for a hard floor. This will protect your crystal as well as your surface.

If your fixture has glass shades, remove these and wash with dish-washing detergent or glass cleaner. Let dry. These will be the last things returned to the fixture.

Make a diagram or map of all the trimmings of your chandelier so that you know where they belong. (Believe us, you may think you will remember, but you won’t!) Cell phones are good for photos as well. Remove all prisms. We find it best to place these in a plastic colander with a small amount of mild dish-washing detergent. Rinse well with warm or hot water. Set aside to dry. We do not recommend using anything other than mild soap on these as it may damage the metal pins on your crystal.

Remove festoons (if you have them) by unhooking the lowest points first. With your hands, rub a very small amount of soap on these festoons. Holding both ends, pass under running water to rinse. Using this method will prevent your festoons from tangling. Spread out to dry.

Before you use any wet cloth on the body of the fixture, it is best to dust it with a dry one. Then clean the body using any of your glass cleaning preferences. However, always spray onto your cloth and never onto the fixture and keep in mind that some modern glass cleaning solutions leave a residue. Vinegar OR ammonia water are great, as is chandelier cleaner (just not as directed). Spraying into your fixture can cause serious electrical damage and erosion. Also, be careful not to let the cleaning solution touch the metal parts of your chandelier.

Return all pieces to the chandelier. For maximum shine, rub each prism with a lint free cloth as you hang. Excellent low-lint options are very cheap paper towels and better quality micro-fiber towels. We love the little cloths that come with your eye glasses.

Do not forget to clean your light bulbs.

And, most importantly: NEVER SPRAY ANYTHING DIRECTLY ONTO YOUR FIXTURE, AS THIS WILL DAMAGE TO THE METAL, THE PLASTER, AND THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS.

Have fun! You will love the results.

Next week we will share some quick tips for you in case you’d rather do ANYTHING than clean your chandelier. Feel free to drop us a line if you need advice.